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

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. Loffreda, S. "The Late Chronology of the Synagogue of Capernaum" in Ancient Synagogues Revealed. ed. L.I. Levine, Jerusalem, 1981: 52-56.
  8. Maoz, Z. U. "The Synagogue at Capernaum: A Radical Solution" in The Roman and Byzantine Near East, Vol. 2: Some Recent Archaeological Research. ed. J. H. Humphrey, Journal of Roman Archeology Suppl. Series 31, Rhode Island, 1999: 137-148.
  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.

Photos:

Photos

Plans and Drawings:

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