Nazareth

After Tel Megiddo, we traveled to Nazareth. Today, Nazareth has a population of about 70,000, Christian (mainly Greek Orthodox) and Muslims (majority now). Back in our Lord's time, it was very small, and there was only one well for the town.



Here we are walking up to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annuciation. There were a lot of tourists here, there was an elderly priest who was watching everyone come in and out. He nailed us coming out, gave lots of grief to our tour guide. She said she usually puts in a few dollars in the plate, but thought about doing it on the way out instead of on the way in, he must have thought no donation was coming.



The aprophrical tradition is that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary at the Natural Spring, and the Greek Orthodox built a church on top of this spring. It's open in the church (picture) and folks stop and pray and throw in pennies.