Nazareth, Israel

This morning was the same as yesterday’s, it was raining outside, I could hear the beating of water droplets against the window pane, and I decided to slumber on, not stirring until it was late. I rose out of bed at 10:00, showered, dressed, and grabbed my jacket, umbrella, and camera. When I walked out of the hostel, it was still raining; I put my umbrella to use and walked through Nazareth, my trouser bottoms becoming soaked in the downfall; I then took refuge in the sanctuary of the Basilica of the Annunciation. I used my time to take a photograph of every single multi-cultural image – donated from around the world – that adorned the walls surrounding the basilica. The rain then ceased to be a menace, and I walked toward Nazareth Village. The rain then begin to fall worse than before, and I sought refuge in an Italian restaurant; for lunch I had a chicken, cheese, and vegetable calzone with a can of Sprite. The rain had then stopped entirely, and I was free to walk outside without using my umbrella. I walked to Nazareth Village (a place set up to show visitors how Nazarenes lived during the first-century AD) and joined a tour already in progress. The tour guide walked us through an ancient wine press carved out of the available rock, through the olive groves, and past the threshing area for wheat. We then walked up to the recreation of an ancient village, passing by a watchtower designed to ensure no thieves steal the farm’s produce, to the carpentry shop. At the carpentry shop, we watched a man dressed as if he lived two-thousand years ago make a wooden plow; we then walked to see a woman use a pestle and mortar to grind rosemary; next, we walked to a fabric workshop and watched a woman make yarn from sheep’s wool (the guide also explained what ingredients were used to dye the yarn different colors). Then we walked to a recreation of a first-century AD synagogue; the type that Jesus Christ would’ve learned, studied, and eventually taught in. After visiting each of those sites, the other members of the tour group went to the dining hall to eat a traditional, Biblical lunch; had I known that such a dining facility existed at Nazareth Village, I would’ve delayed my lunch and had it here. When the other tour members were eating, the tour guide took me through each room in the Nazareth Village center (that I had missed on account of joining the tour late) and showed me how the grapes were pressed in olden times, pottery artifacts found on the site, how the Romans and Jews dealt out punishment (crucifixion (for Romans); stoning and pushing men off cliffs (for Jews)); I also learned that the cross Jesus Christ was crucified on was probably not as tall as depicted in paintings and film – chances are (based on historical evidence) the cross was quite short and his feet would’ve been no more than a foot above the ground. I then thanked the guide, walked around the gift shop (I wanted to purchase old-style clothing and sandals to hike the Jesus Trail in, but there was nothing warm enough nor cheap enough for me to purchase; so, I guess I’ll be hiking the Jesus Trail in modern clothes (there goes my master plan; the summer would’ve been better for me to hike in), and then walked out of Nazareth Village. I then walked to Mount Precipice (the site where – according to tradition – the Jews tried to throw Jesus Christ off a cliff after they were angered with the sermon he gave in the synagogue in Nazareth); I got about halfway up the road to the top of Mount Precipice, when the lightning, thunder, rain, and hail began to come down from the heavens. I then thought it unwise to continue up to the top of a nearly bare mountain during such a storm and turned around (also, the clouds greatly obscured the magnificent view I normally would’ve had). I then walked back to the Old City of Nazareth and I walked straight to the Synagogue Church; according to tradition, this church is built on the spot where the original synagogue existed that Jesus Christ would’ve studies, learned, and eventually preached in (the one where he gave His sermon prior to being taken to Mount Precipice to be executed); inside the Synagogue Church, there was a tour group and I sort of joined them for the next ten minutes. I looked around the small church and then followed the tour group to the Greek Catholic Church adjacent to it; it was a beautiful church with some nice artwork adorning its walls. After viewing the Synagogue Church and Greek Catholic Church, I walked through the Old City to the Greek Orthodox Bishopric and Holy Caves, but it was already closed for the day. I then walked around Nazareth, through mostly rain, to a café where I had a cappuccino. Then, I walked to the local supermarket and bought a bottle of Israeli red wine, Palestinian beer, chocolate, and lemonade. Finally, I walked back to my hostel. Once back at the hostel, I began to update the website, type out today’s journal entry, and taste the Israeli dry red wine (it was made from Merlot and Argaman grapes; it tasted very fruity and I detected strawberry and raspberry flavors while consuming it). I then ate the bar of coffee flavored chocolate I had purchased and I had the Palestinian beer. Later, I packed my bag, getting ready to hike the Jesus trail, and I eventually went to sleep.