City
Cana
KAY-nuh · Modern Kafr Kanna, Israel
Cana is a city of the biblical world, known today as Kafr Kanna, Israel.
What is known
History
- Founded
- A small Galilean village near Nazareth, existing by the 1st century AD
- Population
- Estimated 200–400 residents in Cana of Galilee in the 1st century AD
- Coordinates
- 32.7500° N, 35.3500° E
Archaeology
Kafr Kanna has been venerated for centuries as biblical Cana, but excavations beneath its Franciscan church found only later mosaic floors and inscriptions rather than conclusive 1st-century remains. Because of this gap, many scholars now favor nearby Khirbet Qana, a substantial excavated Roman-era Jewish village on Kafr Kanna's western edge, as the more likely site of Jesus's first miracle — the identification of Cana remains genuinely debated among scholars.
Scripture references
- John 2:1-11 — Water into wine
- John 4:46-54
- John 21:2
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
At Cana, Mary simply told the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you' — what is the next simple thing you sense you should do?
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