Traveling to Nazareth7329131

What was Nazareth like 2,000 plus years ago?

Nazareth was a small village of probably no more than 200 souls. Nestled in the hills, 1,050 feet (320 m) above sea level, it was an out-of -the-way village on no importance. It was not near a major road, did not have plentiful land for cultivation and only one water source, Mary's spring.

However, for survivors of the true Davidic royal line, it is an excellent hideaway to keep away from the murderous Herod and his sons. "Out of site, out of mind," was apparently a good motto to live by.

We know very little about the Nazareth of that time. Josephus does not mention it. Neither does any other historian who lived in the 1st of 2nd century CE. We do know that it was a Jewish village and that the name "Nazareth" alludes to the background of its inhabitants.

The Hebrew root "netzer" can mean "offshoot." It very well may be that the people of Nazareth were remnants of the Davidic line. Joseph and Mary indeed were. Joseph originally hailed from Bethlehem (he had to return there for the census mentioned in the Gospel of John (John 2:4). One tradition has Mary born in Jerusalem where her parents, Anne and Joachim resided. The magnificent Crusader Church of St. Anne, between St. Stephan's Gate and Station 2 of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem is purported to be built above this residence. Neither of them are Galileans by birth, but find a quite, safe haven in the hills of Galilee to raise their Son.

Unfortunately, Nazareth is often just driven through by many pilgrimage groups. This is unfortunate. By spending at least a day where the Lord spent most of his life is well worth the investment.

Today Nazareth is a city of about 65,000 residents. About two-thirds are Moslem (Sunni); the rest mainly are Orthodox Christian. The Jewish residents are to be found in the neighboring town of Upper Nazareth established in 1956 to absorb new immigrants mainly from Eastern Europe and North Africa.

Nazareth is not mentioned in the Hebrew bible. What we know of Nazareth from the New Testament is certainly not encouraging. Nethaneal asks, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1: 46) This is an important clue to the humble beginnings of the Lord.

Nazareth isn't mentioned by the Church fathers as a pilgrimage site until the late fourth century by Jerome. The pilgrim of Piacenza visits Nazareth in about 570 CE. He mentions the beauty of the local Jewish ladies also tells of a basilica and synagogue.

Like many places in the Holy Land, the first churches were built in Byzantine Period (325 - 638 CE) and destroyed by the Parthian invasion in 614 (the only church not destroyed by the Persians was the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This was probably on account of the wise men who appear in Persian dress decorating the structure.)

When the Crusaders conquer Galilee in the beginning of the 12th century, they build a magnificent church, the Basillica of the Annunciation (whose left[northern] wall can be seen today inside the church). This will be destroyed by Mameluk general Baibars in little over a hundred years.

For a comprehensive list of Nazareth churches, visit Nazareth Churches.