Friday, January 7, 2011

Cap...part 2

Sea of Galilee in the Back......
The synagogue was built in the pattern common in Galilee with lateral aisles along three sides, with three entrances with the open side facing JERUSALEM..........

Between the synagogue and Peter's house, archaeologists have found the remains of many homes that give us a good idea of the way Peter's home would have looked. It probably consisted of one room,  perhaps even divided by pillars that separated the living area from a pantry type room.  These homes were clustered around courtyards, where baking ovens would have been located. Their were no roofs left on anything. But the stone steps leading to them are still in place today!!! We were told through archaeological findings that the roof would have been flat, made of packed dirt and straw that would be supported by wood or stone rafters.

Early Christians made it easy to identify Peter's house by the most exciting discovery for us Christians:   131 inscriptions scratched into its plaster walls by pilgrims in Greek, Aramaic, Latin, and the ancient Semitic Language Syriac.........Many of the inscriptions bless the name of Jesus and ask for God's Mercy! This realization may have been the first site of the first-house-churches......this would be HUGE for us Christians because it would be a the very first known church in the Christian world.....wow......

Grinding mills for wheat, found in Capernaum......






Me and Peter.............



Thanks to the archaeologists who excavated the ruins of Capernaum during the twentieth century, we can almost picture the scene of a bustling town where fisherman are hauling in their catch for the day..and the women would be hard at work grinding grain, baking bread, or making clothing for their families.