Early Beginnings

In the 4th century CE, the first known chapel was constructed at the site. Reflecting the architecture of the era, it was likely a small, single-room structure, serving as a place of worship and commemoration of the feeding miracle. The Spanish pilgrim Egeria, who documented her travels to holy places in the late 4th century, who wrote: “grassy field which has sufficient hay and many palm trees and nearby seven springs..”. The site around the church looks quite similar, to this day.”

The Byzantine Era

The first recorded chapel was constructed in the early 5th century under the auspices of the Byzantine empire. The chapel was modest, but noteworthy for its intricate floor mosaic. Over time, the humble chapel blossomed into a significantly larger complex, culminating in a grand basilica around the late 5th century.

The church’s story and structure is intertwined with one of the most significant ancient trade routes – the Via Maris. This critical trade route connected the old civilizations of Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, coursed along the Mediterranean coast, then cut across the land of Israel, hugging the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. As the Byzantine era dawned, the Church of the Multiplication emerged in the vicinity of this bustling trade highway. The proximity to the Via Maris provided the church with an influx of worshipers but it also posed a unique challenge to the expanding basilica. The proximity of the trade route dictated the church’s physical boundaries, confining its northward expansion. 

The Church’s Revival

After suffering destruction at the hands of Persian invaders in the 7th century, the church lay in ruins for over a millennium. It wasn’t until the end of the 20th century, in the 1980s, that the site was meticulously restored by the Benedictine order, with the new church built over the preserved remnants of the Byzantine basilica.