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Capernaum

Other Name: Kefar Nahum
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), Greek (Roth-Gerson 1987: 87-90)
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. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Leibner, U. and Arubas, B. "Invisible Synagogues of the Second Temple Period" 180, 2022: 9-32, (Hebrew).
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Avi-Yonah, M. "Some Comments on the Capernaum Excavations" in Ancient Synagogues Revealed. ed. L.I. Levine, Jerusalem, 1981: 60-62.
  10. Foerster, G. "Notes on Recent Excavations at Capernaum" in Ancient Synagogues Revealed. ed. L.I. Levine, Jerusalem, 1981: 57-59.

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.

Plans and Drawings:

Plans
Kohl and Watzinger 1916: 232 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Kohl and Watzinger 1916: 232
Kohl and Watiznger 1916: Tafel II © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Kohl and Watiznger 1916: Tafel II
General plan Arubas and Talgam 2014: 238, courtesy of Benny Arubas © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General plan Arubas and Talgam 2014: 238, courtesy of Benny Arubas
Plan of the "sacred compound" Arubas and Talgam 2014: 264, courtesy of Benny Arubas © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Plan of the "sacred compound" Arubas and Talgam 2014: 264, courtesy of Benny Arubas
Elevation drawing - Arubas and Talgam 2014: 265, courtesy of Benny Arubas © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Elevation drawing - Arubas and Talgam 2014: 265, courtesy of Benny Arubas
Kohl and Watzinger 1916 Book Cover © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Kohl and Watzinger 1916 Book Cover
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:7 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum- West Side's Sketch | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:7
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:39 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum-North Side's Sketch | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:39
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel III © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum Front's Reconstruction | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel III
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel IV © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum- Southern Cross Section | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel IV
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel IV © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum- Northern Cross Section | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel IV
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel V © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum Model-Southeast View | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel V
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel VI © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Capernaum Model- Northeast View | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:Tafel VI
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:5 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Plan | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:5
Kohl and Watzinger 1916:14 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Facade Window- Reconstruction | Kohl and Watzinger 1916:14
Kohl and Watzinger :1916:37 © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Reconstruction of the Holy Ark | Kohl and Watzinger :1916:37
Foerster 1971: 128. Courtesy of Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Plan | Foerster 1971: 128. Courtesy of Israel Exploration Society.

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