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"THEY WERE ALL AMAZED, AND THEY KEPT ON ASKING ONE ANOTHER,
'WHAT IS THIS? A NEW TEACHING -- WITH AUTHORITY!
HE COMMANDS EVEN THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS, AND THEY OBEY HIM' "
MARK 1:27
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When Jesus attended the synagogue on the
Sabbath day at Capernaum, it was not to
recite “The Lord’s Prayer” or sing “How
Great Thou Art.” It was to teach his
take on the law, the Torah, the five books
of Moses. For the synagogue in the
first century AD was a house of study,
similar to our contemporary Sunday School
classes. |
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If a Galilean wanted to pray for forgiveness
or offer a prayer of thanksgiving, then he
would journey up to Jerusalem and offer a
sacrifice in the Temple courtyard. But
the synagogues in each town were filled on
the seventh day by local farmers, fishermen
and merchants gathered together to hear the
weekly portion of the Torah, accompanied by
a passage from the Prophets.
Afterwards an impassioned debate would ensue
about the finer points of the law and its
relevance for their day-to-day life.
Jews in those days (as today!) were very
argumentative and there were opinions
galore.
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Capernaum on the NW shore
of the Sea of Galilee |
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We know from the gospels of Matthew, Mark
and Luke, that Jesus, however, stood out
from other teacher/rabbis, for he taught
with authority. Imagine then,
attending the Capernaum synagogue on the
Sabbath day, and just as Jesus reaches the
crux of his argument, a man begins to
heckle, shouting in a booming voice, “cool
it man,” in or in the words of the gospel of
Mark, “Leave us alone…Have you come to
destroy us?”
This man with “an unclean spirit,”
(suffering perhaps from an early form of
attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity)
doesn’t divert Jesus who immediately
commands the demon to chill out, amazing
everyone in the congregation. This is just
one of the incidents we recall as we sit in
the Capernaum synagogue, knowing we are in
the same place that Jesus healed that man,
two thousand years ago. |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Facade of Capernaum's 4th
century AD synagogue |
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We remember the controversy stirred up in
this synagogue when Jesus proclaimed that he
was the bread of the Father that came down
from heaven. We imagine the son of Jonas and
the son of Simeon, sitting on the limestone
bench like us, shaking their heads, frowning
and murmuring, “Is this not Jesus, son of
Joseph whose father and mother we know?”
What would we have thought when we heard
that Jesus not only recruited the local tax
collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, (whom the
neighbors may have referred to as “the
pimp”,) but he merrily feasted with other
sinners and outcasts. (Matthew 9) He healed
the unworthy, the disrupters, the crazy, the
blind, the mute, the fever-stricken and the
paralyzed – all at Capernaum! He dealt with
demons and dissenters. Hmmmm. What does that
mean for us? |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Western exterior wall of
synagogue at Capernaum |
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| As we exit the gleaming white stone
synagogue built over the black basalt
building of Jesus’ day, we identify with the
wonder that the residents of Capernaum may
have felt at being eye-witnesses to these
incredible events. And after you visit
Capernaum, you will never again read the
Bible in black and white! Scripture will
take on a spectrum of color and deeper
significance. |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Neighborhood of Peter's
mother-in-law at Capernaum |
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So come with me, to Capernaum, which I visit
on every tour. Sometimes it’s crowded and
sometimes not, but we always allow time for
deep reflection so that your spirit is
refreshed. |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Ark of the Covenant
decorative stone from Capernaum's synagogue |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Old Capernaum harbor |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Capernaum's Greek Orthodox
church |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Millstones manufactured at
Capernaum |
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Gila
Yudkin, who calls herself a
Connecticut-born Yankee living in King
David’s Court, is thrilled when the Bible
comes alive for both her and her pilgrims.
After three decades of guiding in peak and
off seasons, she has mastered the art of
arriving at a holy site when it is least
crowded. Gila loves working with
groups thirsty for biblical insight,
archeological anecdotes and old-fashioned
fun. |
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Copyright 2008, 2011 Gila Yudkin. Permission
needed for any reuse. |
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If this “highlight” persuades you to pack
your bags and join one of Gila's tours so
you can visit the synagogue of Capernaum,
see
tips for what you should
bring on a holy land pilgrimage. |
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Read about
Edward Robinson,
another Connecticut Yankee, who first
identified the ruins at Capernaum as a
synagogue. |
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More
on Jesus' Galilean ministry: |
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Mt Arbel / Galilean
ministry |
Walk 1st C AD Bethsaida |
Hippos / Decapolis city |
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Nazareth |
Let's feed 5,000+ |
Sepphoris / hypocrites |
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GILA
YUDKIN
•
TCHERNIKOVSKI
64A
•
JERUSALEM
•
ISRAEL
gila@itsgila.com
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