The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles is the church at the center of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Apostles at Capernaum, standing among the ruins of ancient Capernaum (Kfar Nachum) near the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is also known as simply the Greek Orthodox church at Capernaum, to differentiate it from the Franciscan Church which is located 150 meters to the east, in the southern part of Capernaum. It is sometimes named the Church of the Seven Apostles, based on the seven disciples mentioned in John 21 (John 21:1-2), but it is actually dedicated to all the twelve apostles of Jesus.
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 Jesus’ 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.
Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles
The church is located in the more recent, north-eastern part of the ruined ancient town of Capernaum, which is where the local residents relocated after the destruction of the old town as a result of either the 749 Galilee earthquake or of a man-made event of the 7th or 8th century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a small monastery began operating there, and the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem even used to stay in it during the winter months. The church was built between 1927 and 1931, but following the Israeli War of Independence remained in a demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria, and was inhabited by a Druze family who turned the church into a barn.
In 1969, a Greek monk arrived at the site and began renovating it with his mother. Since then, the site has been regularly renewed and upgraded, and in recent years hosts an annual event on January 18 of each year, with the practice of immersion in the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
The small church has 12 red domes and colored windows that create a unique light inside the building. Inside, a red marble iconostasis is placed, and almost all of the walls are decorated with rich murals. In order to create these paintings, art was brought from Greece, with some of the work carried out on the site itself. On the roof of the church are two large domes – on one is a painting of Jesus with the apostles, and on the other one of Jesus as an old man along with the prophets of the Old Testament.
