Note 1 at Jn. 2:1: Cana (place of reeds). Cana is only mentioned four times in scripture with all of those references being in John (Jn. 2:1,11; 4:46; 21:2). The Jewish historian, Josephus, also wrote of Cana of Galilee (Life 16, 71). John 21:2 reveals that Cana of Galilee was the hometown of Nathanael. Cana is believed, by modern archaeologists, to be either Kefr Kenna (app. 4 miles NE of Nazareth) or Kanael Jelil (approx. 8 miles NE of Nazareth).

Note 2 at Jn. 2:1: Galilee (circle, region, or district). Galilee was mentioned in scripture as early as the days of Joshua (Josh. 20:7; 21:32) and referred to a district in northern Israel, specifically in the tribe of Naphtali. Many of the Canaanites were never driven out of this region by the Israelites (Jud. 1:30-33), thus the terms Galilee of the nations (Isa. 9:1) and Galilee of the Gentiles (Mt. 4:15). Galilee, according to Josephus (Life 13, 14, 37, 45), became the name used to refer to as many as 240 cities and villages which fielded an army of 100,000 men. Galilee was Jewish, but because of the high Gentile population, there developed a peculiar dialect which identified Peter as a Galilaean (Mt. 26:73; Mk. 14:70). Most of Jesus' apostles came from Galilee (Acts 2:7) in spite of the popular belief that no prophet was to come from there (Jn. 7:41, 52). Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Nain, Cana, and Nazareth were all towns of Galilee frequented by our Lord.