Capernaum

The area around the northern half of the Sea of Galilee became the setting for much of the ministry of Jesus and many of his most wonderful miracles took place here. Eighteen of the thirty-three recorded miracles of Jesus were probably performed in the immediate neighborhood of the Sea. In the city of Capernaum alone, ten of his miracles occurred.

It was into the waters by Capernaum that Simon Peter cast his hook and took a fish in whose mouth was a coin to pay the required tax for Jesus and himself (Matthew 17:24-27). In this area Jesus called his first disciples, all fishermen. This was where Jesus challenged them to "launch out into the deep, and let down your nets..." Their catch was so big that the nets began to break and the boats to sink under the weight of so many fish. As a result of this, they realized he was Messiah and followed him to become fishers of men (Luke 5:1-11).

The following pictures are from the excavation of Capernaum, where Jesus taught in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-38), healed Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31) and healed the centurion's servant (Luke 7:1-10).

The pictures above are of the synagogue. The pictures below are the ruins of what would have been homes. A modern church has been built over the site that is believed to be the home of Peter's mother-in-law.