An Easter visit to Mount Precipice and Jesus’s hometown of Nazareth
Despite wartime drop in tourism, the churches, basilica, White Mosque and charming old town, with spice shops, fashion and superb eateries, bustle with locals, are stunning as ever
As the year 2000 approached, Pope John Paul II announced that he would be paying a visit to Nazareth. Christian tradition attaches considerable importance to a mountain just outside the ancient city and, assuming that the Pope would be touring its heights, Israel’s Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) outdid itself in a race to get the site ready. Foresters prepared an excellent road all the way to the mountaintop, paved a parking lot, marked out a superb scenic path to the summit and completed a spectacular observation area overlooking Nazareth and the lower Galilee. However, before the JNF completed the construction of large stone maps intended to surround an olive tree, the Pope called off this particular outing.
Twenty-five years later, the site is as well-kept and enticing as it was when created, and the traditions surrounding the mountain retain their importance. For, according to the Gospels, it is from its peak 397 meters (about 1,300 feet) above sea level that enraged townspeople threw Jesus of Nazareth into the abyss below.
The mountain’s Latin name is Saltus Domini – Leap of the Lord. Its Hebrew name, Har HaKefitza, translates literally as Mount of the Leap, and it is also known as Mount Precipice. Tradition places Jesus on Har HaKefitza, and although the Gospels note that “he walked right through the crowd and went on his way,” many believe that he actually leaped into the valley from its heights.
Mount Precipice is only one of many traditional Christian sites in Nazareth, and its Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation is believed to be the largest church in the Middle East. The town, a crowded mixture of Muslim and Christian Arabs, also features a great market, a wildly diverse Old Town with some fascinating sites, and some truly excellent food.
In normal times, Nazareth is flooded with pilgrims all year round, with Easter and Christmas the most popular holidays in the city. These days, however, although nary a rocket has found its way anywhere near the city, and it is completely safe to walk its streets, Nazareth is almost totally empty of tourists. In fact, on our visit there last weekend, we spotted only a handful of visitors from Korea and Nepal along with one family from nearby Afula.
We reserved a room at the Legacy Hotel, which several friends highly recommended. So we weren’t surprised by the beautiful archeological exhibit in the lobby, our spacious room, and the free parking — a must in crowded Nazareth. Its location is fantastic: it is only minutes from all the major attractions.
Sprawled along the slopes of a mountain in the lower Galilee, Nazareth is one of Christianity’s most important sites. The Old City of Nazareth is near the bottom of the mountain and it is here that, according to Christian tradition, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear a son to be named Jesus, here that her betrothed, Joseph, had his carpentry, and here that Jesus lived during most of his childhood and youth.
Established atop what is traditionally Mary’s home and one of the traditional sites of Gabriel’s appearance, the Basilica of the Annunciation is the most prominent structure in the city. It was constructed in the 1960s over ruins from churches dating back to the Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman rules of Palestine. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass in this monumental church during his sojourn in Israel.
Boasting an unusual tile façade and three doorways that echo the entrances to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the church consists of two stories: the street level where contemporary worship is held and whose walls are decorated with colorful mosaics, and the lower level, a grotto believed to have been Mary’s home.
The doors are fashioned from copper panels depicting scenes from the life of Jesus. And in the courtyard, a row of mosaic and tile icons feature Mary as envisioned in dozens of countries from Thailand to the Ukraine, from Iraq to Morocco, China and Bolivia.
A fountain called Mary’s Well is located a little under half a mile north of the basilica and behind it stands the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel. Inside on the lowest level, there is a spring. Many Christians believe that Gabriel appeared to Mary while she was drawing water from this spring, which is why this, too, is called the Church of the Annunciation.
St. Gabriel Church is far older than the Catholic Basilica: first constructed by the Crusaders (or perhaps even in the Byzantine era) its current shape dates back to the 18th century. Like other Eastern Orthodox Churches, its iconostasis conceals the altar. While it is rather dark inside, the walls and ceilings are covered by colorful murals.
The New Testament relates that “on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him” [Luke 4:16-17]. Some scholars believe that Jesus angered the populace by hinting that Isaiah’s prophetic words about the Messiah — “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord will rest upon him” — related to Jesus himself. Others note that Jesus refused to commit miracles upon command and that this infuriated the worshipers. In an expression that has become integral to the Hebrew language, Jesus stated that “only in his hometown… is a prophet without honor” [Matthew 13:57].
Not far from the basilica, there is a Crusader church looked after by Melkite Greek Catholics which includes, according to a tradition dating back to the sixth century, the synagogue at which Jesus studied, prayed and preached. Thus it would have been from here, it is believed, that the people drove Jesus out of town.
A sign outside reads “synagogue” in English and Arabic, and another relates the site’s traditional history. Inside, the ceilings are made of stone arches, and your walk on an ancient floor leads to an altar.
You can’t miss St. Joseph’s Church, located just a bit south of the Basilica of the Annunciation and boasting a brilliant orange dome. Designed in medieval style and completed in 1914, it was built upon the remains of a Crusader church. Both were constructed above a cave system cut into the rock that you reach after descending a staircase. Some believe that this is where Jesus’s father Joseph, a carpenter according to the Gospels, had his workshop. Others contend that this was the family home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Following our visit to the Christian sites, we began wandering the Old City. Here we discovered a fashion academy full of color and action, a family business dating back to 1890 sporting herbs and spices along with really old spice mills, the quaint gate to a little guesthouse, and uniquely decorative shops.
Jerusalem boasts a Russian Compound constructed in the 1860s to provide assistance to Russian pilgrims. Nazareth’s Old City boasts a surprising Russian Compound of its own, a series of stone buildings constructed around a courtyard and built in 1904 for the exact same reason. Looking rather out of place among other examples of Nazareth architecture, it bears a strong resemblance to buildings in its Jerusalem counterpart. The compound, named by the locals Moskubiyeh from the word “Moscow,” held sleeping accommodations for around 1,000 people, a hospital, a dining room and a school.
Worth a special visit is the White Mosque, completed in the very early 19th century. This, the oldest mosque in Nazareth, is located off a little lane within the busy marketplace and can be easily missed. With its lofty arches, beautiful chandeliers and white walls, it is quite an impressive place. On the outer wall, there is a sign explaining that it was named White Mosque because it is a symbol of purity and optimism. And, also, that its message is peace and fraternity among all communities in the Holy Land.
Aviva Bar-Am is the author of seven English-language guides to Israel.
Shmuel Bar-Am is a licensed tour guide who provides private, customized tours in Israel for individuals, families and small groups.
The Times of Israel Community.