Touching the Promised Land 12 | Day 2 - CAPERNAUM
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 28
THE TOWN THAT JESUS CALLED HOME
A short walk of a few minutes along lakeside Highway 87 brought us to the ruins of Capernaum. We first proceeded to the synagogue at the far end of the site.
This fourth-century synagogue, built in the Greco-Roman style, is constructed of limestone, which gives it a distinctly white appearance—hence its name, the White Synagogue. This stands in marked contrast to the darker stone of the adjacent village ruins.
Further archaeological investigation has revealed that this fourth-century synagogue was built atop an earlier, first-century synagogue, distinguished by the use of different stonework. It is widely believed that Jesus would have taught and proclaimed the gospel in this earlier first-century synagogue (Mark 1:21) and healed a man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 1:23–27). For this reason, the first-century structure on the same site is often referred to as the Synagogue of Jesus.
From the White Synagogue, across the intervening lower-lying village ruins, one can see a modern octagonal church built on piers above the remains of the House of Peter.
Archaeologists initially uncovered an octagonal Byzantine-era church. Excavations beneath its foundations revealed even earlier structures. Through further study, it has been concluded that this location was originally the House of Peter (Matthew 8:14). It was later adapted for use as a Christian place of worship—effectively one of the earliest Christian churches. This interpretation is supported by two key findings: firstly, graffiti clearly associated with early Christianity was discovered; secondly, changes in the types of vessels found, as well as alterations to the roof and walls, indicate the building’s repurposing.
Entering the Catholic church via its external staircase, one encounters a glass floor, surrounded by a railing, at the centre of the building. Through this glass floor, certain structural elements of the archaeological remains below are visible.
On the opposite side of the church is a small square, facing the Sea of Galilee, where a statue of Saint Peter stands. In his left hand he holds the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven; his right hand grasps a pastoral staff. The inscription at the base reads: “THOU ART PETER, AND UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” (from the King James Version of the Bible, Matthew 16:18).
Upon leaving, pausing briefly to look back at the White Synagogue emerging from behind the trees—those layered remnants of time buried in earth and stone—one cannot help but reflect: the grandeur of this great synagogue from over two thousand years ago has faded, leaving only scattered ruins. Yet the teachings of the Lord Jesus remain as vital as ever, and the story of His ministry continues to be passed down through generations.
Having departed Capernaum, we made a brief stop at Kursi Junction, the site where Jesus is said to have cast a legion of demons into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:1–13; Luke 8:26–33). From there, we continued eastwards to the Jordan River crossing to begin our visits in Jordan on Day 2...
Touching the Promised Land 13 | Day 6 - INTRO
ACROSS THREE LANDS
As noted in an earlier introduction (“Touching the Promised Land 07 | Day 2 – INTRO”), the visits from the remainder of Day 2 through to the morning of Day 6 will be covered in a separate travelogue series on Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Day 6 began from the east coast of the Dead Sea, crossing and recrossing border lines that exist on maps but blur on the ground, before reaching our final stop on the Mount of Olives. Standing there, overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, I was struck by a stirring realization: here are the descendants of Abraham, neighbors for millennia, sharing a single horizon while sometimes could really be worlds apart.