Image Details

Capernaum reborn. A major earthquake devastated Capernaum during the mid-fourth century A.D., but the town rebuilt following that disaster was as prosperous as the one that preceded it. Shown here is a portion of the right-most building on the plan, which was in use both before and after the earthquake. A late Roman (second-third centuries A.D.) floor can be seen at lower left; the whitish plastered floor at right dates to the late Roman/early Byzantine period (third-fourth centuries A.D.), while the plastered floor at far right and in the cutaway section at the top of the photo dates to the Byzantine period (fifth-sixth centuries A.D.). The cutaway section also shows, just above the Byzantine floor, an early Arab-period (seventh-eighth centuries A.D.) floor consisting of a straight line of fieldstones laid on earthen fill.