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Capernaum

Other Name: Caparnaum, Kefar Nahum, Tell Hum
Religion: Jewish

Archaeological Evidences:

Period: Late Roman and/or Byzantine
Excavation: Excavated
Excavators: Heinrich Kohl and Carl Watzinger (1905), Gaudence Orfali (1921-1926), Virgil Corbo and Stanisalo Loffreda (1969-1974)
Main Finds: Synagogue built of limestone on top of basalt stone. Many ornamental architectural features were uncovered, including a seven-branched candelabra and a wagon bearing a shrine. Dating of the structure is debated by scholars.
Inscriptions: Aramaic (Naveh 1978: 30-31, CIIP V/1: 517-518), Greek (Roth-Gerson 1987: 87-90, CIIP V/1: 515-516).
Site Condition: Tourist site. Entrance Fee.
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer

Geographic Details

Geographical Region: Lower Galilee
Capernaum Synagogue, Israel

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Selected Bibliography:

Selected Bibliography
  1. Tarkhanova, S. "The Friezes with the “Peopled Scrolls” Motif in the Capernaum Synagogue. Dating by Stylistic Method and Some Aspects of the Reconstruction" in The Synagogue in Ancient Palestine: Current Issues and Emerging Trends. ed. R. Bonnie, R. Hakola & U. Tervahauta, Helsinki, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen, 2020: 195-220.
  2. Price, J. J. and Yardeni, A. "Caparnaum/Capernaum (Kefar Naḥum, Tell Ḥum)" in Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae. ed. W. Ameling et. al., V/Part 1: Galilaea and Northern Regions, Berlin/Boston, De Gruyter, 2023: 515-518.
  3. Cirafesi, W. V. Capernaum: Jews and Christians in the Ancient Village from the Time of Jesus to the Emergence of Islam. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 2024.
  4. Magness, J. "The Late Antique Synagogue at Capernaum: Was It Really a Congregation of Minim?" in Parting of the Ways: The Variegated Ways of Separations between Jews and Christians. ed. M. Tiwald and M. Öhler, Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society - Supplementa, Volume 4, Paderborn, Brill, 2024: 51-63.
  5. Magness, J. "Capernaum: A Community of Minim at Capernaum?" in Ancient Synagogues in Palestine: A Re-evaluation Nearly a Century After Sukenik’s Schweich Lectures. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2024: 63-93.
  6. Leibner, U. and Arubas, B. "Invisible Synagogues of the Second Temple Period" 180, 2022: 9-32, (Hebrew).
  7. Cirafesi, W. V. "The Socio-Economic Context of Capernaum’s Limestone Synagogue and Jewish–Christian Relations in the Late-Ancient Town" Nordisk judaistik/Scandinavian Jewish Studies 32 (1), 2021: 46-65.
  8. Magness, J. "The question of the synagogue : the problem of typology" in Judaism in Late Antiquity III; Where we Stand: issues and debates in Ancient Judaism. Vol. 4. The Special Problems of the Synagogue. ed. A.J. Avery-Peck and J. Neusner, Leiden, 2001: 1- 48.
  9. Arslan, E.A. "The L812 trench deposit inside the synagogue and the isolated finds of coins in Capernaum; Israel" Israel Numismatic Research 6, 2011: 147-162.
  10. Arubas, B.Y. and Talgam, R. "Christians and 'Minim': Who Really Built and Used the Synagogue at Capernaum - A Stirring Appraisal" in Knowledge And Wisdom Archaeological and Historical Essays in Honour of Leah Di Segni. ed. G.C Bottini; D. Churpcala and J. Patrich., Milano, 2014: 237-274.
Bibliographic citation of this page
Ben David, C. Osband, M. Aviam, M. Site: ‘Synagogues.Kinneret.ac.il’, The Bornblum Eretz Israel Website for the Study of Ancient Synagogues, accessed on 27 February 2026, https://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/capernaum/

Photos:

Photos
General view looking north - Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General view looking north - Gilead Peli all rights reserved
General view, Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General view, Gilead Peli all rights reserved
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer
Aerial photo of the village , courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Aerial photo of the village , courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer
Aerial photo of the village , courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
KFAR NAHUM | Aerial photo of the village , courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Aerial photo, courtesy of Abraham Graicer all rights reserved to Abraham Graicer
Kohl and Watzinger 1916: 6 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Synagogue Ruins Looking North | Kohl and Watzinger 1916: 6
Kohl and Watzinger 1916: 9 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Capital of The Eastern Door's Column | Kohl and Watzinger 1916: 9
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:10 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Fragment of the Eastern Door | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:10
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:13 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Fragment of the Western Front door | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:13
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:13 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Console from the Front's Middle Portal | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:13
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:15 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Front Arc's Keystone | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:15
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:15 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Corinthian Capitals and basis of the front's window | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:15
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:20 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Eastern Stairs at the Front's Terrace | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:20
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:20 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Western Stairs at the Front's Terrace | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:20
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:7 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Pilaster's Capital and Basis | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:7
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:15 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Facade's Arc -Sketch | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:15
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:12 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Reconstruction of the Upper Middle Portal | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:12
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:9 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Upper Part of the Eastern Door- Reconstruction | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:9
Foerster 1971: 127. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Synagogue- Looking North-West | Foerster 1971: 127. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.

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