Archaeology of Jesus' Nazareth

Description

Archaeology of Jesus' Nazareth is the first book on the archaeology of first-century Nazareth: Jesus' hometown in Galilee. Requiring no previous knowledge of biblical history or archaeology, it outlines the latest archaeological evidence, placing the Gospels' account of Jesus' youth in the Bible, and origins of Christian pilgrimage, in a new context. The book concentrates on the fascinating Sisters of Nazareth site in the centre of the present city. There, twenty-first century archaeological research identified a Byzantine pilgrimage church, which is likely to be the Church of the Nutrition - dedicated to the upbringing of Christ - the most important previously 'lost' early Christian church in the Holy Land. A seventh-century pilgrim said that a vaulted area under the Church of the Nutrition contained the actual house where Jesus was brought up by Mary and Joseph. Intriguingly, below the Byzantine church at the Sisters of Nazareth site a vaulted area preserved what are probably the ruins of a first-century house. Even before the Byzantine church was built, a - probably fourth-century - cave-church was constructed next to the first-century ruins, suggesting that they were assigned Christian religious importance. The similarities with the pilgrim's description raise the question of whether the Sisters of Nazareth house really could have been the childhood home of Jesus. The book draws to its conclusion by means of a discussion of this historical existence for Jesus and the implications of the archaeology of Nazareth for understanding the Gospels. Cover ARCHAEOLOGY OF JESUS’ NAZARETH Copyright Preface: Purpose, Sources, and References Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures Terminology and Timescales Structure of the Book 1: An accidental biblical archaeologist? 2: Pilgrims, monks, and digs Written sources for ancient Nazareth Natural Nazareth Roman-periodrural settlement around Nazareth Archaeological knowledge of Roman Nazareth The Church of the Annunciation Subsequent archaeological work in Nazareth Evidence for first-centuryNazareth 3: Amazing discoveries Mère Marie Giraud, convent superior and pioneering archaeologist Exploring the Large Cave Excavating on the surface 4: Exploring the Venerated House Henri Senès and his lifetime quest Drawing the ruins Senès in the museum A curious case of coins Senès digs The Senès interpretation The response to Senès’ interpretation 5: Setting the record straight Towards a new understanding Rock-solidevidence Possible pits Possibly first-centurywalls Interpreting the Early Roman-periodevidence Byzantine and Crusader evidence Written descriptions of the Sisters of Nazareth site? 6: Archaeology and first-century Nazareth Introduction What sort of place was first-centuryNazareth? What was the economy of first-centuryNazareth? Living in first-centuryNazareth Was the Sisters of Nazareth site really where Jesus grew up? Written sources for the existence of Jesus Written sources and memory Identifying pilgrimage sites What if the Sisters of Nazareth house really was Jesus’ childhood home? Conclusion References Publications on Which this Book is Largely Based Especially Relevant Works Published Since 2020 Reports of Especially Relevant Israel Antiquities Authority Fieldwork After 2020 Further Reading Index