Israel - Day 3 - Capernaum

After visiting Caesarea Philippi, we hopped back in the bus & traveled back down to Capernaum.  Capernaum is cited in all 4 gospels & is said to have been the hometown of tax collector Matthew.  This was also the town where Peter lived & it is said that Jesus may have stayed in Peter's home while ministering there.  Jesus settled here after leaving Nazareth.

Matthew 4:13

"And leaving Nazareth, he came & dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon & Nephthalim.

The most important site in Capernaum is Peter's house.  Nobody knows for sure if this was the exact spot of Peter's home, but there are several clues that suggest it might be.  The walls in this home were re-worked with care & plastered.  It also was large enough to be a gathering place for religious meetings.  There was also graffiti found inside this home including the name of Peter.  Three churches have been constructed over the top of this home over the last 2 thousand years.  Building churches on top of a particular site signifies that that spot is important in some way.  One church was built in the 1st century, the 2nd in the 4th century, & finally the newest version of the church was constructed in 1990.  It is built over the top of the archaeological site with a glass floor so that you can look down into Peter's house.

Also nearby is a jewish synagogue built in the 4th or 5th century.  When excavating this synagogue, they discovered another synagogue underneath it dating back from the 1st century.  This could have been the very synagogue Jesus taught & healed people in.

Here are a few references to the many stories of healing Jesus performed while in Capernaum:

Matthew 8:5-13 & Luke 7:1-10 - Jesus heals the Centurion's servant's palsy

Mark 1:21-27 & Luke 4:31-36 - Jesus casts out an evil spirit

Mark 1:30-34 & Luke 4:38-39 - Jesus heals Peter's mother in law & several sick people

Mark 2: 1-12 & Luke 5:17-26 - Jesus heals the man of palsy lowered through the roof

Mark 5:24-34 - Jesus heals the woman with an issue of blood

Can you tell Canyon wasn't feeling super great?  Poor kiddo.

This is what happens when you ask your 17 year old to take a picture of mom & dad.

On the opposite side of the synagogue is the path to the Sea of Galilee.  There is a large statue of Peter there.  There is a lot of Tilapia in the Sea of Galilee which is known as "Peter's Fish."  There are a lot of references to this fish all around Capernaum.

Matthew 17: 24-27 tells the story of Jesus talking to Peter about paying tribute/tax to Rome.   

"Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, & cast an hook, & take up the fish that first cometh up; & when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, & give unto them for me & thee."

This was a very special place to visit.  Not only was it beautiful, but it was historically significant.  We loved the spirit we felt when we visited here.