CAPERNAUM, a city celebrated in the Gospels,
being the place where Jesus usually resided during the
time of his ministry. This city is nowhere mentioned
in the Old Testament under this or any other name
like it; and therefore it is not improbable that it was
one of those towns which the Jews built after their
return from the Babylonish captivity. It stood on the
sea coast, i. e. on the coast of the sea of Galilee, in
the borders of Zebulon and Nephthalim (Mat. iv. 15.),
and consequently towards the upper part thereof. It
took its name no doubt from an adjacent spring, of
great repute for its clear and limpid water; and
which, according to Josephus, was by the natives called
Capernaum. As this spring might be some inducement
to the building the town in the place where it stood,
so its being a convenient wafting place from Galilee to
any part on the other side of the sea, might be some
motive to our Lord for his moving from Nazareth, and
making this the place of his most constant residence.
Upon this account Capernaum was highly honoured,
and said by our Lord himself to be exalted unto heaven;
but because it made no right use of this signal favour,
it drew from him the severe denunciation, that it
should be brought down to hell (Matt. xi. 23.), which
has certainly been verified: for, as Dr Wells observes,
so far is it from being the metropolis of all Galilee,
as it once was, that it consisted long since of no more than
six poor fishermen's cottages, and may perhaps be now
totally desolate.