Tell Hûm. — History. The identification of Tell Hûm with Capernaum is supported by some old itineraries of pilgrims and is as good as certain. Jewish authors mention a place here called Kafar Tankhûm, or Nakhûm. Whether 'Tell Hûm' was corrupted from 'Tankhûm', or whether the Arabic 'Tell' (hill) was substituted for 'Kaphar' (village) and Nakhum shortened to Hûm, is very questionable. The extent of the ruins of Tell Hûm points to an ancient place of considerable importance , such as a custom-house and garrison town is likely to have been. The building material is basalt.

The village consists of a dozen miserable huts. The ruins are surrounded by a wall and belong to the Franciscans, who own a small hospice (no beds) and a farm here. Permission to inspect the ruins should he brought from the guardian at Tiberias. In order to acquire the land the Franciscans covered up most of the ruins, but by-and-by excavations will be made. On the bank of the lake lies the only building which is still to some extent preserved. It was probably a Christian church, and is composed of still more ancient materials. There is no trace of anything like a quay or harbour. In the midst of the mass of black ruins we can trace the remains of a beautiful ancient building of white limestone resembling marble. This structure, about 25 yds. long and 18 yds.  wide, was partly composed of very large blocks of stone. On the S.  side there were three entrances. In the interior are still seen the bases of the columns, while beautiful fragments of Corinthian capitals and other remains lie scattered in wild confusion. This, as some think, must have been a synagogue (perhaps the one mentioned in Luke vii. 5), and the ruins are certainly older than some others adjacent, which perhaps belonged to the basilica that stood here about the year 600 on the site of St. Peter's house. At the N. end of the town are two tombs, one of which, lined with limestone, is subterranean, while the other is a square building, which must have been capable of containing many bodies. From the ruins of the deeply humiliated city (Matth. xi. 23) the eye gladly turns to the lake, bounded by gentle hills and stretching far to the S.; and of this, at least, we are certain, that the scene is the same as that which Christ and his disciples once so often beheld.