The town is known for its mention in the New Testament gospels, and was reported to have been the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew.
According to the gospels, Yahshua (Jesus) taught in the synagogue in Capernaum, and the building of that period has been found beneath the remains of a later synagogue.
One house in the village was venerated as the house of Peter the fisherman as early as the 2nd century AD, with two churches having been constructed over it.