Millstones Made in Capernaum

By Dr. Noel Rabinowitz
September 1, 2022

Bible interpreters have much to say concerning Yeshua’s teaching about the humble status of children in Matthew 18:1-6 but they usually overlook where that event takes place – a detail that is actually quite important to the story. After deflating the disciples’ ambitions for power and prestige in the Kingdom, Yeshua follows up with a stern warning: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (v.6).

We know from Matthew 17:24 that Yeshua and his disciples had returned to Capernaum and this detail enables us to interpret Yeshua’s words here with even greater clarity. Capernaum is located on the northern shoreline of the Sea of Galilee and sits on a bed of basalt rock, the remains of a long extinct volcano. Fishing was obviously the major industry at Capernaum but it wasn’t the only industry – the basalt provided Capernaum with nutrient-rich farming soil in which to grow high quality grains. The abundance of basalt, however, made Capernaum home to a third industry, namely the manufacture of heavy-duty agricultural tools such as olive presses, household griding tools and industrial millstones.

Excavators found a large quantity of unfinished tools at Capernaum – many more than the residents of the village could have possibly needed, indicating that these tools were manufactured for sale. Workman made small household grinding stones as well as industrial millstones which were much larger and much heavier than the household version.

The bottom part of the industrial millstone was cone-shaped and sat on the ground, pointy-end up. The top part, which rested on top of the cone, was shaped like an hourglass with what looked like a stone belt at the waste of the hourglass. A wooden log was inserted into the “belt” and turned by a donkey. Grain was poured into the top and ground as the donkey turned the stone.

English Bibles typically translate the Greek phrase μύλος ὀνικὸς (mulos onikos) something along the lines of ‘great millstone” (ESV), “large millstone” (NIV), “heavy millstone” (NASB); “huge milestone” (NET) or simply “millstone” (KJV). The Greek phrase, however, literally means “millstone of a donkey.” Yeshua was clearly referring to the hourglass-shaped – and extremely heavy – upper section of an industrial millstone.

Now, Yeshua’s warning becomes extraordinarily vivid! He and his disciples were in Capernaum with the Sea of Galilee in plain view. Perhaps they were even standing along the lake’s shoreline when Yeshua made this statement. And they had no doubt walked past the millstone factory many times. It wasn’t hard for them to visualize the horrific death of someone with an industrial-grade basalt grinder tied around his neck sinking to the bottom of the lake. The fate of those who cause one of Yeshua’s disciples to sin is intended as a warning for us all.