We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on our web pages. We share images and information with Wikipedia. We also donate to Wikipedia, & would suggest that others do the same. Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Also considered to be located in the Lower Galilee. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel"; the population is made up predominantly of Arab citizens of Israel, almost all of whom are either Muslim (69%) or Christian (30.9%). In the New Testament, the city is described as the childhood home of Jesus, and as such is a center of Christian pilgrimage, with many shrines commemorating biblical events. Nazareth is not mentioned in pre-Christian texts and appears in many different Greek forms in the New Testament. There is no consensus regarding the origin of the name. One conjecture holds that "Nazareth" is derived from one of the Hebrew words for 'branch', namely ne Ser, which alludes to the prophetic, messianic words in Book of Isaiah 11:1, 'from (Jesse's) roots a Branch (netzer) will bear fruit.' Another view suggests this toponym might be an example of a tribal name used by resettling groups on their return from exile. The name may derive from the verb na�Sar, which means watch, or to guard, or keep," & could mean "watchtower" or "guard place." The negative references to Nazareth in the Gospel of John suggest that the ancient Jews did not connect the town's name to prophecy. In English translations of the New Testament, the phrase "Jesus of Nazareth" appears seventeen times whereas the Greek has the form "Jesus the Nazarenos" or "Jesus the Nazoraios. " Outside of the New Testament, Nazareth is never mentioned until the Byzantine period (4th c. AD). Archaeological excavations have confirmed that the city was only a small agricultural village during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Looking at a 4th century Roman original map of the area; the so-called Peutinger map or "table" (Tabula Peutingeriana), more than 3000 places are written on the map & there is not even one mention of Nazareth! Thus, Nazareth must have at one time been a very small, obscure, place clear up & into the 4th Century AD. While many experts believe that Nazareth never actually existed at the time of Jesus due to lack of findings. Be sure to visit the Holy Cave located in the center of ancient Nazareth. These caves are definite proof that there certainly was life here in Nazareth pre-Jesus, but it was all in an underground city built over centuries by Jews and early Christians trying to escape Roman persecution. At the Holy Caves you'll get a free guided tour in the only caves that you are allowed access to in Nazareth. You'll be transported back in time and shown exactly where Mary walked to gather water through a network of tunnels that have yet to be excavated. In addition, you'll get the opportunity to see what could possibly be the world's first Christian altar.

The easy way to get to Nazareth, Israel, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is at the junction of the Haifa, Jerusalem, Dan, and Tel Aviv metropolitan areas. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. There are several hotels in or near Jerusalem. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem, Israel and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Priceline.Com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem, Israel area.