CANA

A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Historically, Cana represents the location of Jesus’ first miracles, turning water into wine.  Cana is a village in Lower Galilee located 5 miles south of Sepphoris. This small town was little known during the New Testament Era.  However, when Josephus, the Jewish historian, was preparing Galilee for the war against the Romans, Cana served for some time as his headquarters (Life, 86). 

After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Cana served as the seat of the priestly family of Eljashib.  In Byzantine and medieval times, the place of the miracle was shown to pilgrims. 

 B. BIBLICAL REFERENCES

1.   John 2:1-11     Jesus performs his first miracle here.  He changes the water into wine.

2.  John 4:46-54   Jesus performs a second miracle here.  He heals a royal official’s son from sickness.

C. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS OF INTEREST

1.   ROMAN I:  As archaeological surveys began, two sites were considered to mark this New Testament city.  The one is the Christian village of Kefr Kenna, about 4 miles NE of Nazareth, accepted by the Crusaders as the true site.  The other site is Khirbet, 4 or 5 miles farther north.  Though the former is usually pointed out to visitors as the true site, scholars are increasingly leaning to the acceptance of the latter.  Archaeological finds are minimal.