For Some reason Many skeptics have taken to the notion, one laid to
rest long ago, that Nazareth never existed as an inhabited city in the
time of Jesus. They point to a website which claims that the author has
excavated the stie of ancient Nazareth and found it to be a mere single
family farm.
Basically this is an argument from silence, there are four major points
-
Josephus never mentions Nazareth, and apparently it isn't mentioned in
any other records of the day. Josephus even documents a military campaign
that the Romans into the very vicinity of Nazareth and yet no mention of
it.
-
Apparently some claim that the only evidence of human habitation from Christ's
time would have been caves in the area, but Jews would never live in caves
because they used caves to bury people, and as there are graves near by
they would never live in graves or near dead bodies
-
The geography is wrong. Apparently there is no cliff near the Synagogue
which Jesus might be thrown off of as is seen in Luke.
-
It is always pointed out that a popular website of an excavation of Nazareth
calls it a "single family farm."
I. The Argument from Silence
A Argument from silence is never proof of anything.
An argument form silence is no proof at all. Yet this is the basis of
the first Skeptical argument. Josephus doesn't mention Nazareth. But that's
because he was not writting a travel logue. He had no reason to mention
it, it was a very small and unimportant village; almost a bump in the road,
that does not prove that it didn't exist.
Nazareth was a tiny bump on the road. It was only four miles form a
major city (Sarapis) but it was so small only about 35 families lived there
and shared a single family farm, a dray farm, subsisting on only rain water.
It was a tiny insignificant place so there is no reason why it should be
mentioned.
B Josephus doesn't' mention it, but it is mentioned
in Antiquity.
Two mentions in antiquity
"Despite the Hellenization of the general region and the probability
that Greek was known to many people it seems likely that Nazareth remained
a conservative Jewish village. After the Jewish war with the Romans from
AD 66-70 it was necessary to re-settle Jewish priests and their families.
Such groups would only settle in unmixed towns, that is towns without Gentile
inhabitants. According to an inscription discovered in 1962 in Caesarea
Maritima the priests of the order of Elkalir made their home in Nazareth.
This, by the way, is the sole known reference to Nazareth in antiquity,
apart from written Christian sources... (next paragraph) Some scholars
had even believed that Nazareth was a fictitious invention of the early
Christians; the inscription from Caesarea Maritima proves otherwise." Paul
Barnett[BSNT], Behind the Scenes of the New Testament, IVP:1990, p.42:
C Patristic Evidence
Franciscan cyberspot
http://christusrex.org/www1/ofm/san/TSnzarc2.html
Even the judeo-christian historian Hegesippus (late second century)
gives witness to these next-of-kin of the Lord when speaking about a persecution
of the Christians by Emperor Domiziano (81-96 AD) and whose writings are
quoted by Eusebius (IV cent. AD) in his History of the Church (III,19.20,1-6).
Jiulius the African (250 AD) mentions how the descendents of Jesus were
jealous in keeping alive the memory of their forefathers (a passage quoted
by Eusebius in his History of the Church I,7,13-14). During the persecution
in Asia Minor of Emperor Decius (249-251) a christian maryr, Conon, is
brought to trial and he proclaims in judgement: "I am from Nazareth of
Galilee, I am descendent of Christ to whom I give worship since my forefathers".
The Apochryphal writings too expand this vision about the next-of-kin of
the Lord. They gather the oral traditions of the first Church about Jesus'
family, especially his childhood years, Mary's and Joseph's daily life
with Jesus amongst them.
It is because of Nazareth that "Christ is called the Nazarean and from
which, we who today are called Christians, were called Nazareens" (Eusebius
of Caesaria, early IV cent. AD).
Joesephus it seems reocords a military campaing that went through that
area and never mentioned this little bump on the road that wasn't important
to the opporation. That is hardly proof of anything.
II. Cave dwellings in the area disprove Bible story because
Jews would not live in Caves.
Apparently caves were too much like graves, and since they burried in
caves they would be living among the dead.
A The Caves around Nazareth were not used for
dwellings.
Letter from Mayer of Nazareth
http://www.answering-islam.org/Bible/nazareth.html
"Down the road in the center of town the huge Basilica to the Annunciation
built by the Roman Catholics preserves as its altar the first Century cave
home of the Virgin Mary and its foundations are built over numerous cave
dwellings. They have a little archeological museum with artifacts found
during this period. Up the hill is the Church of Joseph built over caves
which they claim were used as carpenter shops. Across the street the Sister's
of Nazareth Hospice is built over an ancient first century or earlier grave
with the huge rolling stone door still in place. A block away (modern term!)
the Greek Catholic Church in the market is built next to the ancient synagogue
that Jesus read the Torah in and the people took him out to throw him off
the hill the city was built on"
B Caves from Basements to homes which were
destroyed by invaders
University of the Holy land
New Archaeological Dig shed's Light on Jesus' Boyhood
AP, Dec. 97
by Karin Laub
http://www.csec.ac.uk/nazareth.html
By comparison, Nazareth was tiny, with two or three clans living in
35 homes spread over 2.5 hectares, Pfann said. The homes later were razed
by invaders: What remains are several basement caves, cisterns and silos
excavated in the late 1950s during reconstruction of the Church of the
Annunciation.
While walking along the terraced slopes of the Nazareth Hospital grounds
earlier this year, Pfann stumbled across an ancient man-made basin used
for making wine&emdash;a bed-sized level area cut into the limestone
for squashing grapes&emdash;and a vat below for collecting the runoff
juice.
[that's why the archeaologists found only caves, not that people lived
in them, they were basements and workshops and storage areas.]
III. Geography is Wrong.
This is merely because they couldn't find a cliff high enough to through
Jesus off of as in Matt 15. The closes one to the ruins of the synagogue
was 2.5 miles away. I dont' have a good asnwer for this, except that they
still could have carried him 2.5 miles. It's not that far.
IV. It's only a single family farm
This is based upon a website, probably the one I quote from. Too bad
they didnt' read the whole thing, because even though they say it's a single
family farm they also say:
"Nazareth was tiny, with two or three clans living in 35 homes spread
over 2.5 hectares..."
--Dr. Pfann
Very small, but not non-existent, not uninhabited, and not merely one
family.
=============================
Excavations Prove Nazareth Existed
(in the time Christ)
=============================
occupied since 7th century BC
"Despite Nazareth's obscurity (which had led some critics to suggest
that it was a relatively recent foundation), archeology indicates that
the village has been occupied since the 7th century B.C., although it may
have experienced a 'refounding' in the 2d century b.c. " ([MJ]A Marginal
Jew--Rethinking the Historical Jesus, (vol 1), p.300-301)...cites Meyers
and Strange, Archeology, the Rabbis, and Early Christianity, Abingdon:1981.
pp.56-57
Galyaah Cornfeld, Archaeology of The Bible Book by Book .(NY: Harper
and Row 1976) p. 284 "What concretely about first century Nazereth? In
the first two centuries AD it was a modest village built on Rocky soil
in a valley far from the main trade routes [this was before Sarapis was
discovered]...Two excavations, one led by Fther P. Viaud the other by Bagatti
led to the discovery of the traditional site of the annunciation to Mary
and the place which Jesus frequented as a growing lad...excavations of
inscriptions there bear witness to a Jewish Christian cult of Mary from
the very earliest times..." Some of those inscriptions also go back to
the middle of the first century and identfy the place as the that of Jesus'
boyhood home!
Excavations of Naz
Nazaraeth The Village of Jessu, Mary and Joseph
Franciscan cyerspot
http://christusrex.org/www1/ofm/san/TSnzarc2.html
The church of the Annunciation stands over the extreme southern end
of the ancient village. Having examined the site occupied by the church
of 1730, the outline of the Crusader church became clearer. In the northern
nave the Crusaders had left the rocky elevation of the grotto and between
two pilasters had made a stairway to the shrine. The excavations of 1955
unveiled the plan of the Byzantine church. Orientated as that of the Crusaders,
it had 3 naves, with a convent to the S and an atrium to the W. It was
40 m. in length. Delving under the Byzantine construction the franciscan
archaeologists found plastered stones with signs and inscriptions, which
certainly formed part of a preexisting building on the site.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE CHURCH-SYNAGOGUE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The remains found under the byzantine construction led the Franciscn
Archaeologists to conclude that prior to this period the Christians had
already constructed a place of worship at this site. Excavations revealed
also a primitive baptisimal font a mosaiced floor, and a flight of seven
steps that led down towards the grotto. Next to the shrine, to the West
of it, another cave transformed into a devotional site came to light.
This grotto, known as that of deacon Conon (from the name inscribed
in a mosaic found here), yielded not only some graffiti on the walls but
also decorated plaster. Four or six layers of plaster covered these walls.
Fortunately in the third layer of plaster the archaeologists found a coin
of the mid-IV century. The underlaying plaster then goes back to the primitive
buildings on the site, always prior to the mid-IV century. The decorated
plastered walls depicted flowers and plants which Frs Bagatti and Testa
identified with an allegoralical representation of paradise, in this case
of an anonymous martyr venerated at the site. A big lettered inscription
on the wall, painted in red, reads: "Lord, Christ, help your servant Valeria...and
give the palm to pain...Amen". Other graffiti bear witness to the christian
devotion pre-dating the crusaders. One of them reads "Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God, help Geno and Elpisius, Achille, Elpidius, Paul, Antonis..servants
of Jesus".
Furthermore, architectural elements and decorations suppose the construction
of a "public" building, which the archaeologists identify with a church-synagogue.
Among these architectural remains the archaeologists found various graffiti
and among them one of special interest. Scratched on the base of a column
appeared the greek characters XE MAPIA (read: Ch(air)e Maria). Translated
as: "Hail Mary". Recalling the angel's greeting to the Virgin, this inscription
is the oldest of its kind known to us. It was written before the Council
of Ephesus (431) where devotion to Mary received its first universal impulse.
Other graffiti, all jelously conserved at the adjacent museum, confirm
the Marian nature of the shrine. One in armenian reads "beautiful girl"
(referred to Mary) and another one in greek reads "on the holy site of
M(ary) I have writen".
====================================
The Lattest Excavation 1996
====================================
SUMMARY OF EXCAVATIONS OF THE NAZARETH VILLAGE
University of the Holy Land
http://www.csec.ac.uk/dig.html
In November 1996 Stephen Pfann of the Center for the Study of Early
Chistianity identified an ancient wine press associated with agricultural
terraces on the grounds of Nazareth Hospital and the land adjacent to it.
Potsherds were found on the surface of the terraces dating from various
periods beginning with the early to late Roman period.
An archaeological survey of the surface of the land adjacent to Nazareth
Hospital was conducted in February by Ross Voss, R. Michael Rapuano, Stephen
Pfann, and Jan Karnis, all from the Center for the Study of Early Christianity.
Two distinct areas were identified which are defined by the type of terracing
found there.
The first season of Excavation took place April 22nd until May 6th 1997
under the auspices of the Center for the Study of Early Christianity and
under the joint directorship of Ross Voss and Stephen Pfann. Subsequent
seasons of excavation have been conducted each spring since, with an additional
short period of excavation in October 1998.
Location: the southern and eastern slope of the hill below the hospital.
The terracing was built upon a rock slope. This was cut previously by surface
quarrying which seems, at first, to have been planned to prepare level
platforms for the terraces and to provide stone for building structures
or terrace walls. The terrace walls were built of oval limestone fragments
the size of an American football and smaller. The rough surface of each
stone would suggest that these were not carried in from surrounding wadis
(rocks from which would have a smooth surface). This suggests that the
stones were likely quarried and shaped from the local limestone with impact
devices (perhaps hammers and hatchets).
The terraces here are in a poor state of preservation due, in part,
to the type of terrace wall that was constructed. However, this does not
mean that the terraces were poorly or carelessly constructed, as the following
factors indicate: (1) Great effort was exerted to level the stone surface
for the building of each terrace. (2) Care was taken to produce a uniform
oval shape and size of the stones. This insures a certain uniformity to
the contruction of the terrace wall as well as uniform spacing between
the stones in order to allow proper aeration and drainage of the soil of
the terrace itself.
Terrace walls which are made of stones which fit together in this way
tend to need more maintenance than those made of cut and fitted stones
(as in a "wet farm"). This would indicate that the type of farm which existed
here was an unirrigated "dry farm". This type of farm relies upon watering
by rain and dewfall which is supplemented by hand watering from run-off
rainwater. The rainwater has been channeled into the small pools (and perhaps
cisterns?) which have been identified among the terraces.
The soil of the terraces (only fragments of which have been preserved)
seems, at this preliminary stage of our study, to have been layered with
soils of at least two consistencies (as has been noted in other terraces
found in the farms around Jerusalem - per G. Edelstein). The overall depth
of the soil over much of this area is relatively shallow. This would suggest
that vines were the primary crop intended for cultivation on such terraces.
However certain terraces were deep enough to raise olive trees and many
still survive on these terraced slopes today.
Typical crops of the dry farm would have been olives, grapes, figs,
almonds, wheat and barley.
Observable structures on the site: wine-press, base of watchtower, pools
with channels, agricultural terraces and stone quarry. 1 column drum type
crushing stone.
Location: To the southwest contiguous to the first area but divided
by a small water-worn valley and continuing across the full length of the
slope facing the the first area (interrupted in part by recently constructed
homes). It is a homogeneous area built with terraces of sturdy construction.
The terrace walls are formed from semi-dressed stones carfully fitted together
and strengthened with chink stones. The walls are revetted, leaning slightly
backwards into the soil of the terrace.
This type of construction normally supports what would typically be
a "wet farm", irrigated directly from springs or pools. This allows the
terrace to bear the heavier burden of water laden soil for crops which
require irrigation. Typical crops would include legumes and leafy vegetables.
Most of these beautifully preserved terraces are also deep enough to
allow the cultivation of larger trees. (cf. the carob trees which exist
there which are likely a more recent crop on these slopes).
The ruins of three watchtowers surmount the walls of three separate
terraces.
Structures: Three watchtowers, agricultural terraces. Possibly farmhouse,
aqueducts, a threshing floor and a tomb (all need to be investigated).
1 column drum type crushing stone.
Area C: Another part of the dry farm.
Above and to the west of Area B lay a series of dry-farm terraces which
originally ascended to the crest of the hill. Earlier construction of private
homes, the recent construction of a road and the current construction of
apartments has either covered or obliterated most of the terraces associated
with this area. Three of the remaining terraces were investigated.
We learned from these terraces the long history of the terrace farm
at Nazareth Village. Pottery was found from the 1st to the 3rd cent. as
well as the 11th to the 12 cent. AD. Local residents remember beans, lentils
and carobs being harvested only decades ago.
Areas A, B and C in summary
The valley along with its slopes likely comprises the property of a
single family's farm which produced a variety of crops. This includes both
areas A, B and C. The center of the farm should be identified with the
watchtowers, the terraces and the water dispersement system. Most of the
extent of the original farm is therefore almost entirely preserved. This
farm remains the most important, and perhaps the only, witness to the life
and livelihoods of the ancient Nazarenes. It remains today as the last
vestiges of virgin farmland directly connected with the ancient village
of Nazareth.
The watchtowers which housed staff, animals and equipment served to
protect the nearby crops. It would be from here that the growing crops
would be carefully monitored by a family member, a servant, or a hireling.
At the time of harvest the various families would shelter here from the
heat of midday, and during the evening, the sounds of story-telling, music
and singing could no doubt be heard.
On these terraces was the sound of the singing of families in the vineyard
at the time of harvest. The sound of the flute echoed as the workers stomped
the grapes at the winepress.
It was here that inquisitive children would play and watch life on the
terraces. It was here that a certain boy Jesus of the village of Nazareth
formed many images. It was these images which he would later bring to mind
as spoken in parables concerning God's relationship with man and of the
great hope of His Kingdom.
Further archaeological and preservation work will be needed to add to
the story and to better understand the rural life of the original Nazareth
Village. If preserved this farm will freeze history in time and provide
for both resident and visitor a important link for the city of Nazareth
and its rich Biblical heritage.
________________
Nazerath: Door step to Metropolis
________________
From Jesus to Christ: Frontline, PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wghb/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/arch/
Tradition pictures the world of Jesus as a peaceful and pastoral place,
governed by the ancient rhythms of field and farm. But recent archaeological
evidence has revealed a different environment, one influenced by city life
and marked by political unrest and protest.
These discoveries began to emerge twenty-five years ago, when a team
of archaeologists, including Eric and Carol Meyers, began to excavate a
city located less than four miles from Nazareth, easily accessible in an
hours walk. The city is Sepphoris. It was destroyed in a political feud
in about 4 BCE -- the approximate date of the birth of Jesus -- and it
was rebuilt during the time that Jesus was growing up nearby. Known as
the "ornament of the Galilee", Sepphoris was wealthy, sophisticated and
predominately Jewish. An elaborate system of water works kept residents
supplied with fresh water; satellite villages such as Nazareth may have
kept it supplied with food.
Among the most striking finds was a large Roman villa with an impressive
main room probably used for dining and entertaining. The floor is covered
with an elaborate mosaic, or "colored carpet", that features scenes from
the life of Dionysus, the Greek god of the vine and of the theater. But
the most striking image is that of a young woman known as the "Mona Lisa"
because of her elusive beauty and enigmatic smile.
What impact did proximity to Sepphoris have on the life of Jesus? Scholars
disagree. Tradition describes him as a carpenter or tekton. If so, then
Jesus might have been employed in rebuilding the city. Meyers speculates
such employment would have required Jesus to speak Greek, in addition to
Hebrew and Aramaic. "Jesus was tri-lingual," he says. "You couldn't deal
and wheel, either in the workplace or in the market without knowing a good
deal of Greek. And I can hardly imagine anybody worth their salt who wouldn't
know some Greek."
L. Michael White:
Professor of Classics and Director of the Religious Studies Program
University of Texas at Austin
Where did Jesus grow up and how would that have affected his world outlook?
Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a village in the Galilee. Now the Galilee,
by most of the traditional accounts, is always portrayed as a kind of bucolic
backwater ... cherubic peasants on the hillsides. And yet, our recent archaeological
discoveries have shown this not to be the case. Nazareth, itself, is a
village ... a small village at that. But, it stands less than four miles
from a major urban center, Sepphoris. Now, we see Jesus growing up, not
in the bucolic backwater, not... in the rural outback, but rather, on the
fringes of a vibrant urban life.
And what kind of a city or town was Sepphoris?
Sepphoris was founded as the capitol of the Galilee. And so, it was
really invested, much like Caesarea Maritima, with all the trappings of
Greek or Roman city life as a major center of political activity for that
region of the country. As a result, the excavations at Sepphoris have found
extensive building programs, theaters, amphitheaters, and that sort of
thing, just like Caesarea. What this tells us about the story of Jesus,
though, is that Jesus himself would not have been far removed from that
vibrant intersection of Greek culture, on the one hand, and traditional
Jewish homeland culture on the other.
How cosmopolitan was Sepphoris? Was it multi-lingual?
Sepphoris seems to have been a very cosmopolitan city. We know that
it was at least trilingual and maybe tetralingual. That is to say we know
that they spoke Aramaic, the vernacular language of most people of the
Jewish homeland, but Greek was also quite prominent as well. Some people
probably used Latin, although not very many, one would guess. And maybe
there are some other languages floating around in the immediate vicinity,
as well, because of the various kinds of people that would have gone through
Sepphoris. Sepphoris stood right on the major overland route between Caesarea,
on the coast, and the Sea of Galilee.
Now, you may have mentioned this, but did they discover weights in different
languages in Sepphoris?
The impact of this cosmopolitan trade center, Sepphoris, can be seen
from the fact that weights were found, presumably from the marketplace.
On one side of the weight, it's registered in Aramaic, on the other side,
in Greek. Showing that people could be reading it from whichever tradition
they might have come.
___________________________________________________________
The importance for the argument here on histoiricity of Jesus
is that even if Jesus was brought up in a single family farm he still lived
four miles from a city. So that is no kind of proof that he never existed.
As though people from the contry can't exist.
____________________________________________________________
Letter from Mayer of Nazareth
http://www.answering-islam.org/Bible/nazareth.html
Sometimes some Muslims pick up on a very outdated atheist critique that
Nazareth didn't even exist in Jesus time. Here is a response from a resident
of Nazareth, February 1998.
Perhaps the Muslim "scholar" referred to the fact that there was no
Christian Church in Nazareth until Queen Helena, Constantine's mother came
through Nazareth on her famous Holy Land trip in the fourth century and
had the little basilica built over Mary's Well to mark the spot of the
annunciation by the angel Gabriel. They were recently repairing the road
in front of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation at Mary's Well
in Nazareth. They discovered earlier ruins in the process, so now the whole
plaza in front of the church is now an archeological site and you cannot
drive a car through!
Down the road in the center of town the huge Basilica to the Annunciation
built by the Roman Catholics preserves as its altar the first Century cave
home of the Virgin Mary and its foundations are built over numerous cave
dwellings. They have a little archeological museum with artifacts found
during this period. Up the hill is the Church of Joseph built over caves
which they claim were used as carpenter shops. Across the street the Sister's
of Nazareth Hospice is built over an ancient first century or earlier grave
with the huge rolling stone door still in place. A block away (modern term!)
the Greek Catholic Church in the market is built next to the ancient synagogue
that Jesus read the Torah in and the people took him out to throw him off
the hill the city was built on.
So, anyone with eyes to see needs no proof of the existence of Nazareth
in the first century and many centuries earlier! Nazareth was know as a
city of refuge, tucked away in a mountain valley above the Valley of Meggido,
or Esdraelon. It was a sleeply little hollow less than 2-3 miles from the
metropolis Zippori where Mary's mother was from. Zippori has recently been
excavated by Duke University and is now one of the largest archeological
sites in the country which shows first century and earlier synagogues and
homes with beautiful mosaics still intact.
There is debate about the location of Cana of Galilee, about five miles
down the road from Nazareth toward Tiberias. The present Cana may not have
been the site in the first Century. The site was moved in the early Christian
centuries because the original site (Tel Kana) was unreacheable in the
winter when the Natofa Valley flooded from the winter rains. The modern
site does contain artifacts from the early Roman period. But the original
site, which a local Muslim friend of mine took me too, is about three miles
across the Natofa Valley in Tel Kana, which by the way, is also a network
of cave homes.
I can assure you the local Muslim villagers who live at these sites
and use many of the caves for their stables do not doubt their authenticity!
Dr. Ray Register (who lived in Nazareth for 25 years)
