Capernaum

Capernaum, Capernaum, Capernaum also (Hebrew: כְפַר נָחוּם Kfar Nahum, " Nahum's village" ) was a fishing village in the Galilee in northern Israel, on the northern shore of the Sea of ​​Galilee, about 2.5 kilometers east of Tabgha and 15 kilometers north of Tiberias on the Via Maris located. The biblical town was with the ruins of the Arabic name Talhum, even Tel Hum, Hum Tell and Tel Chum, identified in the 19th century.

Biblical reports

Capernaum plays an important role in the Gospels as the home and the site of action of Jesus:

And the story of the healing of a servant: (Mt 8:5-13 EU) is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew also stationed in Capernaum centurion ( centurion ), who asked the healing of his servant Jesus. It also promotes healing of Simon Peter's mother in law is to locate there. Mention is made of the history in the books of Mark ( Mk 1:29-31 EU), Luke ( Lk 4.38 to 39 EU) and Matthew ( Mt 8.14 to 15 EU).

The fishing village of Capernaum came from several of Jesus' disciples: the pairs of brothers Simon Peter and Andrew and James and John, sons of Zebedee, also the publican Levi, called Matthew.

According to Mark's Gospel ( Mk 1.11 to 28 EU) Jesus taught beginning of his ministry in the synagogue of Capernaum, where he - so suggest the following verses - is said to have temporarily lived in the house of Peter. After multiplication of the loaves, which was later suspected in the area of ​​Tabgha, Jesus taught the people, according to John's Gospel (Jn 6.22 to 59 EU) in the synagogue of Capernaum on the " bread of heaven ".

Capernaum was a frontier town, and possibly was in the days of Herod Antipas a mercenary troops stationed there.

History

According to archaeological findings, the place Capernaum was probably inhabited since the 2nd century BC.

Flavius ​​Josephus in his Life that he, after he had been taken in the fight against Sylla, the commander of King Agrippa II at Bethsaida Julias, was wounded in the hand, in a village called " Κεφαρνωκόν ".

In a story of the Midrash Rabbah Ecclesiastes Kfar Nahum is mentioned as a place to live in the Minim ( " sects " ), which might refer to a group of Jewish Christians.

For the fourth century Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis makes in his book Panarion an interesting finding. Thus, it is in the cities of Tiberias, Sepphoris, Nazareth and Capernaum to build churches have been impossible, since the Jews were strict, " that no one among them could be down, which belonged to a different ethnic group. "

Capernaum was 746 destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt near the original site. Around the 11th century, the village must have been abandoned; the reason is unknown.

During his first trip to Palestine in 1838, the American researcher Edward Robinson discovered the ruins of the ancient synagogue Kafarnaums, this discovery did not bring but with Capernaum in context. It was only in 1866 identified the British engineer Charles Wilson Valley Hum with the ancient Capernaum. 1894 acquired the Custody of the Holy Land of the Franciscans ( OFM) a part of the site; here several times excavations were made in the 20th century. Another part belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, also excavations were carried out.

Archaeological evidence and contemporary buildings

In the field, which is managed by the Franciscans, a Byzantine church was excavated from the 5th century. The central octagonal space that was surrounded by a likewise octagonal walkway was built over the remains of simple residential buildings dating from the 1st century. One of the houses is considered to be the house of Simon Peter, which was used as a house church. The only clear indication, however, are Kalkinschriften who call Jesus with territorial titles as well as Peter and show traces of cultic gatherings. They date from no earlier than the 3rd century. In addition, the pilgrim Egeria describes this church as well as the Peter veneration end of the 4th century. The octagonal structure mentioned the pilgrim of Piacenza in the 6th century. The building was probably destroyed in the Persian invasion of the early 7th century. About the excavations standing on stilts modern church of St. Peter was built in 1980, designed to protect the finds.

Also on the grounds of the Franciscans, the synagogue of Capernaum was excavated by Gaudenzio Orfali; It can not, however, be mentioned in the Gospels synagogue, because the construction is dated to the 3rd or 4th century. The synagogue is but probably on the site of an older previous building. The Synagogue is described by Egeria in her travelogue. Like the church, the synagogue was destroyed in the 7th century.

On the adjacent site, which is owned by the Greek Orthodox Church, during excavations houses and a kind of quay wall were found.

1931 a small Greek Orthodox church was built, dedicated to the seven apostles, whom the risen Jesus appeared at the Sea of ​​Galilee after John 21.

For 2000, a new facility for pilgrims and tourists was built east of the historic sites, from where boat trips are offered on the lake.

There are both in Denmark and in Germany churches, which are named after this place.

Ancient reports

• Epiphanius of Salamis: Panarion. Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca. 41.424
• Flavius ​​Josephus: Vita. 398-403.
• Koh. Rab I 1.8