Fortress Press

The fascinating story of ancient Capernaum has attracted the attention of scholars for over 150 years, as it involves an early Roman Jewish village that came to be known as "the town of Jesus" and in late antiquity developed into a prominent Christian pilgrimage destination. Relying on a sound historiographical methodology, this sophisticated and well-argued book leads the reader through main topics regarding the village and its social and religious makeup, analyzing and synthesizing abundant archaeological data and textual evidence.

This book is a treasure. Few scholars can effectively weave historical and archaeological evidence together as Cirafesi has done in his study of Capernaum. This wide-ranging study is not only a fantastic overview of the ancient village of Capernaum, but also a major contribution to the study of early Judaism, early Christianity, and Jewish-Christian relations. 

This volume is of utmost importance for anyone interested in the relationships between Jews, Jewish Christ-followers, and non-Jewish Christians in antiquity. Wally Cirafesi presents a stimulating historical construction of the dynamic socio-religious fabric in Capernaum from the first century to the seventh century CE. He critically examines texts, archaeological evidence, socioeconomic networks, local and non-local elements, and the impact of buildings on their social and spatial setting. He even imagines the interreligious relations in everyday life and brings new insights to Judeo-Christian interactions in the Galilee.

This is an extraordinary book. At a time when studies of ancient Jews and Christians--and all those in between--have increased dramatically, often concentrating on either texts or archaeology, pinpointing a single moment in time or making sweeping descriptions lacking geographical and chronological anchors, Wally Cirafesi breaks new ground in this fascinating study. By focussing attention on one specific site and analysing all available sources, and then following historical developments closely over several centuries, Cirafesi substantially increases our knowledge of ancient Jewish-Christian relations, all the way from the first century into the early Islamic period. This is exactly what the field needs at this moment. Highly recommended!