Jesus returned to Capernaum, which by now could be called “his own city,” the place where he could be said to be “at home.” (Matt. 9:1; Mark 2:1) Again the crowds flocked around the house and on this occasion Jesus healed a paralytic who was lowered through an opening in the roof. (Mark 2:2-12) Later, coming upon Matthew in the tax office, Jesus issued the call to him, and Matthew became the fifth disciple to join in the active ministry with Jesus. At Matthew’s house in Capernaum Jesus attended a big reception feast with many tax collectors, so despised by the Pharisees, present.—Matt. 9:9-11; Luke 5:27-30.

After going into Judea and Jerusalem and attending the Passover of 31 C.E., Jesus returned to Galilee, and it seems likely that it was on a mountain in the neighborhood of Capernaum that he chose the twelve to be his apostles and delivered the renowned Sermon on the Mount. (Luke 6:12-49) Entering Capernaum, he was met by Jewish elders acting as intermediaries on behalf of an army officer who had demonstrated love for the Jewish nation, even building a synagogue in the city for them. This Gentile officer’s unquestioning faith in Jesus’ power to heal a sick slave even from a distance away (as he had earlier healed the child of the king’s attendant) caused Jesus to marvel and resulted in Jesus’ prophecy that persons “from eastern parts and western parts” would recline at the table along with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens.—Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10.

Toward the close of his second preaching tour in Galilee and after activity in the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) SE of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus “crossed back again . . . to the opposite shore,” likely to the vicinity of Capernaum. (Matt. 8:28; Mark 5:1, 21; Luke 8:26, 40) Among the expectant crowd gathered on the shore a woman was healed simply by touching Jesus’ garment, after which Jesus performed a far greater miracle by bringing to life the deceased daughter of Jairus, a presiding officer of the synagogue. Again, though Jesus gave orders against telling others of this resurrection, “the talk about this spread out into all that region.” (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:40-56) Possibly in Capernaum or its vicinity Jesus also healed two blind men as well as a dumb man possessed of a demon.—Matt. 9:27-34.

At the close of his third Galilean preaching tour and shortly before the Passover of 32 C.E. (John 6:4), Jesus walked on the waters of the Sea of GalIiee during a crossing to the shores of Gennesaret near Capernaum. After entering Capernaum, he was located by crowds who had followed him from across the sea. Jesus’ discourse identifying the true “bread of life,” designed to correct the basically materialistic interest in him shown by the majority, resulted in many of his disciples defecting from the ranks of his followers, leaving a reduced faithful nucleus (Matt. 14:23-34; Mark 6:53; John 6:17-71) It was likely in Capernaum, after having attended the Passover of 32 C.E. in Jerusalem, that Jesus rebuked the Pharisee traditionalists for criticizing Jesus’ disciples while at the same time making God’s Word void by their traditions.—Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23; John 7:1.

Finally, it was in Capernaum, sometime prior to the festival of booths in the year 32 C.E., when his major activity in Galilee and the northern part of the country was nearing its conclusion, that Jesus caused the miraculous provision of money for the temple tax, and presented illustrations concerning greatness in the kingdom of the heavens, strayed sheep, and the settling of difficulties.—Matt. 17:24–18:35; Mark 9:33-50; Luke 9:46-50.

Capernaum was included by Jesus with the nearby cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida as one of the places in which most of his powerful works had been performed. (Matt. 11:20-24; Luke 10:13-15) Capernaum had been exalted heaven high in a spiritual way by the presence, preaching, and miracles of Jesus, but would now be abased, as it were, to Hades, here representing the depth of its abasement. Ancient Sodom would have certainly produced ten righteous persons if it had been so highly favored as was Capernaum. Today Capernaum, like Sodom, no more exists as a city, its ruins at Tell Hum stretching out for about a mile (1.6 kilometers) along the seacoast.

One of the finest synagogue ruins yet discovered has been excavated at Tell Hum, the edifice originally having two stories and measuring some sixty-five feet (19.8 meters) in length. Though of the second or third century C.E., it is suggested that it may have been built on the site of an earlier synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

CAPHTOR, CAPHTORIM

(Caphʹtor), (Caphʹto·rim).

Among the descendants of Ham through Mizraim are the Caphtorim. (Gen. 10:6, 13, 14; 1 Chron. 1:12) At some unspecified time prior to the Israelite exodus from Egypt (1513 B.C.E.), the Caphtorim had taken over land in the SW part of Canaan, dispossessing a people known as the Avvim. (Deut. 2:23) Elsewhere, the name Caphtor (also “Crete,” NW) is applied to the “island” or “coastland” (RS, AT, others) from which the Philistines migrated to Canaan.—Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7.

The identification of Caphtor has been a subject of much discussion. Among the places suggested are the delta region of Egypt; the southeastern coast of Asia Minor (including Cilicia); Cappadocia; and Crete. The majority of authorities today favor an identification with the island of Crete, lying off the SE coast of Greece. Some authorities would also include neighboring islands and coastlands under the name “Caphtor.” Caphtor is understood to be represented by the name Kaptara, found in the Assyro-Babylonian texts, and by keftiu in Egyptian inscriptions. There is evidence indicating that the Egyptians (also descendants of Mizraim) carried on trade with the Cretans from early times, perhaps from a period contemporaneous with Abraham.

Many scholars consider that the reference to the “Caphtorim” at Deuteronomy 2:23 actually applies to the Philistines. However, since the Philistines are shown to have gone forth from among the Casluhim (another branch of Mizraim’s descendants) the Philistines could only be called “Caphtorim” in a geographical (and not a genealogical or racial) sense, that is, in the sense of their having lived in the territory of Caphtor before coming to Canaan. They would then be called “Caphtorim” in the same way that the Hebrew Jacob was called a “Syrian” (or “Aramaean”). (Deut. 26:5) Otherwise, it must be understood that the Philistines are not meant at Deuteronomy 2:23 and that the national group of the Caphtorim had its own emigrants to Canaan.

CAPITAL

The uppermost section and crowning decoration of a building’s column. Other than a passing reference to Nineveh’s pillar capitals, the only ones mentioned in the Bible are the massive ones that topped Jachin and Boaz, the pillars that stood in front of Solomon’s temple. (Zeph. 2:13, 14; 2 Chron. 3:15-17) These capitals and the pillars upon which they rested were made by the craftsman Hiram at the time of the temple’s construction (1034-1027 B.C.E.) and survived over 400 years until Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonians in 607 B.C.E.—2 Chron. 4:11-13; Jer. 52:17, 22.

The pillars themselves were of cast copper, about five feet seven inches (1.7 meters) in diameter and eighteen cubits (26 feet 3 inches; 8 meters) high. In addition, the capitals were five cubits (7 feet 3 inches; 2.2 meters) high. (1 Ki. 7:15, 16) The account at 2 Kings 25:17 says that each capital was three cubits (4 feet 4 inches; 1.3 meters) high; but this figure apparently does not include the network of twisted ornamental chainwork, described separately in this account, and which must have