Hebrew: Nazerat  / Arabic: an-Nasira  

Coordinates: 32°42′07″N, 35°18′12″E / Elevation: +1117  

Nazareth has come a long way since the days as a quiet Jewish village in Roman-ruled Galilee… According to the religious text Gospel of Luke, Nazareth was the home village of Mary as well as the site of the Annunciation. According to the Gospel of Mathew Joseph and Mary resettled in Nazareth after returning from the flight from Bethlehem to Egypt. Nazareth was the boyhood home of Jesus.  A small village of less than 200 in the 1^st century, today it has a population of over 60,000 predominantly Israeli Arabs, many of whom are Christians. 

Nazareth in the Bible:  Nazareth is found only in the New Testament, being introduced as the home of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she was visited by the Archangel Gabriel, who announced that she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God (Luke 1:26).  Joseph, Jesus’ step-father, was also from Nazareth (Luke 2:4), bringing his family back to the town from Egypt after escaping from King Herod when Jesus was born.  Jesus spent most of his life in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23; Luke 2:39), leaving only when he began his public ministry “when he was about 30 years old” (Luke 3:23).

  Nazareth owns distinction as the first town in Israel in which Jesus revealed His identity (Luke 4:21); it was also the first town to reject His message, prompting Jesus to note “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24).  Nazareth was held in relatively low regard in New Testament times (John 1:46).  

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Gallery of photos from Nazareth: