Capernaum
| כְּפַר נַחוּם | |
_on_the_shore_of_the_Lake_of_Galilee,_Northern_Israel.jpg)
Capernaum synagogue
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 Shown within Israel
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| Location | Northern District, Israel |
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| Region | Sea of Galilee |
| Coordinates | 32°52′52″N 35°34′30″E / 32.88111°N 35.57500°ECoordinates: 32°52′52″N 35°34′30″E / 32.88111°N 35.57500°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Cultures | Hasmonean, Roman |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruined |
Capernaum (/kəˈpɜːrniəm/ kə-PUR-nee-əm; Hebrew: כְּפַר נַחוּם, Kfar Nahum; Arabic: كفر ناحوم, meaning "Nahum's village" in both languages) 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. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other. A house turned into a church by the Byzantines is said to be the home of Saint Peter.
The village was inhabited continuously from the 2nd century BCE to the 11th century CE, when it was abandoned sometime before the Crusader conquest. This includes the re-establishment of the village during the Early Islamic period soon after the 749 earthquake.
Kfar Nahum, the original name of the small town, means "Nahum's village" in Hebrew, but apparently there is no connection with the prophet named Nahum. In the writings of Josephus, the name is rendered in Greek as Kαφαρναούμ, Kapharnaum (Tzaferis, 1989), and Κεφαρνωκόν, "Kepharnōkon"; the New Testament uses Kapharnaum in some manuscripts, and Kαπερναούμ, Kapernaum, in others. In Arabic, it is called Talhum, and it is assumed that this refers to the ruin (tell) of Hum (perhaps an abbreviated form of Nahum) (Tzaferis, 1989).
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