FROaf NAZARETH TO TIBERIAS. 
283 
church, of an oblong square form, to which we descended by 
steps, as into the church of St. Sophia at Constantinople and 
other early Christian sanctuaries, where the entrance resembles 
that of a cellar; day light being rarely admitted* There is 
reason to believe this the first place of Christian worship erected 
in Tiberias, and that it was constructed as long ago as the 
fourth century. The roof is of stone, and it is vaulted. We 
could discover no inscription; nor any other clue to the history 
of its origin. The priest, whom we found officiating, was so 
ignorant that he knew not by whom, for whom, nor when, it 
was erected; saying only, that it was called the house of Peter* 
Under this name it is mentioned by former travellers.* Ni- 
cephorus Callistus,t as cited by Relaud,records the dedica¬ 
tion of a magnificent edifice to St. Peter, by Helena, mother of 
Constantine the First, in tjfic city of Tiberias. Reland distiu« 
guishes this building from that now bearing the name of the 
Apostle; 5 but he believes the latter derived its name from the 
former t| It is not however so insignificant a structure as he 
seems to suppose. Its arched stone roof yet existing entire, 
renders it worthy of more particular observation. If it be not 
the building erected by Helena, on the spot where our Saviour 
is said to have appearedlo St. Peter after his resurrection,** it 
is probably that which Epiphaniusff relates to have heen built 
by a native of Tiberias, one Joseplms^who, under the auspices 
of Constantine, erected the churches of Sepphoris§§ and Caper 
naum.|(i| The materials of which it consists, seem to correspond 
with tiie description given of the stones used for that edifice. 
•£ “ At thenortbeast corner of the town, there is an oblong square church, arched 
o ver, and dedicated to St Peter ; it is mentioned by ancient authors, and said by some 
be the spot where the house of St. Peter was.” Pocoeke’s Descript, of the East, 
vol. ii. part. i. p. 68. 
t Histor. Eecles. IT, 12. 
t- Palaestina lllustrata, tom. ii.p. 1042. Traj. Bat. 1714. 
j § w u Inhao urbe nimirum aeriem magnificam, et ab ilia quae bodie Petri dicitur plane 
civersam, Helena, Constantini mater, Petro olim dedicavit.” Ibid. 
A “ Hine, puto, nomen aedis Petri huic aedieulae adhesit.” Palaestina Illustrata , 
torn. ii. p. 1040. 
John xxi. I. ” Ecclesia ab Helena matre in isto loco fabricata, in suo decore 
pulchrapermanet.” Bonifacius de Ptrtnni CultuTerr. Sand lib. ii. 
H Epiphanii Opera, tom. ii. lib. i. Adv. Haer, p. 128. Paris, 1622. 
if In referring to this Josephus, Reland uses_so little precision, that he might be 
confounded w ith Josephus the Jewish historian. 14 Tiberiade,” says lie, “ ante tem- 
pora Josephi non licuit Christiano.” (Reiandi Palaestina Illustrata, tom. ii. p* 
1038.) A preceding paragraph, however, states that he acted under the auspices of 
Constantine the First; and Epiphanius, whose writings are referred to by Reland, 
cautiously avoids* confounding him with Flavius Josephus. 
^See the former chapter. 
j|||Built over the spot where St. Peter’s dwelling was believed to have stood in Ca¬ 
pernaum. See an extract from the itinerary of Antoninus the Martyr, written in the 
sixth century, and giver) in a former note, Also Reland, Palest lllust, tom. jbVp, 
883, Traj , Bat, 17I4U 
