A U.S. historian and archaeologist believes he has found the actual site in Israel where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine, challenging centuries-old assumptions.

Tom McCollough, a retired professor, claims Khirbet Qana—not the widely accepted site of Kafr Kanna—is the true Biblical town of Cana described in the Gospel of John, the New York Post reported.

The Gospel of John recounts Jesus' first miracle at a wedding in Cana, where He transformed water into wine. This miracle involved six stone jars capable of holding about 20 to 30 gallons each. For centuries, most pilgrims and scholars have identified Kafr Kanna, a village in Israel’s Galilee region, as Cana.

That belief, McCollough says, may have been built more on convenience than archaeological accuracy. The identification of Kafr Kanna as the Biblical Cana only became common in the 1700s, fueled by Catholic clergy who were facilitating Christian pilgrimages. The location’s ease of access made it ideal for pilgrims, though McCollough argues it lacks substantial historical support.

McCollough is a religion and history scholar who retired from Centre College in Kentucky in 2017. Since then, he has led decades of excavations at Khirbet Qana, a site just five miles north of Kafr Kanna. What he discovered could significantly alter the historical understanding of early Christianity’s geography.

Excavations Reveal Underground Christian Worship Site

His team uncovered what appears to be a substantial Christian veneration complex beneath Khirbet Qana. The subterranean space was used by early Christian pilgrims between the late 5th or early 6th centuries through to the Crusader period in the 12th century. Inside, the site includes Christian crosses, inscriptions, and design features matching Biblical descriptions.

Among the most compelling features is a shelf with a stone vessel and room for five more, appearing to align with the six jars mentioned in the Gospel of John. On the cave walls, McCollough’s team found the Greek phrase “Kyrie Iesou”—translated as “Lord Jesus”—a clear marker of Christian veneration. He believes this is evidence that Christian pilgrims visited this site specifically to honor the water-to-wine miracle described in scripture.

“We have uncovered a large Christian veneration cave complex,” McCollough said. He added that the space “was used by Christian pilgrims who came to venerate” the miracle and remained a site of reverence for several centuries.

Historical Texts Offer Additional Clues

To support his claim, McCollough cites historical writings by Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian. According to McCollough, these texts describe Cana as a Jewish settlement close to the Sea of Galilee, consistent with the location and history of Khirbet Qana. In contrast, Kafr Kanna lacks such historical documentation from antiquity.

Josephus's descriptions align “geographically with the location of Khirbet Qana and align logically with his movements,” McCollough said. Citing Josephus, the New Testament, and rabbinic literature, he said that ancient Cana was clearly a Jewish village situated in the lower Galilee—criteria that Khirbet Qana fulfills.

“No other village has the ensemble of evidence that makes such a persuasive case for Khirbet Qana,” he stated, pointing to geographic consistency, archaeological remains, and textual support as aligning factors.

Calls for Reevaluation in Biblical Scholarship

The archaeologist believes these findings justify a wider scholarly reassessment of sacred geography related to the life of Jesus. He argues that placing Cana at Khirbet Qana supports the Gospel of John's account, which describes Cana as more than just a one-time location for a miracle.

In John’s narrative, Jesus and His disciples return to Cana multiple times. McCollough suggests that Cana served as a “safe place or operational center” during periods of resistance in Judea, a characterization that fits with the supportive evidence at Khirbet Qana.

“Our excavations have shown that this was a thriving Jewish village,” McCollough said. He believes Khirbet Qana’s central location “in the heart of much of Jesus’ life and ministry” is historically meaningful and theologically significant.

Archaeology’s Expanding Role in Biblical Studies

This discovery is part of broader international efforts to link archaeological findings with Biblical-era texts. In recent months, other excavation projects in Israel have revealed physical evidence of sites mentioned in scripture, including a Biblical battle in Megiddo and elements of a sacred garden near Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Supporters of McCollough's work suggest the findings demonstrate the growing importance of archaeology in reevaluating long-held religious narratives. The reliance on hard evidence—such as inscriptions, architecture, and artifacts—adds material backing to texts that for centuries have been interpreted largely through faith.

While the debate over the true location of Cana may continue, McCollough hopes his findings spark new questions and encourage open-minded scholarly inquiry. “The pilgrim texts we have from this period that describe what pilgrims did and saw when they came to Cana... match very closely what we have exposed,” he said.