Capernaum or Capharnaum [key], town, NE ancient Palestine, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee; in the Gospels, it is closely associated with Jesus' ministry, and was the home of several of Jesus' disciples. A synagogue of the 3d cent. has been excavated on the site (Kefar Nahum) and partially restored. The area underneath this structure has revealed the remains of the synagogue whose construction the Gospel of St. Luke attributes to a Roman centurion.
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