Evidence of Temple Linked to Jesus Found in Chorazin

Archaeologists might have uncovered the long-lost temple where Jesus is believed to have performed miracles, marking a major breakthrough in Biblical history. Several New Testament passages describe Jesus preaching and healing the sick within a synagogue in Chorazin, an ancient Israeli city. There are ancient ruins of a temple dated to the 3rd and 4th century there, but there was no evidence for its existence in Jesus’ time – until now. The recent discovery could confirm the existence of a temple at this site at the time of Christ.

Site believed to be the Biblical Chorazin, Israel. (YouTube Screenshot/Sergio & Rhonda in Israel)

The Visit of Jesus: Collaborating Theology with Material Ruins

The find has been unearthed by Achia Cohen-Tavor and his team from Dagesh Tourist Archaeology, who consider this one of the most significant digs of their careers. Cohen-Travor’s team, while excavating the ruins of the synagogue, made a remarkable find: an even older temple buried beneath the floor. As they removed the ancient flooring, they discovered massive boulders arranged deliberately, hinting at the site’s ancient significance, reports The Daily Mail.

The deliberately placed rocks found in recenty excavations. (YouTube Screenshot/Sergio & Rhonda in Israel)

Chorazin, now part of Korazim National Park in northern Israel, has long attracted Jewish pilgrims, with historical records placing an important temple there. Although a synagogue dating to 380 AD was discovered in the early 1900s, no physical evidence had linked it to the time of Jesus—until now.

Cohen-Tavor said in a YouTube video detailing the find, which happened in 2022.

“I can’t date the rock itself when it was put here. What I can date is the pottery and, hopefully, coins coming from between the rocks and definitely what’s beneath them. Whatever I get from between those stones would be dating the construction of the synagogue here.”

The excavation revealed not only the older temple but also pottery, coins, and cookware lodged between the stones. According to Cohen-Tavor, these artifacts might date the synagogue’s construction to the first century, aligning with the period during which Jesus would have visited.

The site, identified as being two miles from Capernaum, still bears traces of the ancient path Jesus might have walked, reports Donknebel.

Pottery shards found underneath the rocks at the temple at Chorazin. (YouTube Screenshot/Sergio & Rhonda in Israel)

Pagan Cities and Denouncing the Agnostics

This discovery also illuminates a passage from the Book of Matthew, where Jesus is said to have taught in Chorazin’s synagogue. The town was later cursed by Jesus after the locals rejected His teachings, a fate it shared with neighboring Bethsaida.

“Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn’t repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes’” reads the Bible.

Tyre and Sidon were considered pagan cities during that period. The discovery of the third-century synagogue in 1905 took place in what is now Korazim National Park. Achia Cohen-Tavor noted that earlier excavations may have mistaken the massive boulders for natural bedrock, possibly leading to the first-century ruins being overlooked.

A Holy Site

The synagogue nearby was constructed using basalt stones and adorned with Jewish motifs. It featured three entrances, with the main one facing south toward Jerusalem, as was customary.

Earlier excavations also revealed a stone seat, known as the Chair of Moses, where the Torah reader would sit. This chair is mentioned in the Bible, and similar ones have been found in other early synagogues, such as on the island of Delos in Greece and at Hammath Tiberias near the Sea of Galilee. It’s likely that when Jesus taught in Galilean synagogues, He used such a seat, reserved for those in authority.

This discovery could soon confirm that the temple where Jesus preached and performed miracles in Chorazin was indeed real. The archaeological team believes the artifacts found will provide definitive proof.

Top image: 4th century temple at the Chorazin site, near where the recent excavations have found an older site.                Source: Lev.Tsimbler/CC BY-SA 4.0

By Sahir Pandey