On the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was a fishing and customs town on the road between Damascus and the coast. The Gospels place much of Jesus' ministry here, and the site has been excavated and cared for by the Franciscans for over a century. Its most striking monument is the so-called White Synagogue: a monumental hall of white limestone, brought from elsewhere, whose columns, carved capitals and friezes stand out against the black basalt of the surrounding village and of the older foundations beneath it. A few metres away, the remains of an octagonal Byzantine church cover a house long venerated by Christian tradition. Filmed in 4K, the programme moves between the basalt lanes of the ancient town, the carved fragments displayed in the open air, and the lake itself, whose light and weather remain the constant background of the Galilean story.
