Capernaum
Capernaum (/kəˈpɜːrneɪəm, -niəm/ kə-PUR-nay-əm, -nee-əm; Hebrew: כְּפַר נַחוּם, romanized: Kfar Naḥum, lit. 'Nahum's village'; Arabic: كفر ناحوم, romanized: Kafr Nāḥūm) was a fishing village established during the time of the Hasmoneans, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500 in the 1st century AD. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other. A house turned into a church by the Byzantines is believed to have been the home of Saint Peter.
כְּפַר נַחוּם | |
Capernaum synagogue | |
Shown within Israel | |
| Location | Israel |
|---|---|
| Region | Sea of Galilee |
| Coordinates | 32°52′52″N 35°34′30″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Cultures | Hasmonean, Roman |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruined |
The village was inhabited continuously from the second century BC to the 11th century AD, when it was abandoned sometime before the First Crusade. This includes the re-establishment of the village during the Early Islamic period soon after the 749 earthquake.
The village subsequently became known as al-Samakiyya; it was depopulated of its Arab Palestinian population during the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine on May 4, 1948, under Operation Matateh.