The village of Capernaum sits on the banks of lake Galilee and was established in the second century. Capernaum, which means village of Nahum (the prophet) is also known as the ‘brown hill’ because it is built from black volcanic basalt rock. It had a population of one thousand five hundred residents and was a fishing village. The ruins of this village exist even today along with the synagogue.

For more details about Capernaum go to http://www.pottypadre.com/holy-land-three-seas-and-one-lake/

Jesus enters the synagogue whose Sabbath services consisted of prayers, scripture reading and a teaching. One did not have to be ordained to conduct services, and so any one with sufficient learning could be invited to teach. The Gospels record that there was something different about the teaching of Jesus, for they recognised a ‘new teaching with authority.’