Cana and the Miracle of Turning Water into Wine

Cana is best known as the town where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1 – 11). During my tour of Israel, I visited the historical town of Kafir Cana to explore the proposed location of this miracle.

The actual location is uncertain and there are a total of five towns associated with the first miracle, yet the traditional site is also known as Kefer-Kenna and Kefr Kana which is located about 3 miles north of Nazareth. In the 17^th century, the Catholic church added Kafir Cana to its list of Christian holy places and the pope designated Kafir Cana as the official location of the New Testament Cana.

Our tour group visited the Franciscan church with its beautiful façade, exquisite arcade with its bell towers, angel statues and charming second floor balcony.

As recorded in the Gospel of John, Jesus and his disciples arrive at the wedding feast taking place near his hometown of Nazareth in Cana. The wedding was most likely that of a relative of Jesus’ mother and she soon explains to him that the wedding party has run out of wine. This would have been an embarrassment to the family as the wedding celebrations could last up to a week. And so the rest is history….

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine. Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

Can you imagine 20 to 30 gallons of water that was turned to wine? That would be an estimate of nearly 750 bottles of wine! One old jar in the museum is said to have been one of the stone jars believed to have been used to turn water into wine.

This miraculous event revealed the power of Jesus, his divine nature and allowed the disciples to put their faith in him believing he was the Messiah.

Today’s theologians believe that Jesus’ attendance at the wedding solidifies Jesus’ support of the sanctity of marriage.

An estimated 200,000 tourists visit Kafir Cana each year and many purchase Cana wine at the various vendor stalls. Beautiful rest stops and hotel facilities have been built along the promenade where narrow side streets are also filled with restaurants and souvenir shops.

With a few minutes to spare, we visited Nabhan and Sons for a wine tasting, browsed the lovely selection of souvenirs and purchased a few bottles of wine to take home, maybe for our own wedding celebrations.

Have you visited Cana and tried the local wine? What did you think? I would love to hear about your experience to Cana as well as Israel if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.

Scriptural References to Cana:

The miracle at the wedding feast: John 2:1-11
Jesus heals the official’s son: John 4:46-54
Nathanael (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) is mentioned: John 21:2
The city of Cana mentioned in the Old Testament: Joshua 19:28
A brook named Cana: Joshua 16:8 and 17:9

What to See and What to Do:

Franciscan Wedding Chapel
Kfar Cana, Israel
Telephone: +972 4 6517011

Admission Fee: There is no admission fee but donations are greatly appreciated
Hours: From April – September: Monday – Saturday from 8AM to noon and 2 PM to 5:30 PM, Sunday from 8AM to noon. From October to March, Monday – Saturday from 8AM to noon, and 2PM to 5PM, Sunday from 8AM to noon.
Scenic View: The view of the Sea of Galilee and the famous mosaic of the fish and the loaves
Length of Visit: 1 hour
Travel Tip: Only 2 bottles of wine can be brought back to the US without having to pay additional tax.

Where to Stay:

Leonardo Hotel Tiberias
Gdud Barak Road, 9
Tiberias, Hauafon (Northern) Israel
Telephone: +972 4670 0800

Where to Eat:

Galei Gil
Yigal Allon Promenade
Tiberias, Israel
Telephone: +972 04 672 0699

The restaurant is known for serving eight varieties of grilled or fried fish from nearby Sea of Galilee as well a the Mediterranean. We loved that the eatery was built around a tree that grows out from the side of the structure. The restaurant provides outdoor seating along the Tiberias promenade with a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee. Order the St. Peter’s fish (Mousht) or the Lavrack (Sea Bass). Meals are served with a baked potato or fries.

What to Eat:

Kubbeh is similar to falafal in that it is served in a ball but made with meat and spices then deep fried.
Manqusheh is similar to pizza made with flatbread topped with olive oil and spice (usually za’atar which is similar to thyme)
Ka’ak is a large pretzel like pastry that is usually eaten at breakfast time. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are readily available at bakeries and roadside stalls.
Potato swirls are similar to french fries, cut and deep fried.
Qatayef is a pancake-style dessert stuffed with cheese, nuts or sugar and spices and are popular during the Ramadan holiday
Kunafeh is a pastry similar to baklava covered in syrup and cheese

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