Nazareth in the Gospels

1. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

   The whole story begins in a small hill town. Walk through Nazareth today and you walk where the Gospel begins.

   Visit the holy siteThe City of Nazareth

2. Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

   Beneath the Basilica of the Annunciation lies the grotto that Christians have venerated for centuries as the place of Mary's home, where the angel's greeting is remembered.

   Visit the holy siteChurch of the Annunciation

3. I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.

   Orthodox tradition remembers the angel first speaking to Mary as she went to draw water, at the spring beside the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. Her answer is the heart of every pilgrim's prayer.

   Visit the holy siteGreek Orthodox Church

4. He went and lived in a town called Nazareth.

   After the return from Egypt, Joseph settled his family in Nazareth. From then on Jesus was known as “Jesus of Nazareth”, and the name of the town travelled across the world.

   Visit the holy siteThe City of Nazareth

5. The child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

   Of the hidden years we are told very little: a child growing up in an ordinary town. The lanes and market of the Old City help you imagine that daily life.

   Visit the holy siteThe Old City

6. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.

   For centuries the spring of Nazareth was where the town gathered each day. Standing at Mary's Well, you can picture the ordinary work and quiet faith that Mary kept in her heart.

   Visit the holy siteMary's Well

7. He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom, and stood up to read.

   Jesus returned to preach in the town where he had grown up. Sites in the Old City, including a church traditionally placed on the site of the synagogue, recall that day.

   Visit the holy siteThe Old City

8. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Come and see.

   Philip's answer to Nathanael is the invitation of every pilgrimage: Come and see. Nazareth is still best understood by walking its streets.

   Visit the holy siteThe City of Nazareth

Quotations are given for reflection and may differ slightly from the Bible translation you use. Passages: Luke 1, 2 and 4; Matthew 2; John 1.

• Pilgrim planner

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• Prayer wall

  Read prayers from pilgrims around the world, say Amen to those that move you and share a prayer of your own.

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• Visitor guide

  Everything to prepare your visit to Nazareth: how to get there from Haifa, Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion airport, dress code, best seasons, safety, money and the weather by month.

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