With the exception of the birth and very early childhood of Jesus (which was in Bethlehem and Egypt), Jesus lived in Nazareth until He was about the age of 30 (Luke 3:23).
On one occasion early in His Great Galilean Ministry, Jesus preached in His home town of Nazareth. Unfortunately, it was not well received, concluding with an attempt to push Jesus down to His death:
16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” 22 All were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23 Jesus said to them, “No doubt you will quote to me the proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ and say, ‘What we have heard that you did in Capernaum, do here in your hometown too.'” 24 And he added, “I tell you the truth, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up three and a half years, and there was a great famine over all the land. 26 Yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, forced him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But he passed through the crowd and went on his way (Luke 4:16-30).
The traditional location of hill from which the residents of Nazareth attempted to push Jesus is known as the Mount of Precipice. It is 397 meters above sea level, and overlooks the Jezreel Valley.
Nazareth. View from Mt. Precipice. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
From here one has a good view of Nazareth.
Nazareth from Mt. Precipice. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Buildings come and go, but the hills and valleys remain the same (as a rule). I.e., the landscape here pictured is what Jesus and his family would have seen.
Here at Nazareth is the Church of the Annunciation, which commemorates the angelic announcement to Mary of God’s choice of her to be the mother of Jesus (Lk. 1: 26-38).
Nazareth. Church of the Annunciation. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Inside the church can be seen the spring which was the city’s water supply.
Click on images for higher resolution.
Leon's Message Board 