Capernaum is on the Sea of Galilee, four kilometers (about two and a half miles) west of where the Jordan River flows out. In the time of Jesus, it was a thriving fishing village. Located at an important crossroads on the Great Trunk Road, it connected Mesopotamia and Egypt. It was an international village. Much of the ministry Jesus did in Galilee happened there (for example, Matthew 4:13; 8:14–17).
The centurion: He was one of sixty commanders in a legion and led 100 Roman soldiers (see also Mark 15:39; Acts 10:1; 27:1).