Chorazin, a Town Where Jesus Taught

Chorazin (Korazin), a town where Jesus taught, is located on the side of a large hill about two and one-half miles north of Capernaum. This city is remembered as one of the three key cities in which Jesus spent much of his ministry. These cities of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida formed what is called the “Evangelical Triangle,” the small area where most of Jesus’ miracles were displayed. (Matt. 11:20).

Chorazin is noted as being one of the cities that Jesus cursed. The city is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Matthew 11:21;Luke 10:13) and both instances mention the curse that Jesus placed upon it.

Chorazim is 230 feet above sea level and in a region strewn with basalt rocks.

The Chorazin block was formed when there was a volcanic eruption and the flow of lava blocked the passage between the upper Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee. Once it solidified, the basalt caused a “plug” which prevented the river from flowing southward and therefore formed the Hula Lake and a narrow gorge as shown in the diagram below.

The town of Chorazin was built on the hill but was split on the west side by the Chorazin Valley which carries a large amount of water into the Kinneret (Galilee) in the winter. Interestingly enough, the town was not fortified by walls and the houses were built along the slopes on both sides of a main road which ran north to south. Most houses were adjacent to one another and were separated by a narrow walking lane. We were surprised how close the houses were to each other and I would hope that the basalt walls made them more sound proof. On the other hand, perhaps these dwellings could have been commercial buildings or small shops.

Photo: The hyrax were pretty big and I would estimate about 12" in length. They reminded us of large guinea pigs and possibly the inhabitants used them for food.

Photo: Remains of a home. We assumed that the island inside with openings could have been used for storage. The arches were beautiful and added a charm to the structure which existed in a civilization so many years ago. If I had lived at that time in history, I would want my home to have arches.

Photo: This Jewish ritual bath (mikveh) is very near the excavated synagogue which we are about to see.

These are remains of the city’s commercial area.

Photo: Olive press.

In the latter part of the 4th century AD, the town was restored by Jews and the synagogue was rebuilt. We were told that this area was possibly destroyed by an earthquake.

The entrance faced Jerusalem. It’s face was lavishly decorated, including a richly adorned gable, the reconstruction of which now stand near the entrance.

Worshippers entered via three doorways . . .a high, wide central entrance and two smaller lateral ones.

The Bimah and the Torak Ark were set inside the hall on either side of the main entrance. These were ornamental closets in which the Torah scrolls were placed and covered by a curtain. Worshippers sat on benches placed alongside the walls and turned toward Jerusalem during prayer. The photo below shows a Torak Ark.

Archaelogical digs have yielded many treasures and the remains of this synagogue were made of black basalt stone. The synagogue measures about 50 feet by 70 feet in size.

Photo: Chair of Moses. Prominently displayed in this Galilean style synagogue is the “seat of Moses,” which is referred to by Jesus in Matthew 23:2. There are also floral decorations, animal figures and a well preserved Medusa (Greek goddess). In the New Testament, Jesus condemned the hypocritical examples of those who taught the commandments from the "seat of Moses."

This synagogue was not only as a place of worship but also as a center for the community. Public meetings were held here and people would gather to discuss political and social issues as well as study the Bible and pray. The synagogue was also decorated with relief sculptures.

We know from scripture that Jesus did many miracles in this city. These people witnessed the power of God in their streets for the better part of three years. Yet, it seemed to make no difference in their lives. Jesus finally said: “Woe to you, Korazin… If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” (Matt. 11:21-22).

Photo: I stepped outside the synagogue and thought about Jesus, the inhabitants and the times he came here to preach. The town was small, the view was lovely and because there was no fortification around it, there was a feeling serenity. I was so glad to be there, to have a few minutes to meditate and to know this was a place Jesus came during the last weeks of his life. Even if one does not believe that Jesus was the Savior of the world, it is still an interesting place to visit because the inhabitants were real and the events that happened are an important part of history.

The archaeological excavations at Chorazin may also help us understand why the people received such a curse from God. Although it obviously happened some generations after Jesus, it is truly interesting that the descendants of these people would allow a Medusa to be built right into their synagogue wall. However, as early as the second century BC, the Medusa came directly from Greek mythology. Supposedly anyone who looked directly at Medusa (she had hair of snakes) was turned to stone and accordingly she was killed by Perseus who cut off her head.

More about Perseus and Greek Mythology : He went to Medusa and her sisters whom he found sleeping. He wore the Cap of Darkness and because he was unseen, he managed to kill Medusa using a sickle; he then used his shield to carry the head of Medusa and place it into a magic bag, for even though it was dead, the head still have the potential to turn someone into stone. Medusa's sisters woke up and attacked Perseus but he flew away using his winged sandals. On his way back to Seriphus, he had many adventures; in one of them, he came across the Titan Atlas, who was condemned to carry the heavens on his shoulders. To release him of his pain, Perseus turned him into stone using Medusa's head so that he would no longer feel the weight of his burden.

Photo: I was not able to get a photo of Medusa at the synagogue but found this photo on the internet.