Capernaum: Jesus's Galilean HQ

After being rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, what place did Jesus make his Galilean headquarters? It was the city of Capernaum. Capernaum was Jesus' center of activity for a significant portion of his ministry.

He performed more of his miracles in this area than any other place. In the lesson, Dean is going to tell us about many of the biblical events which took place in and around Capernaum. Speaking of the lesson, I have my fellow traveler Nathan Johnson to thank for providing the last three and a half minutes of the video from Dean's lesson.

The battery died on my camera at the very end of Dean's lesson and I wasn't able to capture the last couple of minutes. Thankfully, Nathan had his camera rolling and he got what I missed. So Nathan, thank you very much for your contribution to this video.

Stick around until the end of Dean's lesson and I'll show you some of the more notable sides of Capernaum.

I want to take just one moment to give you four key truths about Capernaum that you just need to really remember as we're right here. And then I want to say some things about the structures that surround us, okay?

And I brought some drawings with me just so you can get an idea of what it looked like. Sometimes when we look at rocks and ruins, it's kind of hard to visualize it. So I brought some drawings and things with me.

What can we say about the city or the village of Capernaum? Well, look at these four things. First of all, Capernaum means Kephar Nahum. It means the village of the comforter or the village of comfort.

Now it was not named after the prophet Nahum. I like to say, because it's right here on the Via Maris, that it was a comfort station. It was a truck stop on the Via Maris because you'd have to stop here, pay the tax, great place to stop overnight, gas up the camel, you know, get a falafel and head on either north or south on the Via Maris.

The Via Maris was, again, was called the main trunk road before the Romans came in. And the Romans named it in Latin, Via Maris, the way of the sea. There was a tax station here. Remember Shaga said you had to pay the tax before you could go?

It was a toll booth. Think about it in our terms, a toll road. Capernaum was the best city to stop, relax, again, like the village of comfort. So remember that. That'll really help you to see. The Via Maris ran around along this side of the city.

The Sea of Galilee, can you see it over there, is on that side. I want you to think about what would happen. The fishermen would fish all night. Usually they would take their catch to Migdal. We're going to try to go to Migdal, we'll be near there when we eat lunch today.

The town of Mary Magdalene, Migdal in Hebrew means tower. The fishing tower was there. They would catch their fish. They would take them to Migdal. They would get a check or their money for how many they caught overnight.

And then that fish would be processed at Migdal, salted and processed, brought back to Capernaum. Why would they bring it back to Capernaum? What was the road? The Via Maris. So they could take it either north or south or toward Damascus.

Right about Caesarea, where we were at, the road splits away. You can follow the coastal highway on up, but the actual Via Maris comes and it skirts right by here, right by Capernaum. Does that make sense?

So it's the village of comfort. It was a big trade area in Jesus' day and a place to pay the tax. So here's the second thing. Capernaum was located at a key crossroads. Again, northwest side of the Sea of Galilee, the Via Maris, right next to it.

That's why Matthew was called from the tax collector's station. Where? Capernaum. He was a tax collector for the Romans in Capernaum. Thirdly, the third thing that I want you to remember about Capernaum.

It was the center of Jesus' ministry in the Galilee. This was the headquarters. This is the place where 70 of His miracles happen in what we call the Evangelical Triangle. If you draw a dot from here to Bethsaida, which is further north, and to Chorazin, which is a little more inland, it makes a triangle.

70 of all of the miracles of Jesus happen within that triangle. But did they believe in Him? Did they believe because they saw all these signs, these healings, these miracles? Did they believe in Him?

So what do we know about those three cities, including this one that was His headquarters? Here's the fourth thing. These three cities, including Capernaum, were cursed. Cursed by the Lord, in addition to Chorazin and Bethsaida.

Now, I just want to say a few things about the synagogue first, and then about this Catholic church that is built over here. First of all, the white marble, or the white blocks on the synagogue is 4th century, alright?

Look at the bottom. Can you see the bottom over there? Shraga has my laser pointer. But see the bottom? Do you see how dark it is? That's the basalt foundation of the time of Jesus. So, after the time of Jesus, the 4th century synagogue is built on top of what would have been the synagogue in Jesus' day.

And remember, a Roman centurion, a Roman centurion's servant was sick, and the Jewish people of Capernaum actually said, please help this man because he has been very good to us as Jews. He helped us to build our synagogue.

And so you're looking at it right there. Place of great teaching, a place where Jesus healed, a place where this whole area where many, many miracles took place. I want to just touch base on a few of them.

Remember the man that was let down through the roof? It happened right here in Capernaum. In fact, let me give you all of these miracles. It's just quite amazing. Have I got those listed in your notes?

It is in the Traveler's Guide, but let me just give you, I'm not going to go to all of these scriptures, but I want to just give you an idea of what happened here. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were called as disciples from Capernaum.

Matthew, or Levi, the tax collector, was called from the tax office here in Capernaum. Jesus taught in the synagogue according to Mark 1, 21 through 34. The centurion's servant was healed here in Capernaum.

The paralyzed man lowered through the roof was healed, Mark 2, right here in Capernaum. Jesus healed the nobleman's son. Remember when we were in Cana coming over? Some of you were maybe asleep by then, but we came through Cana.

The nobleman actually left Capernaum and begged Jesus to come back to Capernaum to heal his son. But Jesus healed the son from a distance. Healed him from Cana. And I love that story because the man didn't even rush home to see if his son was healed.

He came the next day. What does that tell us? He believed that at the word of Jesus, his son was healed. And so that happened right here. Two blind men were healed right here according to Matthew 9. A man possessed by demons was delivered from that according to Mark 3 and Luke 11.

Remember Jesus paid the tax with the coin that he found in the fish? How much was the tax for the temple? It was usually collected at one of the three feast times. Passover, Shavuot. Every Jewish man was expected to pay for the upkeep of the temple.

Anybody remember how much that was? A half of shekel. A half a silver shekel. Drogma is words that are used, but actually a half a shekel. Jesus said to Peter, they said, does your master not pay the tax for the temple?

And Jesus, what did he say? Go down to the sea, throw in a line, pull in a fish, and what did he find? He found a coin. But how much was the coin? It was one shekel. And remember what Jesus said? Now you have enough to pay for you and for me.

A half and a half make one. So all of that took place right here in Capernaum. The woman healed with the issue of blood right here in Capernaum. Jairus' daughter raised from the dead right here in Capernaum.

Now I just want you to see a few pictures that I hope will kind of help you to see this. This first picture is a drawing. They've actually found some of the moorings of the harbor in Capernaum. Remember we said that the fish would be processed in Migdal, brought over here, put on mules and camels, and then taken up and down the highway?

Look at this artist's drawing of the harbor in Capernaum from Jesus' day. It was a pretty major harbor. Again, why? Because it was on the Via Maris. They've actually found some of the moorings under the Sea of Galilee that shows them the shape.

Some of the things are actually curved. Alright, does that make sense? Let me show you another picture. People have often wondered, what did a house look like in Jesus' day? How did the guys get up to lower their friend down through the house?

Well, look at this example drawing of the house in Jesus' day, and what do you see on the side? You see steps going up. If it was a poor house, it'd have a ladder. But, many of the houses had steps on the side, because what would they do on the rooftop?

Yeah, they would dry stuff, do all kinds of stuff. Does everybody see that? So you say, how in the world did they get their friend who was paralyzed up on the roof? Many of the houses, and probably the house where Jesus was teaching, had steps that went up.

Alright, just a couple more pictures that I hope is helping you to see. Here is a picture that shows us not only the Sea of Galilee and the harbor area, but what the houses might kind of have looked like coming all the way back to the synagogue.

Does everybody see that? The synagogue in this picture is the larger building, and the harbor would be down below. Can everybody see that? Again, this is just some pictures to kind of give you an idea, because this is such an important place.

Again, it's the HQ for Jesus in the Galilee area. It's the headquarters. Okay, so what do we have behind the synagogue? We have an entire flour mill industry back behind there. Corazin was known for its wheat.

So I think they would get the wheat from Corazin, one of the cities that Jesus cursed, bring it to Capernaum, and bread was made here. Where do you think Jesus said, I am the bread of life? Capernaum.

Maybe he was standing over here at the flour mill, right here behind the synagogue. When everybody saw that operation, and maybe that's where he said, I'm the bread of life. What about the harbor down there?

One of the reasons that I didn't use Matthew chapter 14, where Jesus walks on the water when we were out on the boat, is I wanted to save it for Capernaum. Because guess where John says, after he walks on the water and the disciples declare him to be the son of God, guess where their boat landed?

Capernaum. So I think that's a great harbor to declare, to remind us he is the son of the living God. Does that make sense? He is the bread of life. He is the word of God, because he taught there. Look at that spaceship Enterprise right there.

What is that? Does anybody know what that is? It is a Catholic church. Why do you suppose that it was built there? What's underneath it? Underneath it is Peter's house. Now back in the biblical days, the house, and they found the foundation for the house that they believe was Peter's house.

Remember Peter's mother-in-law was healed. Jesus was coming out of the synagogue, the Bible says, and comes into Peter's house and the mother-in-law was sick and was healed right here in Capernaum.

But it didn't look like that, obviously, back in that day. Here is an artist's rendering of what the house, having several rooms added to it in Jesus' day that was called an insula. In my father's house are many rooms or mansions.

In my father's insula are many mansions, rooms. Here's what they believe that Peter's house structure looked like. Have I got that turned right? Yes. Sorry, it's a little dark, but you can see several rooms.

As the family would grow, they would simply add rooms onto the house. Does that make sense? So in the first century when believers were here, they made Peter's house into a church. But it went through a transition.

And in the fourth century, they built a wall around it, around this structure, and built a baptistry inside. The believers here in Capernaum. In the fifth century, however, they built it into an octagon, eight-sided church.

And the eight-sided area is the exact spot that they believe that Peter's house was on. Now, here is a picture before that church was built. So I want you to see in the picture what's underneath this church that's been built.

So take a look at that. It's a little blurry because when I blew it up, the pixels, but you can see that middle section right there, the octagon-shaped section, is the place where the church was built around Peter's house.

Do you see that? That's what's underneath this church. Now let me ask you a question. Why do you suppose that the Catholic church would build a church on top of what is Peter's house? What do they believe?

Who do they believe that Peter was? The first pope. They believe that at Caesarea Philippi, we're going there tomorrow, they believe that when Jesus turned and said, You are Peter, and upon you I will build my church.

So who's the foundation of the church according to the Catholic church? Peter is. Why do you think they would build a church on top of Peter's house? Because of their belief that Peter is the foundation rock of the church.

I beg to differ. And we're going to show you the difference tomorrow, and I'm going to preach out of Matthew chapter 16 tomorrow when we get to Caesarea. So just hold that thought for right now, alright?

Because tomorrow we're going to have some glory come down. As we understand what Jesus was saying in that whole process. Listen, the church was not built on a man. The church was built on the Lord Jesus, and I want to show you that from scripture.

But why would they build the church on top of Peter's house? It is to proclaim their doctrine, their belief that indeed Peter was the pope. So what does this tell us? The harbor tells us that he was the son of God.

The Peter's house tells us that the church is built on Jesus, not on a man. Here he is the word of God. Here he's the bread of life. Over here we have the millstones. Remember that Capernaum had a millstone industry.

Look around at all this basalt rock. Millstones were made here. The kind that we saw right over there. Do you remember when Jesus said, if you offend one of these little children, it would be better for you to have what?

A millstone tied around your neck and thrown where? In the sea. Can't you see him standing here saying that? Can't you see him pointing to a millstone and then pointing to the sea? You see how incredible that is?

So this whole town proclaims that truly this one that we call Jesus was the son of God. Now I got to just share with you one more thing. Are you ready for one more thing? One more thing. A woman had an issue of blood for 12 years.

She had spent everything she had on doctors. She could not get well. Jesus comes back into Capernaum and the crowd is so thick. It looks like the Tennessee Alabama game on Saturday afternoon. Everybody's heading into the stadium and everybody's like this, just moving into the stadium.

And all of a sudden this woman reaches through the crowd. And what does the Bible say she did? Touch the hem of his garment. Now the English version does not describe all that happened there. What was she doing?

What was she actually just touching the end of his robe? Well, let's see. I want to show you this. You're going to see this a lot when you get to Jerusalem. Does anybody know what this is called? The prayer shawl.

In Hebrew it is called the talit. Tal in Hebrew, tent. You put the IT on the end, little tent. All the Jews could not fit in the tent of the sanctuary, the tabernacle. So what did God provide for them, command them to do?

I want you to make a little tent. So you will have a place to pray. And do you remember they would wear the prayer shawl underneath their clothing? The four corners of the garment were called the kanafim, the corners of the garment.

Jesus said, when you pray, do what? In the Sermon on the Mount. Go into your closet. Here's your closet. You block everything out, and this becomes your closet of prayer. This is your little tent. Now look on the end of this prayer shawl.

What do you see hanging down? These tassels. Does anybody know the Hebrew name for these tassels on the four corners of the prayer shawl, besides my brother? Yes, it's the tzitzit. The tzitzit. Numbers chapter 15, does somebody have that real quick?

Who has their Bible open? Numbers 15, 37. Who's got that real quick? I want you to hear the command for the Jewish males to wear the prayer shawl. What is it supposed to be a reminder of? Who has it? Numbers 15, beginning with verse 37 through, I think, about 41.

Beth, stand up here where we can. Stand next to me where we can hear as you read that. Yeah, 15, 37.

Okay. The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments through their generations and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.

It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord so as to do to them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes after which you play the harlot so that you may remember to do all my commandments and be holy to your God.

I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. Amen.

What was the purpose of this? A little tent for prayer, but what else? To remember what? The commandments. What was the corner of the garment called? Does anybody remember that Hebrew word? Conafim. What were the tassels called in Hebrew?

The tzitzit. I want you to notice something very quickly. I'm trying to really go fast because I don't want to get the general mad at us. But I want you to see this. Remember we talked about the number 153?

The numeric value for the name tzitzit or the tassel was 600. Plus how many knots do you see? One, two, three, four, five. How many strands of string do you see coming down? Well, I'll tell you. There are eight.

Somebody add 600 plus eight plus five. And what is that? And how many commandments are there? 613. What was the purpose of the tassels? To remember the law. To remember to obey and to keep the instruction.

Does that make sense? What did the woman come up and touch on the robe of Jesus? One of these tassels. This garment, the corners are not only called the corners of the garment, but the wings of the garment.

And Malachi chapter 4, and I get this. Chapter 4 verse 2 says that when the son of righteousness comes, there shall be healing in his what? The wings. When Messiah comes, he's going to be able to heal people by touching the tzitzit of their prayer, of the prayer shawl, of his prayer shawl.

Immediately when she touched his prayer shawl, what does the Bible say? She was healed. Do you see that? What was she declaring? Sir, I believe that you are the Messiah. I believe that you are the one with healing in your wings.

The wings of the garment. The wings of the talit, the prayer shawl. Not only that, but there are other scriptures, and I'm trying to hurry. There are other scriptures that tell us that Jesus went around healing people, and they long to just touch the corner of his garment.

What is it? Prayer shawl. By the way, this little crown here on the top is called the atara. Again, purpose of prayer, but also the purpose. When they see these strings, and you will see this all over Jerusalem, you will see these guys, maybe you've already seen it.

Underneath their coats, they've got these little strings hanging out. That's the tzitzit. That's the tassel. That's the corner of their prayer shawl. Now today, they have a garment that almost looks like an undershirt that they can wear under their clothing, but they've got to have these strings, these tassels exposed.

Remember right after he heals the woman with the issue of blood, where does he go? He heals, he goes in. Hey, don't bother, the master Jairus' daughter is already dead. Do you remember what the English version says?

That he goes in and he says, Talitha humi. Do you remember that? Literally, and we translate this in all kinds of ways, but literally from the Hebrew, little girl who is under my talith, rise. And guys, listen.

Here is a picture of what the law cannot do. The law can tell us that we're sinners and that we fall short, but only Jesus can raise us by the power of His grace and His mercy. He can do what keeping the law and the commandments cannot do.

We are saved by His power and by His grace. It's in this place where Jesus is proclaimed all over this place as the Son of the living God. Capernaum was headquarters in the Galilee. So I pray, even though we've gone really fast, that a lot of that has really made sense to you.

Capernaum is located at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, about a mile and a half east of the traditional location of the Sermon on the Mount. It was situated near an ancient international road called the Via Maris, which ran from Egypt all the way to Mesopotamia.

One of the first things that you see when you walk into Capernaum are these millstones. Millstones like these were manufactured in Capernaum and were used for grinding grain. Jesus used millstones like this in some of His teachings.

For example, in Mark 9, verse 42, He said, I don't think it's mere coincidence that Jesus had this conversation in Capernaum, where both the Sea of Galilee and millstones such as these were in plain view.

It seems that Jesus took everyday objects and landmarks that were around Him and incorporated them into His lessons. These are the ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum. The existing white synagogue that you see here dates to about the 4th century AD, so around 300 years after Jesus' day.

The synagogue that we see here today is actually built on top of the synagogue that Jesus taught in. The white synagogue, as it's called, was built on the foundations of the synagogue of Jesus' day, and you can tell the difference by noticing the color of the stones.

The darker stones that form the foundation of the synagogue, which we can still see, are the remains of Jesus' synagogue. These darker stones presumably belonged to the synagogue, which was built by the Roman centurion that was mentioned in Luke chapter 7.

To the north, behind the synagogue, you can see the ancient foundations of buildings from the time of Jesus. As I was walking around, I happened upon these steps. Now, I have no idea what kind of structure these steps were once attached to, but when I saw them, what I was reminded of was the time in Capernaum in Mark chapter 2 when the paralyzed man was let down through the roof to be healed.

I couldn't help but wonder if they got up on that roof using steps like these. About 100 feet south of the synagogue is a house which is believed to have belonged to Peter. A modern church building has been constructed so that it is suspended directly above the remains of an older Byzantine era church.

The octagonal walls that you see underneath the modern church are the foundations of a 5th century church building, which itself was constructed over top of a private dwelling that is believed to have been Peter's home.

The original dwelling dates to the first half of the 1st century and originally was a normal home but was slightly larger than the norm. It consisted of a few small rooms built around two open courtyards.

However, what happened to it in the middle of the 1st century AD is what makes it different or even exceptional. Archaeologists say in the years after Jesus' death the house was renovated and the house's main room was plastered from floor to ceiling.

This was rare for homes of that period and marks this location off as being different somehow. Normal household cooking pots and bowls that were found at the site were later replaced by large storage jars and oil lamps and the implication is that the house stopped functioning as a dwelling and became a place of communal gatherings.

As more time passed, more renovations took place making the structure more elaborate and more like a meeting place or church building for early Christians. Ancient graffiti has been found scratched into the walls which mention Jesus.

The archaeologists claim that some of the graffiti mentions Peter by name although the writing is a bit too obscure to say this for certain. There are experts who dispute this. The original church building that was the remodeled structure of Peter's home stood for more than 300 years before finally being replaced with the octagonal structure whose remains we can see today.

Although there is no absolute proof, there is a great deal of evidence suggesting that this actually is the location of Peter's home. Thanks for watching. If you like this video, subscribe to my channel and click the little bell so that you'll get notifications when we upload new videos.