Where Jesus stayed, in Peter's house in Capernaum
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Capernaum is the fishing town that Jesus made his headquarters while he was in Galilee - see Matthew chapter 4 verses 12-13 and Mark chapter 1 verses 21-34 Archaeologists have identified Capernaum with this location at Tel Hum, on the north western coast of the sea of Galilee. |
 Photo: BiblePlaces.com |
It was a strategic center, on the main road to Damascus, and on the border between Herod Antipas's kingdom of Galilee and the kingdom of Gaulanitis, ruled by his brother Philip. Because it was a border town, it had a customs post (described in the Gospel as a tax collector's booth) where Matthew worked - see Matthew chapter 9 verse 9
Capernaum also had a small garrison of soldiers - probably soldiers of Herod Antipas, rather than Roman soldiers. This makes perfect sense of the Gospel story about the officer who had built a synagogue for the town, and whose servant Jesus healed - see Matthew chapter 8 verses 5-13 and Luke chapter 7 verses 1-10.
 Photo: BiblePlaces.com |
At Capernaum, there are the remains of an octagonal church which was built in the fifth century (Byzantine period), and remained in use until the 7th century. In 1968, archaeologists re-discovered the remains of a much earlier church underneath the 5th century church. |
This earlier church had been built around what was originally a private house. One room of the house showed signs that it had been used as a meeting place from very early in the Christian era - during the second half of the first century. From the earliest times, followers of Jesus Christ believed that this house was the home of Simon Peter, the leader of Jesus's disciples. It was pointed out as such to early pilgrims such as Egeria, the mother of emperor Constantine.
The walls of this room had been plastered, and visitors had scratched prayers mentioning the name of Jesus on the plaster. The name of Peter is also mentioned in the inscriptions. In the fourth century AD this 'house church' was enlarged and enclosed within the walls of its own compound, separating it from the rest of the town.
So it seems clear that, from the earliest times, followers of Christ preserved a memory that this was Peter's house. There is no reason to doubt this tradition. The remains that can still be seen today may be the exact place where Jesus lived.
A modern Franciscan church has been built over the earlier remains.
For more about Peter's house and Capernaum, see page 185 of 'Discoveries from Bible Times', by Professor Alan Millard, or go to the really excellent Capernaum web site.