a city celebrated in the gospels, being the place where Jesus usually resided during the time of his ministry. This city is no where 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 Naphtali (Matt. 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 waters; 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 waiting 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 severest 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.