at a distance, and once as the
birthplace of Nathaniel, an apostle. No direct indication can be gathered of its
locality, except that it was not far from either Nazareth or Capharnaum. where
an ordinary traveler from Jerusalem to Nazareth would pass through or near it..
An old tradition identifies the site of Cana with modern Kefr' Kenna, a village
of about 600 inhabitants. This lies some four or five miles northeast of
Nazareth, on the road from there to Tiberias, at the foot of a short, steep
hill. The tradition dates back at least to the eighth century, and probably a
good deal earlier. The site of Kefr' Kenna held almost undisputed possession for
many centuries. It is only in recent years that its authenticity has been
seriously questioned. There are now two other claimants for the site. One of
these, Kenet-el-Jalil, is some six miles further north, on the slope of a hill.
There is nothing there now but ruins. Some remains of cisterns have been
discovered but there is no fount or spring. It seems to have been known in quite
early times as possibly the site of Cana, and has in its favor that the name is
said to be a closer equivalent than that of Kefr' Kenna. Recently a third site
has been put forward by Dr. Robinson, Ain Kana, which is somewhat nearer to
Nazareth.
At
the time of the Crusades, or before, there was a church which was believed to be
on the spot where the miracle of Our Lord was worked. This site is now in the
hands of the Franciscans, who have built a large new church. The Franciscan
church was built with some ancient architectural pieces, and there is a mosaic
with an Aramaic inscription: "Remember Joseph, son of Tanhum, son of Butah with
his sons because they made this tabula; may they be blessed. Amen". Aside from
the difficulty in interpreting the key word in the text which we have given here
as "tabula", the inscription is evidence of an ancient Jewish community and also
probably a house of worship. In recent years some interesting excavations have
been carried out within its walls, discovering parts of the old church beneath.
The Greeks also have a church close by, inside which are two large jars, said to be the original "water pots of stone" in which the water was turned into wine; but the probability of their being genuine is not great. At the entrance to the village a fountain still exists, which is believed to be the source of the water that Jesus changed into wine. About one-third of the inhabitants are Christians, the majority belonging to the Greek Church.
Towards the far end of the town, there is a church dedicated to St. Bartholomew, said to be on the site of his house. St. Bartholomew is commemorated in a chapel at the end of the city, near the school run by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The miracle which has made Cana forever famous was worked by Christ before His public life had fully commenced. This is usually taken to be the meaning of the words "My hour is not yet come". He had however, already five disciples -- Sts. Peter, Andrew, John, Phillip, and Bartholomew (Nathaniel). They had followed Him from the banks of the Jordan, but had received as yet no permanent call, such as is recorded later on in the other Gospels. Our Lord was on His way back to Nazareth when He passed by Cana. From the language of the Gospel we should infer that the marriage which was taking place was that of a close relative of the Blessed Virgin, for it is said without comment that she was there; and it was no doubt in her honor that Christ was invited. Again, the cause of the shortage of wine is not explained by St. John; but it has been inferred that it may have been due to the presence of Our Lord and the five Disciples that accompanied Him, who would have made a substantial increase in a small and modest party. If this was so, it would explain the confidence with which Our Lady appealed to Him when she noticed it. Mary at once told the waiters to take orders from Our Lord. They filled the jars with water, which Jesus converted into wine. Taking the narrative as it stands, we have one of the best authenticated of Our Lord's miracles; for, unlike the case of the cure of bodily ailments, the waiters were comparatively disinterested parties, and yet they bore witness that the water had become wine and was even the best wine of the feast. Not only the miracle but also the whole incident of Christ's attendance at the marriage feast has always been taken as setting His seal on the sanctity of marriage, and on the propriety of humble rejoicing on such occasions. And if the bride or bridegroom was, as is believed, a relative of Our Lady, we may take it as an example of the sympathy which family ties should bring in the ordinary joys, no less than in the sorrows of life.
