Great Cities of the Bible #5: Capernaum
By Elizabeth Prata
Damascus, the first city mentioned in the Bible and the oldest continually lived in city in the world. Babylon, majestic city of Mesopotamia, and from whence comes great evil. Rome, dubbed itself the Eternal City, city of Paul’s jailing end demise, and city that will learn who the REAL eternal city is. Jerusalem, the Holy City, where God placed His name and where He will dwell. All dominant cities of the Bible and all worth a look that my meager blog essays that really cannot do justice to. Great Cities of the Bible series is linked below.
Capernaum: Where was it?
I found this 10-minute video about Capernaum to be moving. It’s well done. https://youtu.be/ifTro5uRaT8?si=ELkGopxu5N-kYI7L
Let’s add another city to the four I’ve mentioned and wrote about. Maybe not as large. Maybe not as well known. But it was the city where Jesus chose to establish most of His ministry, performed miracles, taught in the synagogue, and more.
Capernaum was on the north end of the sea of Galilee. It is about 30 miles from the birth town of Jesus, Nazareth. The city calls itself today “The City of Jesus” and that is not far off. The Gospel writers refer to it as Jesus’ “own city”. In Matthew 9:1 it reads, Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to His own city. Jesus settled in Capernaum, says Matthew 4:13, after He left Nazareth.
Unlike Nazareth which was a backwater, Capernaum was bustling. It was a Roman Tax Center (hence Levi/Matthew’s life there.) The city was the center of fishing and trade. The city of Magdala 6 miles down the coast was in fact much larger than Capernaum, but critically, Capernaum connected to Damascus by road. A milestone found by excavators reads The Emperor Caesar of the divine … showing that Rome considered Capernaum to be a strategic post.
Capernaum was an important fishing town.
When Capernaum is mentioned in the New Testament, it is often in conjunction with the Sea of Galilee (Matt 4:13–22; 8:5–24, Mark 1:16–21; John 6:17, 24).
Though Peter and his brother Andrew were originally from Bethsaida, they were seasoned fishermen by the time Jesus came. The brothers had lived in Capernaum a long time. It is also likely that James and John who were also fishermen, lived in Capernaum also. And we know that Matthew was living there, since he worked the tax post for Rome.
Life in Capernaum
Though there were always tensions between Gentiles and Jews, tensions were much less in Capernaum. It seems that the two groups lived more harmoniously than elsewhere. We see that the centurion highly regarded his slave, but the slave was ill and about to die. The Centurion sent some Jewish elders to Jesus asking them to ask Jesus to heal his slave. The elders did so, approaching Jesus and saying the centurion is ‘worthy’.
“When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.” (Luke 7:4-5)
Jesus taught in and around Capernaum for a period of his public ministry. He taught many times in the synagogue. He proclaimed Himself to be “the living bread that came down from heaven” there.(John 6:26–59)
Capernaum in the Gospels: source Logos 9.
Sadly, though Capernaum was Jesus ‘own city’, and despite the teaching, preaching, ministering and miracles done there, along with Chorazin and Bethsaida, Jesus cursed Capernaum.
And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. (Matthew 11:23).
Such is the fate of all who reject the Saving King.
Further Reading
Great Cities of the Bible #1: Damascus
Great Cities of the Bible #2: Babylon
Great Cities of the Bible #3: Rome
Great Cities of the Bible #4: Jerusalem
Great Cities of the Bible #5: Capernaum
