G. E. Post.
CAPERNAUM (TR KmrfpraoiV, from which our English word is taken ; but Ka(papvaovft., supported by BnDZ, etc., is undoubtedly correct, represent- in" the original cinj— es). — This city is mentioned only in the Gospels, and derives all its interest from association with the life of Christ. To it Matthew applies Is 9' (Mt 4"'-'»). After His rejection at Nazareth, Christ made His head- qiiarters in C, and it is called 'Ids own city' (^It 9'). Here only was it said of Him 8ti ir otxif ^iTTlf — that He was at home (Mk 2'). Peter and Andrew of Bethsaida (Jn 1") had settled in C. (Mk 1^), and on the neighbouring beach they first heard and followed the Master (Mk 1'"). Matthew (Mt 9»), or Levi (Mk 2'^ Lk 5=^), was hero called from 'the place of toll.' Many miracles were wrought here (Mk 1"). The following are specially mentioned, viz. healing centurion's servant (Mt 8-, Lk 7') ; nobleman's son cured by a word from Cana (Jn 4^*) : Simon Peter's motlier-inlaw cured of fever (Mk 1") : paralytic healed (Mt 9\ Mk 2', Lk 5>8) ; unclean spirit cast out (Mk 1», Lk 4»»). Here the lesson of humility was taught from a little child set in the midst (Mt 18», Mk 9^'-=«). A famous discourse in the sjrnagogue is reported in Jn 6. Over C, highly favoured but unrepent- ant, the heavy woe was pronounced, 'And thou Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven ? — thou Shalt go down to Hades ' (Mt IP', Lk 10" RV).
C, invariably called riXit, 'a city,' was an important position, held by a body of Roman
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troops (Mt 8' etc. ). It was also a customs-station (Mt 9' etc.). The commander of the soldiers thought it worth while to intjratiate himself with the people by building them a synagogue (Lk 7°). It was the residence of a distinguished othcer of the king (Jn 4*"). But beyond the facts that it was on the seashore (Mt 4"), and was in or near the plain of Gennesaret (Jn 6"""' ; see also Mk 6", Mt H-**), there is nothing in the NT to indi- cate the site. Twice mentioned by Josephus ( Vita, 72, BJ U. X. 8), neither passage is decisive. Tradition wavers between two sites, and a warm controversy has long raged over the question.
The claims of 'A in em-Madotinoerah, ' the round fountain,' a large spring on the N. edge of Gen- nesaret, may be dismissed. There is nothing near it to indicate the site of a great city ; and it waters only a small portion of the plain.
The two serious rivals are Khiin Minyeh, at the N.E. comer of the plain, and Tell II um, on the shore, fully 2 miles nearer Jordan. The case for Tell IJitm rests chiefly upon the name, the size of the ruins, their position on the eastward road, and the testimony of certain travellers. It is suggested that the Arab. Tell took the place of Capnar when the city became ruinous, na falling from Nahura. This is an almost impossible deriva- tion. A Jewish Kabbi, T<iii/:lium, is said to be buried here. The derivation from his name is both easy and natural. An alternative derivation is suggested from the Heb. c;n=;' brown' or 'tire- blackened,' of which Arab. J^um is an exact trans- literation. Then Tell ^iim='the black mound,' truly descriptive of the ruins, could only da i^ from a time subsequent to the destruction of the city. Along this road only the eastern tratiic would pass. The northern caravans never came this way. Jerome, Tlicodorus {o'.i'lA.D. ), Antoninus Martyr (':), A.D. 600, and John of Wiirtzburg (lluu), may be taken as favouring Tell Hum. Josephus, hurt on the Jordan, was carried to C. ; but this was not necessarily the nearest town. He was evidently an.\ious to reach his headqviarters at Tarichea ( Vita, 72). It is much against Tell Hum that there is no fountain there ; and nothing like that described by Josephus within about a couple of miles.
On the other hand, there are many considerations in favour of Khdn Mini/eh. Gennesaret was a well-defined district, (jenerally allowed to corre- spond with el (jhuweir, ' the little GhAr,' lyin;: along the N.W. shore of the sea (see Jos. BJ in. X. 8). The disciples started from the other side to go to C. (Jn 6"). The waters being stilled, they were straightway ' at the land whither they were going' (i6. v.^'). Matthew (14") says ' they came to the land, unto Gennesaret.' (So also Alk (5™.) Those who sought Jesus in the morning found Him at C. (Jn ty*), and He addressed them in the synagogue. C. was tlnis either in or close to Gennesaret. This condition is met by Khan Minyeh ; not at all by Tell lliim. Keinains of an ancient city are founu in the plain between KhCin Min\feh and the sea ; also on the adjoining 'Tell 'Areimeh, where probably a large church once stood. Standing at the junction of the two great roads which must always have united behind Tell 'Areimeh, that to eastward along the shore, and that to the north by Khi'in Jithh Yusif, it occupied a position of first importance in the district. All the trallic from north, south, east, and west pas.sed through the hands of its customs ollicers. The spring of which Jo.Heiilius speaks (BJ II. .x. 8) may not have been actuallj' in tlie plain. Certainly it was not 'Ain et-Tineh. At ef-Tabigha (Hepta- pegon ?), on the edge of the valley beyon<l Tell Areimeh, rise several springs, one of great volume, the larcest fountain in Galilee. An old aquoluct