Page - 48
(B)

"CAPHARNAUM"
Northern Shore of The Sea of Galilee, Israel

Thursday, ‎December ‎26, ‎2013

Sixth Day of my Holy Land Trip, Mount Zion, Jerusalem

My Holy Land Trip

"CAPHARNAUM"

Northern Shore of The Sea of Galilee, Israel

An prehistoric pillar of the synagogue where Jesus taught His disciples and public which is built on the ruins of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

4. Jesus in the Synagogue

Only one public building, namely the synagogue built by the Roman centurion (Lk 7:5) is mentioned in the Gospels. Of course the synagogue was the hearth of the Jewish community and Jesus visited it several times. In that synagogue of Capharnaum Jesus preached and performed some miracles. We read in Mk 1:21-28: "They went as far as Capharnaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority. "In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and he shouted, `What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God'. But Jesus said sharply, `Be quiet! Come out of him!' and the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsion and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. “Here is teaching that is new' they said `and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him'. And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside".

These are the ruins of a synagogue built on the remains of the synagogue where Jesus taught His disciples and public, Capernaum:

It was in the same synagogue that Jesus promised the Eucharist. The evangelist St. John devoted a long chapter to the discourse of Jesus on the bread of life (Jn 6:22-71). Let us read only some passages. "I tell you most solemnly, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, the true bread; for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world... I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst... I am the living bread that comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world... I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life and I shall raise him up on the last day... He taught this doctrine at Capharnaum, in the synagogue".

These are the ruins of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

Some remains of the first century synagogue have been found in the same area where the Jewish community of the late fourth century A.D. built the monumental white synagogue. Strangely enough, only Egeria mentions the synagogue of Capharnaum; whereas Jewish sources are inexplicably silent about this splendid building which for sure is the queen of the Galilean synagogues.

These are the ruins of a synagogue built on the remains of the synagogue where Jesus taught His disciples and public, Capernaum:

Jesus was harsh with his adopted home when it proved unrepentant despite his many miracles. "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you" (Mt 11:23-24).

These are the ruins of huge ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

Authenticity

It is actually quite likely the room enshrined within the church of Capernaum is the house of Peter where Jesus stayed. This is supported primarily by evidence for very early reverence and public use of the house (mid-1st century), which would be difficult to explain otherwise. Moreover, the identification is not contradicted by anything found in the excavations and the evidence actually conforms quite closely to the biblical descriptions. Read on for more details.

These are the ruins of a synagogue built on the remains of the synagogue where Jesus taught His disciples and public, Capernaum:

History

Now primarily an archaeological park, Capernaum was originally a fishing village inhabited continuously from the 1st century BC to the 13th century AD. As the first town encountered by travelers on the other side of the Jordan, it was equipped with a customs office and a small garrison overseen by a centurion.

Capernaum was a Jewish village in the time of the Christ. It was apparently poor, since it was a Gentile centurion that built the community's synagogue (Luke 7:5). The houses were humble and built of the local black basalt stone.

An prehistoric pillar of the synagogue where Jesus taught His disciples and public which is built on the ruins of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

Christian presence is attested early in Capernaum and the village was predominantly Christian by the 4th century AD. Rabbinic texts from the 4th century imply considerable tension between the Jewish and Christian communities of the town.

Both the church and synagogue were destroyed prior to the Islamic conquest in 638. One possible scenario is that the Persian invasion of 614 gave the Jews the opportunity to act on their resentment of the now-powerful Christian community and demolish the church. In 629, the Byzantine emperor and his troops marched into Palestine, and under this protection the Christians may have destroyed the synagogue.

An Olive press near the ruins of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

After the conquest, the village shifted east, where houses, a jetty, a fish market and a church dedicated to St. John Theologies existed until the mid-10th century. The town's prosperity was badly affected by an earthquake in 746 and never recovered.

In the Crusader period, Capernaum was all but abandoned. The site was too exposed for Crusaders to safely build there, despite their considerable interest in its religious importance. In the 13th century, a visitor reported that "the once renowned town of Capernaum is at present just despicable; it numbers only seven houses of poor fishermen."

An Olive press near the ruins of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

The site remained virtually abandoned until the Franciscans bought the land in the late 19th century. They raised a fence to protect the site, planted palms and eucalyptus trees from Australia to create an oasis for pilgrims, and built a small harbor. Most of the early excavations (1905-26) and restorations were conducted by Franciscans. St. Peter's House was discovered in 1968.

In 1990, the Franciscans built an unusually-shaped modern church over the site of St. Peter’s house. Hexagonal in shape and rather spaceship-like in appearance, it is elevated on pillars and has a glass floor, so that visitors can still see the original church below.

The main sights at Capernaum today are the ruined synagogue and the church, which stand quite close to each other near the shore, with ruins of 1st-to-6th-century houses in between. Also on the site are finely carved stones that belong to the synagogue (included one with a Star of David), and a New Greek Orthodox church nearby.

Another type of Olive press near the ruins of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

The Synagogue of Capernaum

The synagogue of Capernaum is located just inland from the shore with its facade facing Jerusalem. It has been difficult to date, with scholarly opinion ranging from the 2nd to 5th centuries. It stands on an elevated position, was richly decorated and was built of imported white limestone, which would have contrasted dramatically with the local black basalt of the rest of the village. All of this would have given the building great beauty and status.

Collected remains of ancient synagogue, Capernaum:

The "white synagogue" has a basilica-type plan, with a small terrace on the front (south) and a court on the east side. All three entrances are in the south wall; the other walls were lined with columns supporting the roof. A side door in the east wall leads to a courtyard used for community purposes.

Precise dating of the synagogue has proved problematic for several reasons. Aspects of its style suggest a date of c.200 AD and its orientation to Jerusalem also suggests an early date, yet coins and pottery were found under the floors that date from the 5th century. The diverse architectural elements found in the ruins make it difficult to reconstruct coherently. And unusually, it has 12 doors instead of the usual three or four.

Remains of Peter's house, below the new church, Capernaum:

One possibility is that it was built at an early date, and the 5th-century artifacts derive from later repair work. Another suggestion has been that up to four successive synagogues stood here in the 2nd-4th centuries, then dismantled in the 5th century by Christians who rebuilt a pilgrim shrine on the site. This would have occurred at around the same time that a prominent new church was built nearby.

Significant to this discussion is a layer of black basalt foundations beneath the white synagogue. The excavators believe this is the synagogue where Jesus taught and cast out demons (as indicated by the sign on the site, right).

Statue of St. Peter, Capernaum:

In 381, the pilgrim Egeria said she visited "the synagogue where the Lord cured a man possessed by a devil. The way is in up many stairs and it have made of dressed stone."

She clearly visited the white synagogue that post-dates Jesus, but this was perhaps built by Christians, or at least taken over by them, for veneration of the "synagogue of Jesus" that lay underneath. Local Christians seem to have preserved the house of St. Peter from an early date; it is reasonable they would have remembered the site of Jesus' synagogue as well.