Page 48 - Holyland Magazine - 2018 Edition

Villagers during the grape harvest
Nazareth
Village
tangible insights into
first-century life and the
teachings of Jesus
Can anything good come from Nazareth? (John 1:46)
Come and SEE!
Nazareth Village is one of the most
important destinations in Israel for
Christian pilgrims, as well as residents
of northern Israel. People from over 125
countries have visited the Village since
it opened, with tours given daily in up to 10
languages. Experienced guides offer visitors
valuable insights into first-century life and the Medical Missionary Society in Scotland, plans
teachings of Jesus. Nazareth Village is an
accurate, authentic site, where over 120 films,
television programs and DVD series have been
made.
Nazareth Village – A Historical
Viewpoint
For thousands of years, the 10-acre plot of
land lay just minutes from the rapidly growing
city of Nazareth. Then, in the 1980s, Dr. Nakhle
Bishara, a local doctor and 9th generation
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Nazarene, began to dream of creating a place
where locals and visitors could see more
than archeological remains at a center that
would be alive with Jesus' teachings of love,
compassion and mercy.
In 1995, with the support of the Edinburgh
were made to develop the site into a living
village, where visitors could step back in time
and experience first-century life.
Archaeologists excavating the land could never
have imagined what they would ultimately find.
Cultivated terraces were discovered, then
a watchtower and above all else, the most
exciting discovery of all, was the Village’s wine sweat and tears, the Nazareth Village opened
press. Found in the limestone bedrock at the
base of the terraces, archaeologists confirmed
that all these precious finds existed at the time
of Jesus.
Winemaking was a very important community
activity in the first century. It was always a
celebration, with the entire village participating
in the harvesting and pressing of grapes.
Nazareth, being a small village, would only
have been big enough to support one press,
and it is real miracle that the wine press was
uncovered virtually intact after 2,000 years.
Volunteers came from all over the world;
generous donors gave financial support and
people joined in prayer. As archeological
investigations continued, through a lot of
its doors in 2000, and the first-century farm
that once existed on this site was restored.