X-Dreamers · Lab sheet

Capernaum

The fishing village on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus made his home, rebuilt as it may have looked around AD 30.

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Key facts

Jesus left Nazareth and lived in Capernaum, by the sea (Matthew 4:13); Matthew calls it his “own city” (9:1).
He taught with authority in the synagogue on the Sabbath and healed Simon's mother-in-law in the house nearby (Mark 1:21–31).
Friends dug through a roof to lower a paralysed man to Jesus; roofs here were beams, reeds and packed earth (Mark 2:1–12).
A centurion who had built the town's synagogue asked Jesus to heal his servant (Luke 7:1–10).
Houses were built of rough basalt without mortar, grouped round courtyards with ovens and grinding stones.
A fishing boat of Jesus' day, the Galilee Boat, measures about 8.2 × 2.3 m.

Key verses

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Matthew 4:13–16 · King James Version

21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
Mark 1:21–22 · King James Version

3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
Mark 2:3–5 · King James Version

Talk about it

Jesus chose an ordinary working town as his base, not Jerusalem. What does that tell you about him?
Four friends broke open a roof for one man. Who might need you to carry them to Jesus?
Capernaum saw many of Jesus' miracles and still received his warning (Matthew 11:23). How can people be close to Jesus and still not respond?

How sure can we be?

The Bible says

Jesus' home in Capernaum, the synagogue teaching, the healings and the warning on the town are told in the Gospels.
A centurion paid for the synagogue (Luke 7:5).

Our reconstruction

The basalt houses, courtyards and earth roofs follow the excavations: strongly supported.
The white limestone synagogue standing today is 4th–5th century; the basalt walls under it plausibly belong to the synagogue of Jesus' day.

Still debated

The house venerated as Peter's has early evidence of gatherings, but that it was Peter's cannot be proven; that the roof story happened there is speculative.