There are many cities in Israel, one way or another connected with the life of Jesus Christ. The history of Nazareth is also forever inscribed in the Gospel, for the childhood and youth of Christ passed here. Now this city is one of the most revered places in the country, along with Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
First mentions
Scientists note that the toponym "Nazareth" is present in many Gospel texts, but in other documents dating back to the same time, no mention of it has yet been found. Experts give several explanations for this fact, for example: the city as such did not exist at the time of Jesus Christ; Nazareth was too small a settlement to be included in the chronicles of Israel.
The toponym comes from the Hebrew word meaning "branch." The first factual information about him dates back to 614. It is known that the Jews, who lived in Nazareth and nearby mountain villages, supported the Persians, opposing Byzantium. This later affected the city in the most difficult way, the Byzantine army destroyed almost the entire Jewish population.
Further history of Nazareth - there is a transition of the city from one hand to another, can be traced over the years:
- 1099 - the capture of city blocks by the crusaders led by Tancred;
- 1187 - the capture of the city by Saladin (hereinafter the struggle between the Arabs and the crusaders);
- 1263 - almost complete destruction of the city by the Arabs.
The further history of Nazareth is not very different - the same confrontation between different armies and countries, the struggle for a small piece of land in the center of Israel.
City in the XVIII-XX centuries
The restoration of the settlement was carried out at an extremely unhurried pace; it was practically forgotten for centuries. Historians say that the rebirth of Nazareth began only in the 17th century thanks to the Franciscan monks who settled here. They bought out the old dilapidated temple, restored the Church of the Annunciation. Thanks to this, pilgrims reappeared in the city, who dreamed of touching the shrines.
Nazareth managed to get acquainted with the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, this happened in 1799. True, historians claim that the troops stayed in the city for only a few days. In the 19th century, Nazareth continued to develop, in the first place, trade flourished.
The twentieth century for the Nazarenes began with a not very pleasant acquaintance with the English army, in 1948 the city was recaptured by the soldiers of the Israeli army. Today it is one of the most important centers of pilgrimage and religious tourism in the country.
