Simon Peters House
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Simon Peters House
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PAPER
September 26, 2006
CONTENTS
Introduction
Exciting discoveries in archaeology have helped to substantiate the historicity of the Bible. Prior the 19th century, many facts contained within the historical narratives were verifiable. In other words, there were many people, places, battles and dates that were only found in the bible. Severe attacks on the Bible originated in the 19th century. These attacks state that the writers of the Scriptures resorted to folklore and myth to validate their spiritual teachings. These critics asserted that the people and places recorded in the early Scriptures were mere fiction. Just as these theories of higher criticism seem on the verge of destroying the integrity of the Scriptures, an explosion of archaeological evidence silenced the critics. In early 19th century, scientists began to dig beneath the surface of the earth. They found ancient cities and civilization they never knew existed. At a time when the Scriptures were said to be void of historical confirmation, the stones began to cry out otherwise.
According to Ken Hemphill and frank Harber in the last century numerous archaeological discoveries have been made which vindicate the historical narratives of the Old Testament. Because these narratives are quite specific, they lend themselves to archaeological investigation. More than 25,000 sites have been discovered which have a connection with the Old Testament period. Not only have these discoveries provided external confirmation of hundreds of assertions, but no single archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical assertion.
One of the great finds in archaeology has been what is believed to be Simon Peters House. The following pages will explain when it found, where it was found and the significance of the finding.
The synagogue at Capernaum
“Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the
Sabbaths . . . Now He arose from the synagogue and . . . when the sun was setting, all those who had any
were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and
healed them” (Luke 4:31,38,40).
Archaeologists have found at Capernaum the remains of a beautiful limestone synagogue dated
to the fourth or fifth century. Yet what caused more excitement was the discovery in the 1960s that
beneath this building was the foundation of an earlier synagogue built of basalt, which is common to that
area, that apparently dates to Christs time. The Gospels even include the detail of who built the
synagogue in Capernaum. “Now when Jesus concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He
entered Capernaum. And a certain centurions servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.
So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal
his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He
should do this was deserving, for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue ” (Luke 7:1-5).It
was a tradition among the Jews to build a new synagogue on the foundation of the older one.
“Pottery found in and under this basalt floor,” explains archaeologist Hershel Shanks, “clearly dates the
basalt structure to the first century A.D. or earlier. Since the site of a synagogue rarely changed in
antiquity, this basalt building, which closely follows the plan of the later limestone synagogue, must also
be a synagogue, and very likely the one in which Jesus preached”
The transformation of Peters House
Concerning the transformation of Peters house into a Domus-ecclesia, has come down to us the precious testimony attributed to an already well-known pilgrim to the Holy Land, Egeria, writing towards the end of the fourth century: “And in Capernaum, what is more, the house of the prince of the apostles (Peter) has been turned into a church, leaving its original walls however quite unchanged”. The archaeological diggings are proof of the accuracy and faithfulness of the above description. The