Church of the Seven Apostles
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Seven Apostles (Hebrew
: כנסיית השליחים, Knessiath haShlichim Greek language
: Εκκλησία Αποστόλων) is a Greek Orthodox church located at the shore of the Sea of Galilee
near Capernaum
(Kefar Nachum) in Israel
.
' main base during his Galilean
ministry. It is referred to as Jesus' own city and a place where he lived. It was in the synagogue
of Capernaum where he first started to preach.
This church is dedicated to the seven apostles, as mentioned in the Gospel of John
.
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
: כנסיית השליחים, Knessiath haShlichim Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Εκκλησία Αποστόλων) is a Greek Orthodox church located at the shore of the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
near Capernaum
Capernaum
Capernaum was a fishing village in the time of the Hasmoneans. Located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other...
(Kefar Nachum) in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Significance
The church marks the site of the ancient village of Capernaum which is an important place in Christianity. The village is frequently mentioned in the Gospels and was JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' main base during his Galilean
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
ministry. It is referred to as Jesus' own city and a place where he lived. It was in the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
of Capernaum where he first started to preach.
This church is dedicated to the seven apostles, as mentioned in the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
.