Israel: first Jesus-era house found in Nazareth

Google ^ | December 21, 2009

[NYer]

NAZARETH, Israel — Israeli archaeologists say they have uncovered remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth that can be dated back to the time of Jesus.

They say the find sheds a new light on what Nazareth might have been like in Jesus' time — probably a small hamlet with about 50 houses populated by poor Jews.

Archaeologist Yardena Alexandre of the Israel Antiquities Authority says remains of a wall, a hideout and a cistern were found after builders dug up a convent courtyard.

Alexandre said Monday archeologists also found clay and chalk vessels used by Galilean Jews of the time — an indication the home belonged to a "simple Jewish family."

She says it's likely Jesus and his childhood friends would have known the house.

[NYer]

Father Jacques Icaram, left, stands near Israel's Antiquities Authority workers at the excavation site of the remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth, Israel that can be dated back to the time of Jesus, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, unseen, of the Israel Antiquities Authority says remains of a wall, a hideout and a cistern were found after builders dug up an old convent courtyard in the northern Israeli city.

[NYer]

Father Jacques Icaram walks in the excavation site of the remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth, Israel that can be dated back to the time of Jesus, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, unseen, of the Israel Antiquities Authority says remains of a wall, a hideout and a cistern were found after builders dug up an old convent courtyard in the northern Israeli city.

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[NYer]

Israel's Antiquities Authority workers are seen at the excavation site of the remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth, Israel that can be dated back to the time of Jesus, Monday,Dec. 21, 2009. Archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, unseen, of the Israel Antiquities Authority says remains of a wall, a hideout and a cistern were found after builders dug up an old convent courtyard in the northern Israeli city.

[wendy1946]

Joseph and Jesus were supposed to have been carpenters... Anybody ever found any sort of a table or chair or any thing like that??

[Sacajaweau]

btt

[SumProVita]

Fascinating stuff....

[NYer]

Joseph and Jesus were supposed to have been carpenters... Anybody ever found any sort of a table or chair or any thing like that??

Carpenters work with wood. Not sure wooden objects designed for everyday use, would survive 2000 years.

[SJackson]

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[aruanan]

Joseph and Jesus were supposed to have been carpenters... Anybody ever found any sort of a table or chair or any thing like that??

Carpenters work with wood. Not sure wooden objects designed for everyday use, would survive 2000 years.

Not unless they were buried, as the Egyptians did, in a dry climate. There are mud bricks from Egypt from well before Jesus's era that still have stamp marks stuck in them. I saw wood and leather that looked pretty much new. The curators at the Oriental Institute told me that these objects were originals, not reproductions. That's how favorable the climate was to preservation there.

[AliVeritas]

He was a tekton, which is more than wood, but stone and other things (think construction). Remember Herod was building up Sepphoris at the time and there was plenty work there (and don’t forget where they fled to after Christ’s birth).

Obviously they weren’t as skilled as they are today, even if he picked up the best from the masons, would they want to call attention to themselves more in Nazereth?

Now, hypocrite that I am, i’m willing to take that back when they find the Frank Marshall version of the mini-Guggenheim in Nazareth. LOL

I can see it now... “Who does he think he is, a big shot”; I think the scandal of the town thinking Mary lied about her pregnancy (she didn’t), was enough.

[maine-iac7]

“Carpenters work with wood. Not sure wooden objects designed for everyday use, would survive 2000 years.”
Actually, wooden objects have survived for longer - however -

the word that was translated as ‘carpenter'could also mean ‘builder’ - and, more than likely, Joseph and Jesus were employed in the rebuilding of Zepphoris/ Sepphoris - an easy walk from Nazareth and visible from there - the “Shining City on a hill?”

http://www.ancientsandals.com/overviews/sepphoris.htm

http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/sepphoris.shtml

the city had been destroyed not long before Jesus was born and was being rebuilt in his time. A cosmotoltan Roman city - gleaming with white marble - at the cross roads of travel and commerce, it has largely been ignored in religious circles, perhaps because it waters down the ‘peasants living in an isolated little hamlet’ story?

Greek and Latin were spoken widely.

some of their famous mosaics and roads are still standing -

I believe it probable that the residents of Nazareth found work in Sepphoris - they could hardly make a living off a tiny hamlet of ‘50 dwellings.’

http://www.centuryone.org/sepphoris.html

[left that other site]

Yes. Wood, stone, whatever was available at the time. And there was much more wood in the Holy Land in that era.

The Ottoman Empire demanded wood for their railroads, so an onerous tax was put on trees. That’s why that area was denuded of forests in the twentieth century.

Then the JNF began to reforest Israel, one tree at a time.

And of course, the Palestinian Katyusha rockets burn them down again.

But I digress.

This is terrific news! I LOVE Biblical Archaeology and have been to Nazareth. I am really glad they found some artifacts there relating to Judaism and/or Christianity, as there is a very heavy Muslim presence there.

[Reo]

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

[Jewbacca]

“Joseph and Jesus were supposed to have been carpenters”

The translation actually is “laborer” — could be anything from a bricklayer to a carpenter. Given the lack of wood in Israel, I suspect a bricklayer.

How come a Jewish guy knows this? (Probably because I lived in Israel and go “wood?”)

[NYer]

The translation actually is “laborer” — could be anything from a bricklayer to a carpenter. Given the lack of wood in Israel, I suspect a bricklayer.

Yes ... of course, that makes perfect sense. And no doubt they both had strong biceps from lifting and chiseling stone. Wood source is limited in the Holy Lands. I recently purchased a lovely nativity set hand carved from olive wood.

[SevenofNine]

That sooo cool NYER would be cool turn out be home that Jesus was raised in

[SunkenCiv]

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[Eleutheria5]

I thought the actual town of Natzereth was built several decades after the New Testament Jesus’ death.

[wildbill]

I read a book by James Tabor, an archeologist and Biblical scholar that says the word was mistranslated as ‘carpenter’ when the proper translation would have been stoneworker or mason.

Probably more work for stoneworkers than carpenters in that arid land.

[Eleutheria5]

There are plenty of trees here, and very hardy strains. Pine forests crown many mountains, and I see a vast variety of beautiful trees whose names are not known to me. Olive trees are not uncommon, nor are apricot, fig, date, pomegranate, cherry and even apple trees. The variety of homegrown fruits is astounding. Autumn here is like spring, due to the torrential rains that break the summer drought, and even the thorn bushes have a fresh green coat. As for grapevines, don’t even go there.