Capernaum
Capernaum (/kəˈpɜːrneɪəm, -niəm/ kə-PUR-nay-əm, -nee-əm; Hebrew: כְּפַר נַחוּם, romanized: Kfar Naḥum, lit. 'Nahum's village'; Arabic: كفر ناحوم, romanized: Kafr Nāḥūm) was a fishing village established during the time of the Hasmoneans, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500 in the 1st century AD. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other. A house turned into a church by the Byzantines is held by Christian tradition to have been the home of Saint Peter.
כְּפַר נַחוּם | |
Capernaum synagogue | |
Shown within Israel | |
Location | Israel |
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Region | Sea of Galilee |
Coordinates | 32°52′52″N 35°34′30″E |
Type | Settlement |
History | |
Cultures | Hasmonean, Roman |
Site notes | |
Condition | Ruined |
The village was inhabited continuously from the second century BC to the 11th century AD, when it was abandoned sometime before the First Crusade. This includes the re-establishment of the village northeast of the earlier location in c. 700, during the Early Islamic period.