cleansed but Naaman the Syrian." And all in the Synagogue, on hearing this, were filled with anger, and rising up, they thrust him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill whereon the town is built, to cast him down headlong. But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way down to Capernaum, and taught there on the Sabbath days. And The brow of the hill. The place at which tradition locates this scene is a rocky precipice about two miles from Nazareth. There is, however, another declivity within the town, not far from the supposed site of the Synagogue, down which Jesus might have been "cast headlong." Capernaum. This town afterwards became the residence of Jesus, and is one of the few places whose destruction he predicted (Matt. xi. 23. Luke x. 15). The prediction has been so perfectly fulfilled, that now even its site is with difficulty determined. The probability is that it was at the northwestern extremity of the lake, at the locality now occupied by Tell Hum which is nothing more than a shapeless mass of ruins, usually deserted, but tenanted, now and then, by a few wandering Bedâwins. There are at this place evident remains of a large town, and its surroundings accord with a description given by Josephus. The ruins are piled up in wild confusion for half a mile along the shore of the lake, and extend back a quarter of a mile to a neighboring hill. The houses were built of basalt, quite black, rudely cut, and so compact that the stones may yet remain for thousands of years. Among them are the ruins of what is supposed to have been a Synagogue, of beautiful marble, with columns, entablatures, and cornices cut in the highest style of art. Everything about the ruins grows luxuriantly, and the town must once have been the centre of a most fertile region. From Josephus it is certain that Capernaum was in a rich, busy district, and on the western shore of the lake-which in the time of Christ, was one of the most prosperous and populous districts of Palestine. While Jesus was brought up at Naza PREACHES AT CAPERNAUM. 81 they were astonished at his teaching; for he spoke with power. Now Capernaum is on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim; and thus were fulfilled the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and to those in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. * And as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, reth, this was his "own city." Here he frequently taught in the Synagogue built by the Centurion, and here, he called Matthew, and performed many of his most wonderful works. Zebulon and Nepthalim. Two of the ten tribes. Galilee of the Gentiles, - was Upper Galilee — the region about Tyre and Sidon, and was so called because principally occupied by Gentiles. Lake of Gennesaret. passed on the borders of this lake, then in the most densely populated region of Palestine; no less than nine cities standing on its very shores. It is of oval form, about thirteen miles long, and six broad. The river Jordan enters at its northern end, and passes out at the southern. In fact the bed of the lake is only a lower section of the great Jordan valley. It is seven hundred feet below the level of the ocean, and its great depression makes the climate of its shores almost tropical. In summer the heat is intense, and even in early spring the air has the balminess of Egypt. The water of the lake is sweet, cool and transparent, and as the beach is everywhere pebbly, it has a beautiful sparkling look. It abounds in fish now, as in ancient times. The scenery around is bleak and picturesque; and the environs are rich in natural beauty. Josephus describes the region as in his time a perfect Most of the public life of Jesus was * Luke iv: 16-32. Matt. iv: 13-16. and saw two boats moored by the shore; but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets. Entering one of the boats, which was Simon's, he prayed him to push out a little from the land, and then sitting down, he taught the multitude from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Launch out now into deep water, and let down your net for a draught;" and Simon answered: "Master, we have toiled all the night, and taken nothing; but at your word I will let down the net." And doing so they enclosed a vast number of fishes, so that their nets were nigh bursting, and they made signs to their partners, in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and filled both the boats, so as almost to sink them. And Simon Peter seeing this, fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord;" for he, and all paradise, where vines and all manner of fruits grew most luxuriantly, and at all seasons of the year. Two boats. These were, no doubt, such small boats as are now used in fishing on smooth, flat beaches. In fishing one end of the net is attached to the shore; the fishermen then row out and return, dropping the net as they go, and making a sort of semicircle from the shore, and as the net is sunk with weights to the bottom, and floated with corks at the top; all the fish in that compass are included, and drawn to the shore. Josephus says there were two hundred and thirty of these boats on the lake, each manned by four or five men. Taught from the boat. - In the vicinity of Tell Hum - the supposed site of Capernaum are numerous inlets, where a boat could ride in safety within a few feet of the shore, while a multitude, seated on both sides, around, and in front of the boat, could hear readily. Depart from me. -It was a superstition among the Jews CASTS OUT AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT. 83 that were with him were amazed at the draught of fishes they had taken. And so too, were James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. But Jesus said to them, "Fear not: follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And having brought the boat to land, they left all, and followed him, and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, leaving their father in his boat with. the hired servants, also went after him.* And going again into Capernaum, he entered the Synagogue on the Sabbath and taught. And all were astonished at his teaching: for he spoke as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. And in the Synagogue was a man possessed by a foul spirit; who cried out with a loud voice: "Let us alone; why dost thou trouble us, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Hast thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art,the Holy One of God." And Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of the man.” And when the spirit had torn the man, and thrown him in the midst, he cried with a loud voice, and came out of him. And all were amazed, so much so, that they said to one another, "What is this? what new teaching is this? for with authority he commands even the foul spirits, and they obey him.” And immediately his fame spread abroad through all the region round about Galilee.† that he who had seen a remarkable manifestation of God, would surely die. The word rendered amazed denotes that Peter was not merely astonished, but struck with terror. * Matt. iv: 18-22. Mark 1: 16-20. Luke v: 1-10. As soon as they came out of the Synagogue, he entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and immediately they told him of her; and going to her, he took her by the hand, and lifting her up, rebuked the fever, and it left her at once, so that she arose and ministered to them. And at even when the sun was setting, all the city gathered together at the door, and they brought to him all who were diseased, and those who were possessed with demons. and he cast out the spirits with a word, forbidding them to speak, because they knew him. But they cried out, saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of God." He also laid his hands on those who were sick with divers diseases, and healed them. And in the morning, rising a long time before day, he went out to a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and others followed, and when they found him, said to him, “All men seek for you," and they prayed him not to depart from them. But he said to them, "I must go to the neighboring towns, and preach the kingdom of God there also: for therefore came I forth."* And he went about all Galilee, teaching in the Synagogues, and preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom, and casting out demons, and healing all kinds of diseases among the people. And his fame spread throughout all Syria; and great multitudes followed Sick of a fever. - Tell Hum is environed with marshes which now breed fevers of a very violent and fatal character. * Matt. viii. 14-17. Mark i. 29-39. Luke iv. 38-44. |