The Capernaum Synagogue

Jesus probably preached and healed in the Capernaum Synagogue innumerable times. Capernaum was Jesus' hometown during his ministry, and some of his closest followers lived there.

The Capernaum synagogue, the quay just beyond it, the many harbors with wooden boats and smelly fish, the seawall stuffed with broken pottery and the rocky hills surrounding the town were what he called home. They are where he prayed, hiked, preached, laughed and perhaps cried. Below are spiritual reflections from my visit and information on what Jesus' synagogue looked like and .

The Capernaum synagogue. Worshipers would have sat on benches built into the synagogue structure, like these tourists are. It's quite likely the synagogue Jesus taught was a rougher version of this one, with grey stones not shaped into symmetrical blocks, and it may be buried underneath it.

Capernaum Synagogue Spirituals
You know my perpetual question at every sight I've gone to has been "Why, God, why? Why did you do it? Why did you come down here to live with a bunch of lousy people, who can't get anything right, and keep insulting you and rebelling against you? Why did you bother?" And yes, I know the pat answer as well as any other Christian - "Because He loves us so much." With the emphasis on the 'so much.' But don't give me pat answers - I can't stand the things.

Well I sat there for a very long time, watching Asian tour group after American tour group after African tour group after undecipherable-language tour group proceed in and listen to someone babble in a language I couldn't understand and then proceed out.

After awhile I began to feel really dense, since the answer was stuck right in my brain.

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what is lost..."
"For I have not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it."
"For the Son of Man has come...that they may have life, and have it to the fullest."

So as I sat there pondering the matter, I realized that I was sitting there staring at the answer right in front of me. I was sitting in a synagogue built 1700 years ago, representing the synagogue Jesus taught in to thousands of pilgrims every year. And some of them were passing right before my eyes. The answer had wondering eyes and awe-filled hearts. The answer stood there talking about the glory of God. The answer was talking, teaching those who didn't know. The answer was listening, wondering, amazed.

The answer came from 'every tribe and nation,' every continent and so many languages, came thousands of miles to a country they didn't know and couldn't understand, to hear someone teach them about Jesus in one more way, to have the old, old story come alive in one more way.

"The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what is lost, that they may have life and have it to the fullest."

And there they were. Right in front of me. Praise God for giving His often-dense kids one more shot.

I have to go plan my trip more, because someone warned me off Jordan...'Bye!

What Jesus’ Synagogue Looked Like
The synagogue was probably built of grey basalt hauled from local fields, with stone chinks and pottery shards stuffed between larger stones. It was probably very plain, partially because synagogues served as the town hall, court, etc. as well as a religious center for Sabbath services and Scripture studies.

Furthermore, in Christ's time, Jews strictly obeyed the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:4.) Nothing like the paintings depicting religious scenes seen in some churches today would have been available.

Capernaum houses just outside the Capernaum synagogue. The external Capernaum synagogue walls probably looked like this. Just beyond the stone wall in the background is the Sea of Galilee.

There were probably inscriptions near the entrance to people who had done significant work for the synagogue or the town, hewn from stone by a local. For example, it’s quite possible there was one to the centurion that built it.

Luke 7:2-5: There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

Because it was a court, there may also have been some blood spattered on the floor and walls: Matthew 10:17: Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.”

If there were too many people to fit on the bleacher-style seats, some families probably brought home-woven straw mats with them. It's unlikely that women sat separately.

Village streets surrounded it on three sides, and the international north-south trading route ran between it and the Sea of Galilee, just yards away. Matthew, the Capernaum tax collector mentioned in the Gospels, probably collected tolls from both that trading route and ships docked in the nearby harbor.

Additional Information:
A Sabbath Service Reconstruction
Synagogue Life in Jesus' Time

Last Updated: May 27, 2009