Synagogues were places for community gatherings and reading of the word, which began to spring up following the destruction of the Temple. Galilee, a place Jesus ministered and taught in, had an abundance of synagogues. In the excavations at Capernaum, you can stand above the foundation of the synagogue where Jesus preached in Mark 1:21-27. Yet Capernaum was one of three Galilean towns condemned by Jesus for unbelief in the face of miracles (Matthew 11:20-24). The ruins at Capernaum remind us that Jesus is the only sure foundation of faith and salvation.