Capernaum

“A lakeside village, the shore where 'Follow me' first sounded”

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Photo: Berthold Werner · Public domain

Scenes

Basalt village ruins and the synagogue beneath palm trees — Lanes of the fishing village, traced in basalt wallsBerthold Werner · Public domain

The Sea of Galilee seen from the shore at Capernaum — The shore of Galilee where 'Follow me' first soundedEduard Marmet · CC BY-SA 2.0

The sunlit white limestone columns of the Capernaum synagogue — A pillar carved with Latin rises into the bluePhil Goodwin · CC0

Meaning

Wind off the Sea of Galilee passes between the white limestone columns of the synagogue, and basalt walls trace the lanes of the old fishing village.

The Gospels remember Capernaum as 'the town of Jesus,' the home base of his ministry in Galilee; the site preserves the place long honored as Peter's house and the ruins of a white limestone synagogue from the fourth and fifth centuries. Tradition holds that Jesus taught in this synagogue and called fishermen from this shore to follow him.

Voices across time

“Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
— The call by the Sea of Galilee, as the Gospel of Mark tells it · 1st century

Roads through this light

Jesus — From Star to Dawn

“A call rings out along the shore — “Follow me” — and fishermen lay down their nets”

Field notes

Location: Capernaum · Sea of Galilee · N32.9° · E35.6°
Best time: Morning, when the light on the lake is soft.
Getting there: Twenty minutes by car from Tiberias, along the pilgrim path on the lake's northern shore.
Etiquette: Within the sanctuary grounds, walk quietly in modest dress.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica
· Custodia Terrae Sanctae

Official site Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.