Archaeologists' major breakthrough at 'site where Jesus turned water into wine'

In 2004, Israeli archaeologist Yardena Alexander made a discovery that could shed light on the exact moment Jesus performed his first miracle - turning water into wine

In a startling revelation, archaeologists believe they've unearthed fragments of large stone jars identical to those described in the Gospel as being used by Jesus when he miraculously turned water into wine at a Jewish wedding in the Galilean village of Cana.

A groundbreaking 2004 discovery by Israeli archaeologist Yardena Alexander has cast new light on the remarkable moment Jesus performed his first miracle.

Yardena is of the belief that the stone jars she discovered could be the same type of vessels the Bible says Jesus used, and posits that the site where the artefacts were found might well be the biblical location of Cana.

However, Bible scholars have contended it would be exceedingly difficult to secure definitive proof of this, particularly as the experts themselves are divided over the precise location of Cana.

The miracle of turning water into wine at Cana holds great significance - especially among Christian theologians. Not only was this act deemed to be Jesus' inaugural miracle, but it also occurred at a pivotal time during the early stages of his public ministry, reports the Express.

At that juncture, Jesus' holy reputation was spreading like wildfire, his disciples had just been chosen by him, and he was under tremendous pressure to prove his divinity to the masses.

Fragments of the stone vessels in question were discovered during a rescue excavation in present-day Cana, situated directly between Capernaum and Nazareth.

Yardena believes the Arab settlement was constructed close to the ancient village.

The fragments of the historically significant jars themselves are dated to the Roman era, when Jesus is thought to have journeyed through the Galilee.

NBC News quoted Yardena as saying: "All indications from the archaeological excavations suggest that the site of the wedding was (modern-day) Cana, the site that we have been investigating."

Competing location with connections to Cana

At that time, Yardena wasn't the sole researcher attempting to locate the site of the sacred miracle.

American archaeologists were digging at a competing location several miles northward and claimed to have also discovered pieces of Jesus' stone vessels in question.

These archaeologists, too, believed they had uncovered biblical Cana.

Further excavations were required, according to archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who questioned the discovery at modern Cana.

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

The vessels are reportedly not uncommon according to the expert, and he believed it would be impossible to connect one specific set of vessels to Jesus' miracle. Based on the fragments she discovered, Yardena estimated the vessels at the site to be 12 to 16 inches in diameter - sizes that align with the jars mentioned in the Gospel of John.

The unearthing of a Jewish ritual bath within the house also bolstered the theory that it was home to a Jewish community.

Moreover, the locally made pottery found at the site suggested a modest dwelling - potentially corresponding to the impoverished village depicted in the Scriptures.

At the time, Stephen Pfann, a renowned Bible scholar in Jerusalem, believed the shards unearthed in present-day Cana posed new questions, despite the American discovery being widely accepted by scholars as the true location of Cana and the miracle.

He said: "I think there is ample evidence that both sites are from the first century, and we need more information to correctly identify either site."

Yardena had been excavating around in modern-day Cana since 1999, before the discovery of the shards finally came to light in a last-ditch 'salvage dig' attempt in 2004, just prior to a house being scheduled for construction on the site. A Christian Arab family had funded part of Yardena's excavation, in line with Israeli laws, before the building work commenced.

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

She was also convinced that with further significant funding, the present-day Cana location could develop into a major pilgrimage destination and thriving tourist hotspot.