ISRAEL. Nazareth: the beginning of history

Nazareth

The city in which the angel appeared to the Virgin Mary, and in which Jesus grew up

The name "Nazareth" I first heard in the school years, when, and to the Soviet audience has come a wave of Fame rock band of the same name. A little later, I learned that it turns out the band's name comes from a town in Israel. In those days (late 70's - early 80's) in Ukraine, as well as throughout the Soviet Union dominated atheism, so few people knew the content of the gospel.
However, in the Bible we do not find too many news of Nazareth - the first time it is mentioned only in the New Testament, in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, favored one! The Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, was troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God; and, behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom will have no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel answered her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. So Elizabeth, thy cousin who was called barren, and she conceived a son in her old age, and it is the sixth month, for with God nothing will be impossible word. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And departed from her Angel. Evangelie Luke 1: 26-38

So nachinaetsya embodiment of the history of salvation of the world, which God had promised our first parents, Adam and Eve (but that is another story).



Today Nazareth - a city where he lives with respect to many Christians (30%), ethnic Arabs. Located in the north of Israel. Only in this city Sunday - the official day off, in contrast to the whole country, which rests only on Saturdays. In 1969 there was built a magnificent Church of the Annunciation. Next to it - the house of Joseph and Mary, as well as a synagogue in which Jesus read Isaiah present Jews.