A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel X: Nazareth

"Why do you want to go to Nazareth?  What's in Nazareth?"  A ten-year old friend of the family in Tel Aviv asked me this before we had left for Galilee.  It was, of course, a delightful, unconscious echo of Nathanael's comment in John 1.46.  I must admit that my expectations for Nazareth were not high.  Lots of people had told me not to expect too much, and I knew that the huge, bustling modern town would not be the kind of place that would reward the Biblical Scholar interested in seeing something of interest and relevance to the first century.

One of the most memorable things about the trip was the whole business of coping with the traffic and trying to work out where to enter Nazareth and where to park.  After driving around it a few times, we eventually just headed straight into the middle and tried to park.  We made the big mistake of trying to go into a tiny, packed underground parking lot at which a rather aggressive character tried to persuade us to give up our car keys so that he could park the car for us, all for 25 shekels.  Having backed out, we found a much more acceptable parking place in the open air for just 6 shekels, and I got to hang on to the car keys.

We did two things while in Nazareth.  The first was to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation.  It is a beautiful looking church, and inside there is a kind of grotto that is alleged to have been part of Mary's house.  And underneath the basilica, there is some interesting archaeology.  As usual, shirts were required to go over the girls' shoulders.  As elsewhere too, there were no crowds.  Just the odd visitor.  It seems that the end of June is not a busy time for tourism in Israel.

The second thing was to walk through the large, partly covered market.  This was a strange mix between the strange and the familiar.  There was a lot of the same kind of market tat that you see in markets all over the world, but this was combined with a very middle-eastern feel.  As far as I remember, there was very little here for the tourists -- not here all the olive-wood carved nativity scenes and the Holy Land jewellery that you find everywhere else.  The place was not bustling with people, and a lot of the market-stall people were just sitting and chatting and watching the odd passer-by go by.

Our day in Nazareth ended in disappointment.  I had been keen to visit Nazareth Village, a kind of re-creation of first century Nazareth, with some archaeology, in a site that has had proper input from consultants like my colleague Eric Meyers.  It has a nice website, which I consulted before we left, but there is no information on there at all, at least none that I could find, about how to get there.  In the light of this, I assumed that it would be rather like old Capernaum or the Jesus Boat, easy to find and well-signposted.  But it was not.  It's impossible to find, or at least it was for us.  After circling Nazareth city several times, driving through it several times, exploring the Isaeli Nazareth town and everywhere else in the general region, and having asked several people, we were none the wiser and never found it.  So a suggestion to those running Nazareth Village that it would be worth adding a "How to find us" section on your website, and to invest in some signs and publicity in the general area.  Perhaps we were being thick, but I bet there are thousands of others who miss it too.

One other minor disappointment: I was hoping to see a cheese shop in Nazareth.  The sign "Cheeses of Nazareth" really ought to be irresistible for an entrepreneur out there.

Photograph credit: Tiamat.

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel IX: Capernaum

Before going to Capernaum, I felt that I knew a bit about it, not least because of the superb filming and CGI reconstruction that took place for the BBC's Son of God (2001; shown in the USA as Jesus: The Complete Story).  In that programme, the modern church that now stands atop the excavations of first century Capernaum, was flown away like a flying saucer, and the ancient walls arose and and the first century town came to life.  Seeing those excavated remains in reality, though, was special.  And if it weren't for the overwhelming heat, we might have stayed even longer than we did.

Capernaum is unlike any other of the ancient sites you might visit in Israel.  The modern town of Kefar Nahum  is separate from the ancient site, so when you approach it, it is just for the excavations and the church -- no businesses, no cars; just a little gift shop and port-a-cabin where you pay your 5 shekels each (just over a dollar) for entry.  As with any of the "holy sites", the women get asked to cover their shoulders at this point, so we got used to carrying an extra shirt around in our back-pack.

The site features an impressive fourth / fifth century synagogue as well as remains of a first century one.  As we entered the site of the excavated synagogues, we passed by a group of American tourists sitting on benches listening to a tour-guide reading out the story of Mark 1.21-28 and making something of a meal of it.  Then, nearby are the excavations of first century housing including "Peter's house", over which the modern church structure hovers.  We entered into the church so that we could look through the glass floor at the excavations below, but the church was full of earnest, frowning private worshippers who did not appreciate our presence.

It is an odd experience to spend time in Capernaum.  For those interested in the Historical Jesus, it is a site of greater interest than Bethlehem or Nazareth, but it is the latter two that have generated the tourism, the trade and the pilgrimage.

Photo credits: Viola Goodacre

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel VIII: The "Jesus Boat"

I was keen to get to see the so-called "Jesus Boat" in (the) Galilee. I have often shown pictures of it to the students in my Historical Jesus class, one of whom subsequently emailed me to let me know that she had visited it herself on the recent Duke in Israel programme. Having read a bit about the boat, I don't think I learnt anything new when I saw it in real life, but it was still excellent to get the chance to see it for real.

The "Jesus Boat" is an ancient Galilean boat, discovered in the Sea of Galilee back in 1986 and, remarkably, salvaged, protected, and put on display at the Yigal Allon Museum, near the shore where it was found. The location is pretty close to Tiberias, where we were staying. A ten minute drive at the most. It's advertised on the signs as an "Ancient Galilean Boat" although its own publicity likes to use the term "Jesus Boat", in respectable inverted commas, in order, quite reasonably, to attract the tourists.

The museum itself appears to be set in a larger kibbutz style community, but the boat is clearly the major reason that people visit the place. There were almost no tourists at all while we were there, so when we walked into the room with the boat in it, we had it all to ourselves.  I felt quite privileged, actually.  It's well worth a visit, and if you have a car, it's a short stop on your way up to Migdal or Capernaum from Tiberias.

The video above is not ours but is from the excellent Bibledex project, taken during their recent trip to Israel.

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel VII: Galilee

For the student interested in early Judaism, the historical Jesus or Christian origins, it is of course essential to spend some time in Galilee.  Or "the Galilee" as everyone in Israel calls it, as well as the most trendy New Testament scholars.  Since I want to be trendy too, I am trying to get used to the definite article, but years of familiarity with "Galilee" make the transition difficult.

Our Israel trip was split into two.  Tel Aviv was our base for the first half, and we spent the second half in Galilee.  We hired a car and drove up from the Dead Sea.  As far as we could work out, the best way to do things was to stay in Tiberias, which is the big bustling city by the Sea of Galilee, with thirty or more hotels and tons of shops and restaurants.  We stayed in the Prima Galil, which Tripadvisor told us was the third best hotel in Tiberias, gathering its good reputation from friendly service and great breakfasts, though the rooms are a little pokey and price a little high.

Tiberias itself is an unattractive kind of city, but we found a great little restaurant called "Galileo" (Galileo, get it?) on the outskirts, where you can sit outside and watch the sun set over the Sea of Galilee, while eating good soup and hot bread with hummus, tahini and the like, and drinking the Goldstar beer.

I keep saying "the Sea of Galilee" through familiarity.  It is, after all, what Matthew and Mark call it.  Luke talks about Lake Gennesaret and John about the Sea of Tiberias, but the modern name is Lake Kinneret.  We drove around the whole thing anti-clockwise on one occasion and it takes about 30-40 minutes, if memory serves.  There are some lovely views at certain points.  In the picture here, I am standing in front of the lake in a spot where Jesus may have stood, though I don't think that railing was there back in the first century.  I have Capernaum just in front of me.

Towards the end of our stay in Tiberias, we took one of the boat trips out onto the sea.  This "lido" trip was 24 shekels each (c. $6) and set off from a jetty that proudly advertised that it belonged to American TV evangelist Benny Hinn!  Frankly, the sea trip was a touch disappointing.  The lido just drove out for a bit and then turned around and came back, less than an hour in all, and without a clear idea of what it seemed to be trying to do.  More happily, though, there is a great restaurant nearby called "Decks" where you get to sit outside, overlooking the sea, while eating barbecued food and drinking Goldstar.  They even bring a mini-barbecue to the table so that the sweet potatoes continue to cook on the charcoal while you eat your bread, hummus and tahini.

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel VI: Masada

If you are staying in the Dead Sea, or even if you are not, you have to make a journey to Masada.  It's one of the richest educational experiences you can have, and if you are interested in early Judaism, it will be fascinating.

For the first-time visitor, one of the most striking things is just how strongly Herod's presence can be felt, something that might be said for several other places in Israel, Jerusalem, of course, and Caesarea in particular.  You can imagine Herod (who in my mind is always played by Peter Ustinov) feasting there, with his imported fish and his fine wines.  You can see where he bathed, Roman style, and you can see the large storehouses.  Remarkably, several of the frescos survive from Masada, and you can see good quality reproductions in situ as you walk around, and then look at the real things in the museum afterwards.

Of course the story you are going to witness is the one of the rebels and the Roman siege, and being at Masada does enable you to re-imagine elements of something that previously you've just read about, or seen in the 1981 film starring Peter O'Toole. You can see the part of the walls where the Roman siege made entry, and there are sling shots piled up not far away from the same site.

On the day we went, it was absolutely roasting up there, and the heat was enough to keep us on our toes in getting round the key sites before we passed out.  I am afraid that we did not go up and down the pathway.  I am not great with heights and it was very, very hot, so instead we enjoyed the cable-car ride with its fantastic views.  At the bottom, after pouring lots of cold liquids down our throats, we took in the museum at a leisurely pace and found it fascinating, not least seeing an original flip flop, a lock of hair and a comb from Masada.  Seeing the ostraca on which the names were scribbled, and which may have been used for the drawing of lots before the mass suicide, provides a remarkable way of imagining the events of 74 CE.

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel V: The Dead Sea

If you are going to Israel, on no account miss out on the Dead Sea experience.  We took just a night there, but we would have loved a week.  It is quite remarkable.  That stuff that everyone tells you about floating on the Dead Sea is absolutely true.  I would have illustrated it with a photograph of me doing it, but I'd rather spare you the sight of me in my trunks.  Instead, the picture here is the view from our hotel window.

We managed without a car while we were in Tel Aviv but hired one for the second half of the trip, and this visit to the Dead Sea marked the mid-point.  We drove from Tel Aviv to the south west part of the Dead Sea, and found the drive a lot of fun -- lots of proper deserty landscapes, and the chance to do some camel-spotting.    As you approach the Dead Sea, there are signs indicating that you are getting lower and lower, and then however-many metres below see level.

There are several big resort style hotels in the Ein Bokek area.  Ours was huge, with a couple of pools, and buffet-style breakfasts and dinners on an industrial scale.  The hotel had its own beach area and doing the floating thing is a lot of fun.  The water is really warm, bath-water temperature, and the salt is everywhere, like sand where it is shallow, and then like rocks when it's a little deeper, so much so that I cut myself on it when I went out.

The advantage of staying at the Dead Sea is also the location, close to Masada, which is where we went next.

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel IV: Jerusalem

I loved visiting Jerusalem.  Even though a day is nowhere near enough, you can do a remarkable amount in a day.  The highlight, without question, was walking through the tunnels that run along the bottom of the Western Wall of the Temple, now below ground.  We had an excellent tour guide who was knowledgeable and witty.  As he showed us the Herodian stones, he offered the memorable line, "If they spent this much time on the box, imagine how wonderful its contents".

We walked around lots of other fascinating locations.  Naturally, the ones most of interest to me were the glimpses of the Herodian / Roman era sites, including part of a road that looked like it could have been excavated in Rome itself.  We looked at "David's tomb" and the "Upper Room" above it, the latter fascinating for its little changes reflecting pre- and post-crusader activity.  We did lots of walking, and took in also the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  We had some good nosh too -- little pizzas on the Via Dolorosa, while drinking a kind of lemon and mint concoction that we also had several days later in Galilee.

Alas, it was the day that England crashed out of the World Cup in that 4-1 defeat to Germany, but I will choose to remember it instead as a momentous first trip to Jerusalem.

Photo credits: Viola Goodacre

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel III: Bethlehem

Well, of course you have to go to Bethlehem.  It wasn't top of my list of priorities, and I did not expect to find it particularly striking, and my expectations were met.  The most interesting thing about Bethlehem is the utter contrast with everywhere around it.  You have to spend a good ten or fifteen minutes crossing the border into Palestinian territory, where border officials are slouching in their seats with big scary rifles on their laps.  On the other side of the border, you can tell straight away that you are no longer in Israeli territory.  You are greeted by a whole line of taxi-drivers, shop-keepers and others looking for your business.

We did not do a lot in Bethlehem.  We looked around the Church of the Nativity, perhaps most memorable for the tiny entrance door to the main building and the little room down some stairs that supposedly marks the spot of Jesus' birth.  Since we were there on a Sunday, there were lots of people there to worship, and we got a few dirty looks and shoves.  Remarkably, I also met a film-crew there that I knew from my work on The Bible: A History last year.

I am pleased to have visited Bethlehem, but pleased too not to have spent too much time there.  It makes a good, short visit as part of a larger visit to Jerusalem, which is how we did things.

Photo credit: Viola Goodacre

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel II: Jaffa

While we were staying in Tel Aviv, we took a short taxi ride to Jaffa (NT Joppa), which is only a few miles down the road.  This was our first proper bit of ancient Israel site-seeing and a place steeped in Biblical history.  Not far from Aladdin's restaurant, there is helpful plaque summarizing the entire history of the port as it relates to Israel's history.  And a stone's throw from that is a little bit of New Testament history, St Peter's Church, the supposed site of the story of Acts 10-11, when Peter has his vision at Cornelius's house.

Jaffa is a beautiful place, and an ideal place to be in the late afternoon, early evening.  There are cobbled streets in the old city, and great views of the sea.  You can explore the place in a matter of hours, and then take time for some food, wine and conversation in a nice spot.  We thought about eating at the harbour, but the restaurant owner there was aggressive and unhelpful and so we relocated to a perfect place in the old city, a French restaurant with a rooftop location and views of the sea.  We had eaten an enormous lunch at a fine French restaurant called "Messi" in Tel Aviv earlier that day so I was not that hungry in the evening and just went for the fish soup.  And it might just have been the best fish soup I have ever had.  And we could hear the sounds of the wedding at the synagogue next door, with all the instruments and partying out in the street.

Photograph credit: Viola Goodacre

A Biblical Scholar's First Impressions of Israel I: Tel Aviv

I have always wanted to travel to Israel, of course. Until recently, I have had neither time nor opportunity to do it, to say nothing of the cost. But this summer, a family friend's bat mitzvah in Tel Aviv gave us the long-awaited opportunity to make the journey. We had ten days and decided to split the stay into three parts. We began, naturally, in Tel Aviv, staying in a so-so apartment, a kind of "work in progress" in Dizengoff St, a slightly scruffy area in the centre of the city, with cats everywhere, but in a convenient location, just a short walk from the shops, the restaurants, the beach.

For the Biblical scholar in Tel Aviv, the pressure is off. No Biblical sites to see, no piles of stones to stare at and wonder over. So it is a chance to enjoy some of the other things the city offers. As well as the previously mentioned bat mitzvah, a real highlight was an evening on the beach watching the footy. You see, everyone in Israel loves their football.  Even the small bars selling falafel have their TV screens showing the World Cup.  Apparently business would be terrible if they did not.  And on the Saturday evening, after a relaxing day at the beach, which had soft sand and some spectacular waves, we settled down in the comfortable seaside bar,  and we drank Goldstar beer (Israel's own, dark lager beer, easy-drinking and quite acceptable), ate hummus and tahini, and watched the game (Ghana v. USA) on the specially erected big screens, as the waves lapped up just behind them, with our bare feet still in the sand.

Tel Aviv, though, is really a fine hub for touring Israel, a great jumping off point for getting to other locations, and of course we did not stay put there the whole time.  I'll comment next time on Jaffa.