Sunday, December 19, 2010

Capernaum's White Synagogue


Capernaum's starkly beautiful White Synagogue, today in ruins, was built of imported white limestone rather than the local black basalt, giving it a dramatic appearance that has lasted through to this day. The ruins include tall columns, marble steps, and symbols of many types. The synagogue was built in the 3rd or 4th century AD on the site of an earlier synagogue believed to be the one where Jesus taught.

Capernaum is known as the home of Peter and several more of Jesus' original disciples, and is the place where he began to gather them around him, saying "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Visit my etsy shop for another view of the White Synagogue (available as a straight print or a Photoverse print).
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9 comments:

Dina said...

A fine shot. It is so refreshing to see white among all those basalt building stones in the Galilee.

SouthLakesMom said...

Is that a little window or doorway to green in the back?

As usual, your eye captured the dramatic contrast here between finely worked corinthian columns and roughly mortared blocks.

Lovely.

Galit Breen said...

Lovely & totally travel-bug inducing! :)

Anonymous said...

I am really Glad i came across this web site.Added aroundtheisland.blogspot.com to my bookmark!

Mimi said...

Love the picture, and before I read your info on Capernaum, was thinking "I know this place from hearing gospels, but couldn't remember any more, so thanks for the info also.
It must be amazing to live so close to ancient historical monuments such as this one. Its beauty is striking, but also the sense of time.
Thanks for your visit at my place- the snow continues, as I type! We usually don't get nearly this much, sometimes none at all in Dublin, so it's very unusual to get 3 lots in 1 year!
Global warming???

Flea said...

What beautiful columns. :)

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

This is a wonderful photo...brings back wonderful memories too, for me, of my visits there once upon a time.

Jael said...

Great picture! I visited that place around 7 years ago;lots to see there:-)

shiborigirl said...

Happy Holidays, Robin!

This is a lovely study of contrasts: light and shadow, smooth columns and mortared block.

Beautiful!

Kate