READ: Archaeologist Uncovers Evidence for Real Location of Jesus’ First Miracle

For centuries, pilgrims and scholars have sought the exact site where Jesus Christ performed His first miracle—turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana. Now, historian and archaeologist Tom McCollough believes he has uncovered compelling evidence that may finally pinpoint the true location of this biblical event, offering fresh insight into one of the Gospel’s most iconic moments.

The Gospel of John describes the miracle in simple but powerful terms: Jesus, attending a wedding in Cana, instructs servants to fill six stone water jars—each capable of holding 20 to 30 gallons. The water becomes wine, and the astonished banquet master calls it the finest he’s tasted. For generations, tradition has pointed to Kafr Kanna, a modern-day town in Galilee, as the biblical Cana. However, McCollough’s excavations suggest otherwise.

Khirbet Qana image from Wikimedia Commons.

According to McCollough, the real Cana may lie five miles north at a site called Khirbet Qana, a Jewish village active between 323 B.C. and 324 A.D. His work there has uncovered a network of tunnels marked with Christian symbols and inscriptions dating back over 1,500 years. Among the most striking discoveries: a pilgrimage cave complex, an altar, and a shelf with one stone vessel and space for five more—echoing the six jars mentioned in John’s Gospel.

“No other village has the ensemble of evidence that makes such a persuasive case for Khirbet Qana,” McCollough said.

The site’s tunnels are etched with crosses and references to Kyrie Iesou—Greek for “Lord Jesus”—pointing to early Christian worship. These markings suggest the cave served as a place of veneration beginning in the 5th or 6th century, continuing well into the 12th-century Crusader period. McCollough’s team also found the stone shelf and vessel in a setting that mirrors the biblical wedding account.

Supporting his findings, McCollough points to the writings of Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian. Josephus’ descriptions of Cana align geographically with Khirbet Qana’s location in lower Galilee, not with the later venerated site at Kafr Kanna, which McCollough argues wasn’t recognized until the 1700s.

“The pilgrim texts we have from this period match very closely what we have exposed as the veneration complex,” he explained.

Beyond historical interest, McCollough’s research has implications for the supernatural worldview shared by many believers today. In the Gospel of John, Cana isn’t just the location of a miracle—it becomes a kind of spiritual stronghold where Jesus retreats with His disciples. McCollough suggests it was “in some ways Jesus’ safe place or operational center” during His earthly ministry.

This idea of “thin places”—where heaven and earth seem to overlap—is a recurring theme in both Christian theology and the paranormal testimonies often explored on The Confessionals. Khirbet Qana may very well be one of those places.

As archaeological efforts continue around the globe, from discoveries in Jerusalem to excavations at Megiddo, the evidence supporting the Bible’s historicity continues to grow. For Christians and seekers alike, McCollough’s work invites a fresh look at the Gospel of John—not just as a sacred text, but as a record rooted in real places, real people, and real encounters with the divine.