Capernaum

Capernaum, known in Hebrew as Kfar Nahum, is an ancient fishing village on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in present-day Israel. The name means Village of Nahum. The site sits within the Galilee region near the modern localities of Kfar Nahum and Migdal.

Historically, Capernaum developed as a Jewish settlement in the first century CE and rose to prominence as a base of Jesus' Galilean ministry. The Gospels describe Jesus teaching in its synagogue, healing the sick, and calling his disciples there. The town is closely associated with the apostle Peter, whose traditionally identified house is preserved within the church complex on the site.

Archaeological remains include a first-century synagogue built of basalt and later rebuilt in Byzantine times, as well as the so-called House of Peter, a 1st-century dwelling later enclosed within a Christian church. The site has yielded evidence of continuous occupation through the Byzantine and early Islamic periods before its decline in late antiquity, possibly accelerated by earthquakes in the 4th–6th centuries.

Today, Capernaum is an Israeli national park and archaeological site administered by the Nature and Parks Authority. It is a popular destination for Christian pilgrims and general visitors, who come to view the synagogue, the Church of the House of Peter, and other ruins near the Sea of Galilee.