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Nazareth the ancient Israeli city is regarded as the boyhood town of Jesus. It was here that Jesus Christ grew up and it is referred to by many as the Cradle of Christianity. However, more than 2000 years down the line, historical spots that mark Jesus Christ’s sojourn on earth are very much in existence. These are places that attract thousands of tourists and pilgrims to Nazareth. As the world is set to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, in Nazareth, they are not just celebrating a religious leader and historical figure, they are celebrating a native whose life and teaching has probably had more influence on mankind than any other historical figure.
Nazareth, about 105 kilometres from Tel Aviv, the Israeli capital, is a city of mountains and rolling hills. The terrain is tough and rugged. It is divided into two, the old Nazareth at the lower valley area, and the Nazareth Illit. The old Nazareth, as the name implies, is the ancient city of Nazareth while the Illit or Nof Hagalil is the new area of the city.
Majority of natives of Nazareth today are mostly Arabs, and surprisingly most of the historical sites written in the Bible are owned by Arabs. It is the largest Arab city in Israel. However, Nazareth Illit, the new area of Nazareth, is mostly occupied by the Jews.
Being a rugged mountainous terrain, old Nazareth spreads out more like a valley. From some of the elevated areas like mountain Precipice or in some hotels at the top of the mountainous area like the Ramada Olivie Hotel on Nazareth Illit, one could have a bird’s eye view of the ancient city as it spreads out towards the mountainous terrain.
Life here is simple; the inhabitants are warm and welcoming and are eager to engage strangers in conversation about religion and so on. The meals are mostly Arab meals; however, there are fast food joints that sell Western food. Most of the local meals are made up of some kind of kebab with different kinds of vegetable.
The Christmas period is one of the best times to visit, and explore the home town of Jesus. It offers opportunity to visit historical sights, walk on parts trodden by Jesus thousands of years back, and graphically relive stories from the Bible. It is physically demanding climbing the elevated areas and down, but it is something worth doing.
Except at the Illit area of Nazareth, most of the roads in the ancient city are narrow and can hardly take a vehicle. Exploring historical sites in Nazareth is best done by foot. Sometimes to get to a particular site, it was as if one was passing through a native’s living room. The compounds are tightly linked, with narrow walkways. Most have merchants selling one souvenir item or the other.
There so many important historical places to visit in Nazareth. They include: Mount Precipice, Basilica of Annunciation, and Mary’s Well, among others.
Nazareth also offers shop-lined thoroughfares, stone-paved alleys lined with Ottoman-era mansions, and in recent years, has been reinventing itself as a sophisticated cultural and culinary destination. Everything in Nazareth is open for business, and its friendly vibe and stunning location, right in the middle of the Lower Galilee (about 15 miles West of the Sea of Galilee), makes it a place to be for many tourists.
The Church of Annunciation
The church was built during the Byzantine era, when there was great yearnings to see the place where the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ had lived. This turned the city into a popular site for pilgrimage. These visits led to the building of the city’s first church – the Church of the Annunciation at the traditional site of Joseph and Mary’s home. Many more churches have been built throughout the city, and were destroyed and rebuilt with the changes in Muslim and Christian rule over the centuries.
Mount Precipice
The mountain is located close to the entrance of Nazareth. This is the site of Mount Precipice also known as the Mount of Leap or Mt. of Precipitation which stands on the outskirts of Nazareth in northern Israel. It is the traditional site where Jesus was rejected by an angry mob. According to the Bible in Luke 4:28-30: “When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.”
The mountain had little activities for several years. However, in 2019, the late Nigerian Tele-Evangelist, Prophet T. B. Joshua built an amphitheatre there and held his last crusade on earth titled “Nazareth Meeting with Prophet T.B. Joshua.
Mary’s Well
Mary’s Well is historically said to be the place where an angel , Gabriel, appeared to Mary announcing that she would bear the Son of God, Jesus Christ . The spring and its water are considered holy by both Muslims and Christians, and earlier generations attributed unusual healing properties to it. The well is close to the main road leading to Nazareth Illit with a huge tree behind it.
