A village in the Roman province of Galilee. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived in this town for much of Jesus's early life.
Where Is Nazareth?
The Old Testament, the Apocrypha, intertestamental writings, and Josephus do not mention Nazareth. The town is located just north of the plain of Esdraelon in the limestone hills of the southern Lebanon range. It is situated on three sides of a hill. This location forms a sheltered valley with a moderate climate. Fruits and wildflowers grow easily there.
Trade routes and roads passed near Nazareth, but the village itself was not on any main road. Nazareth is about 24.1 kilometers (15 miles) west of the Sea of Galilee and 32.2 kilometers (20 miles) east of the Mediterranean. Jerusalem lies about 112.6 kilometers (70 miles) south. Archaeological remains show that the ancient town was higher on the western hill than the present village (compare Luke 4:29).
In the time of Christ, Nazareth, along with the entire region of south Galilee, lay outside the mainstream of Jewish life. This isolation offers context for Nathanael’s wry remark to Philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).
Why is Nazareth Important to Jesus's Story?
Nazareth is first mentioned in the New Testament as the home of Mary and Joseph (Luke 1:26–27). Sometime after Jesus's birth in Bethlehem (about 128.7 kilometers, or 80 miles, to the south), Mary and Joseph returned to Nazareth (Matthew 2:23; Luke 2:39). Jesus grew up in Nazareth (Luke 2:39–40, 51). He left the village to be baptized by John in the Jordan River (Mark 1:9).
When Herod arrested John, Jesus moved to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13). Jesus was often identified by his boyhood city as "Jesus of Nazareth" (see Mark 10:47; John 18:5, 7; Acts 2:22). However, the New Testament records only one later visit by Jesus to Nazareth. On this occasion, Jesus preached in the synagogue and was rejected by the townspeople (Luke 4:16–30; compare Matthew 13:54–58; Mark 6:1–6). Jesus’s followers were also derisively called "Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5).
What Happened to Nazareth After Jesus's Time?
Nazareth remained a Jewish city until the time of the emperor Constantine (died AD 327), when it became a sacred place for Christian pilgrims. A large basilica was built in Nazareth about AD 600. Arabs and Crusaders exchanged control of the village until 1517 when the Turks took control. They forced all Christians to leave. Christians returned in 1620, and the town became an important Christian center.