Gary Fitleberg, December 21, 2004

According to the Associated Press, archaeologists believe they have uncovered the site of Jesus’ first miracle.

Archaeologists have found pieces of stone jars of the type the Bible says Jesus used when he turned water into wine at a wedding in the village of Cana.

These jars could be the same kind of vessels the Bible says Jesus used in his first miracle. If so, the site where they were found could be the location of the biblical Cana. But scholars warn that it will be hard to obtain conclusive proof, because experts disagree on where Cana was located.

In the biblical story recounted by the Gospel of John, Jesus attended a wedding in Cana in the Galilee with his mother and disciples. When the wedding party ran out of wine, Jesus told the servants to fill six large stone jars with water. When they drew the water out, they found that it had been changed into wine.

The miracle at Cana was the first performed by Jesus. It came at a crucial time in his ministry when his reputation was growing and he had just selected his disciples.

The jar shards were found during a salvage dig in the modern-day Arab village of Cana, between Nazareth and Capernaum. Israeli archaeologist Yardena Alexander believes the Arab town was built near the ancient village. The jar pieces date to the Roman period, when Jesus traveled in the Galilee.

"All indications from the archaeological excavations suggest that the site of the wedding was (modern-day) Cana, the site that we have been investigating," said Alexander.

However, American archaeologists excavating a rival site several miles to the north have also found pieces of stone jars from the time of Jesus, and believe they have found biblical Cana.

Another expert, archaeologist Shimon Gibson, cast doubt on the find at modern Cana, since such vessels are not rare and it would be difficult to link a particular set of vessels to the miracle.

"Just the existence of stone vessels is not enough to prove that this is a biblical site," and more excavations are needed, he said.

Based on the shards, Alexander believes the vessels found at her site were 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 centimeters) in diameter - or large enough to be the same type of jars described in the Gospel of John.

Other evidence that might link the site to the biblical account includes the presence of a Jewish ritual bath at the house, which shows it was a Jewish community. Locally produced pottery was used at the simple house, showing it could have been from the poor village described in the Scriptures.

Stephen Pfann, a Bible scholar in Jerusalem, said that while the American dig has generally been accepted by scholars as the true site, the shards found in modern-day Cana raise new questions.

"I think there is ample evidence that both sites are from the first century, and we need more information to correctly identify either site," Pfann said. Alexander has been digging in modern Cana since 1999.

The current find came in a last-ditch "salvage dig" before a house is built on the site. A Christian Arab family financed part of the excavation, in accordance with Israeli law, before construction can begin.

Alexander believes that with more substantial investment, the site could became a major tourist attraction and pilgrimage destination.

"We're really working very hard to save some of this site because what we do have here is a village of Jesus," she said. "And it was here that he carried out the first miracle."

One will recall that an ossuary, apparently belonging to James brother of Jesus, was an archaeological discovery that made headlines but later was discovered that a forged inscription was engraved on an ancient artifact.

Jesus, born a Jew, had his last supper at a Passover Seder and was crucified by the Romans for his beliefs and convictions.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg