When Jesus left Nazareth, He came here to Capernaum and made his home. This served as the launching off point for the rest of His 3 year ministry. During His time, the population of the town was roughly 1,500. Jesus performed many miracles here including the casting out of a demon which caused a huge uproar. In Mark 1:28 it says that Jesus' fame spread immediately throughout the entire region as a result of this. This arial shot gives an idea of how small this town was. We can be sure that everyone knew exactly who Jesus was.
These ruins date back to the time of Christ. He would have walked down these streets and slept in one of these houses... I wonder which one...
Capernaum was also the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. Imagine the scene these renegades must have caused in such a small town!
Archaeological excavations have uncovered a home which they have concluded was venerated as the house of Peter the fisherman as early as the mid-first century AD (within 15-25 years after Christ's resurrection). Two churches were built around it to preserve it from the elements and set it apart as a holy site. The church walls contain ancient writings in the plaster mentioning Jesus as “Lord” and “Christ” in Aramaic, Greek, Syriac and Latin. The structure is very close to the ancient synagogue at Capernaum and contains 1st century fish hooks and graffiti references to “Peter.” This is where Jesus healed Peter's mother in law (Mark 1:29-30).
Imagine Jesus walking in and out of this doorway while visiting with his friends who lived there...
"And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching." (Mark 1:21)
This is among the oldest synagogues in the world.
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