Nazareth is set among rolling Galilee hills covered with ancient groves of olive trees, overlooking the Jezreel valley. One of the oldest cities in the Holy Land, archaeological excavations of the area have found remains dating back some 3,000 years, to the time of the Bronze Age.
Nazareth was only a small village in the years of Jesus’ childhood and youth, but its fame grew rapidly after his death. His early followers were called Nazarenes, and still today both the Hebrew and Arabic words for Christian – Notzri and Nazrani – are generally believed to be drawn from the town’s name, in the same way as Jesus is often called Jesus of Nazareth.
This name, given to Jesus in the New Testament is connected to the verse that talks of Joseph’s return with his family to Nazareth “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene”, Matthew 2:23.
|
