Capernaum

After being rejected in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum - Matt. 4:13-16. Near Capernaum, Jesus called Peter, Andrew James and John to be His disciples - Matt. 4:18-22. And He called Matthew, the tax collector - Matt. 9:9. In Capernaum, Matthew records Jesus healed the Centurion's servant, the paralyzed man whose friends let him down through the roof, the women who had a hemorrhage, the nobleman's son, two blind men, a mute demonic and raised Jairus's daughter from the dead. And He delivered a man from an unclean spirit and healed Peter's mother-in-law. More of Christ's recorded miracles were performed in Capernaum than any other city, yet Capernaum did not believe - Matt. 11:23-24.
Mark chapter 1 records on the Sabbath, Jesus taught in the Capernaum synagogue. A synagogue is a place where those of the Jewish faith meet to hear the word of the Lord, worship and pray to God. In Hebrew, a synagogue is called beit knesset, which means, a "house of gathering". The original basalt synagogue that Jesus taught in was built by a Roman centurion, the same centurion whose servant was healed by Jesus without even seeing the man. Jesus marveled at the faith of this centurion. (Luke 7:1-10). Later, the synagogue was reconstructed and is believed to have been built on the foundations of the synagogue in which Jesus taught. The new synagogue reconstruction in the late 4th century, was an impressive structure, with ornately carved decorations. It is the largest synagogue discovered in Israel. Its white limestone, carted from a distant quarry, contrasts with the local black basalt of the synagogue Christ knew.Baca selengkapnya