In an attempt to give some background to our latest trip to Israel I've posted a few blog pages to break up the material and place things in more "bite-size" portions. In this seventh post I want to share about Jesus' home town and our visit to the Nazareth Village, as well as our stop in Nablus on the way back home to Bethlehem.
Nazareth surprised me. The trip to Nazareth is a trip "Up" - our vehicle climbing up small mountain roads to get there. The city sits on top of a ridge north of the Jezreel Valley. The city is home to 60,000 Israeli Arabs and Jews. At the time of Jesus it was probably a village of only 200.
Of course, Nazareth was where Jesus was raised as a boy. In fact, it was here that he was conceived in Mary's womb as the angel of God visited her: Luke 1:26-27
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
The scene is a fascinating portrayal of life in a rugged place.
The houses were made of stone, and there were only a few hundred square feet of space which served for work, meal preparation, sleep, and even spaces for animals.
Jesus' father, Joseph was a carpenter...which meant much more than simply working with wood. In all likelihood Joseph not only built things with wood, but also was skilled with stone and metal work too.
Jesus lived the next 28+ years in Nazareth, and after his baptism by John he returned to Galilee and began His ministry, eventually going back to his home town synagogue - where he would have done Sabbath practically every week of his life. In Nazareth village they replicated what a first century synagogue might have looked like.
Nazareth surprised me. The trip to Nazareth is a trip "Up" - our vehicle climbing up small mountain roads to get there. The city sits on top of a ridge north of the Jezreel Valley. The city is home to 60,000 Israeli Arabs and Jews. At the time of Jesus it was probably a village of only 200. Of course, Nazareth was where Jesus was raised as a boy. In fact, it was here that he was conceived in Mary's womb as the angel of God visited her: Luke 1:26-27
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
When Joseph and Mary answered the call to return back to Bethlehem for the Roman tax, they left Nazareth and traveled about 75 miles south, arriving in time for Mary to give birth to Jesus in an Innkeeper's manger. After the birth, Matthew records that Magi ("Wise Men") from the East came to find the birth of the King's Son based on the appearance of a miraculous star that guided their way. When they arrived in Jerusalem and went to Herod's court, they were sent to Bethlehem (about 7 miles south). After giving presents to Mary and Joseph for Jesus they were warned in a dream to not go back to Herod, but return home. At this time, Joseph was also warned in a dream of Herod's plan to kill all the babies of Bethlehem under the age of 2. Joseph took Mary and Jesus and they left there to spend the early months of Jesus' life in Egypt. Herod died in 4 B.C., which means Jesus was probably born in either 6 or 5 B.C. At first it seems Joseph was thinking of going back to Bethlehem, but then another dream came to give him warning, and to cause him to go back to Nazareth; Matthew 2:19-23
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
We arrived in Nazareth and immediately went to Nazareth Village - a sort of living museum replicating life as it would have been in Nazareth when Jesus grew up in the first century.
The scene is a fascinating portrayal of life in a rugged place. 
The houses were made of stone, and there were only a few hundred square feet of space which served for work, meal preparation, sleep, and even spaces for animals.
Jesus' father, Joseph was a carpenter...which meant much more than simply working with wood. In all likelihood Joseph not only built things with wood, but also was skilled with stone and metal work too.
We met "Joseph" on our visit! I couldn't help but think my father, who was worked with wood, would have been impressed with his skills.
Jesus lived the next 28+ years in Nazareth, and after his baptism by John he returned to Galilee and began His ministry, eventually going back to his home town synagogue - where he would have done Sabbath practically every week of his life. In Nazareth village they replicated what a first century synagogue might have looked like.
Here Jesus made his famous declaration:
Luke 4:14-21
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Nazareth village was a fascinating place to see, observe, touch, even smell the first century village.
After we were finished, we headed south back towards Bethlehem - our home base. We made one stop along the way - in Nablus, which is ancient "Shechem". The significance of the place is biblically amazing. Here's where God called Abraham to journey towards when he left his home and went towards the land of promise God was to give him, and his ancestors.
Genesis 12:1,4,6-7
1 Now the LORD said to
Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the
land that I will show you.4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Shechem has other significance. It's here that Jacob brought his family when he returned from Haran and settled down. It's also here that Moses instructed the children of Israel to return to - after they conquered the land - and here they were to repeat the instructions of the law on opposite sides of the two mountains that Shechem sits between - Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.
Well, that's all for today, check back shortly for the last one, or two.
Peace
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