Capernaum; Kafarnaum; Kefar Nahum Complete

Description

Adjacent to the synagogue at Capernaum lie extensive remains of the settlement and an octagonal church from the Byzantine period, erected above the site reputed to have been the house of Saint Peter. Domestic architecture made use of basalt, while public or monumental structures—most notably the synagogue and the octagonal church—were constructed in white limestone. In the New Testament accounts, the town serves as a principal base for Jesus’ activity in Galilee, a setting for miraculous deeds and the calling of several apostles. Plan source: General plan in Arubas and Talgam 2014, p. 238; courtesy of Benny Arubas; synagogues.kinneret.ac.il Further reading: Vassilios Tzaferis, “Capernaum,” in Ephraim Stern (ed.), New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, vol. 1, 1993. https://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/capernaum/