Nazareth

For other uses, see Nazareth (disambiguation).
"Nazaret" redirects here. For the name, see Nazaret (name).

Nazareth
النَّاصِرَة‎, an-Nāṣira
נָצְרַת‎, Nāṣraṯ
View of Nazareth, with the Basilica of the Annunciation at the center
View of Nazareth, with the Basilica of the Annunciation at the center
Official seal of Nazareth
Seal
Nazareth is located in Northern Haifa region of Israel
Nazareth
Nazareth
Location of Nazareth in Northern Israel
Nazareth is located in Israel
Nazareth
Nazareth
Location of Nazareth in Israel
Coordinates: 32°42′07″N 35°18′12″E / 32.70194°N 35.30333°E / 32.70194; 35.30333
Country Israel
DistrictNorthern
Founded
  • 2200 BC (Early settlement)
  • AD 300 (Major city)
MunicipalityEst. 1885
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • BodyMunicipality of Nazareth
 • MayorAli Sallam
Area
 • Total
14.123 km2 (5.453 sq mi)
Elevation
347 m (1,138 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
78,007
DemonymNazarene
Ethnicity
[1]
 • Arabs99.8%
 • Jews and others0.2%
Time zoneUTC+2 (IST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (IDT)
Area code+972 (Israel)
Websitewww.nazareth.muni.il Edit this at Wikidata
Arab citizens of Israel
Politics
Religion
Culture
Major population centers
Personalities
See also

Nazareth (/ˈnæzərəθ/ NAZ-ər-əth; Arabic: النَّاصِرَة‎, romanized: an-Nāṣira; Hebrew: נָצְרַת‎, romanized: Nāṣraṯ; Syriac: ܢܨܪܬ, romanized: Naṣrath) is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. In 2022 its population was 78,007.[1] Known as "the Arab capital of Israel",[2] Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and commercial center for the Arab citizens of Israel.[3] The inhabitants are predominantly Arab citizens of Israel, of whom 69% are Muslim and 30.9% Christian.[2][4][5][6] The city also commands immense religious significance, deriving from its status as the hometown of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity and a prophet in Islam.

Findings unearthed in the neighboring Qafzeh Cave show that the area around Nazareth was populated in the prehistoric period. Nazareth was a Jewish village during the Roman and Byzantine periods and is described in the New Testament as the childhood home of Jesus.[7] It became an important city during the Crusades after Tancred established it as the capital of the Principality of Galilee. The city declined under Mamluk rule, and following the Ottoman conquest, the city's Christian residents were expelled, only to return once Fakhr ad-Dīn II granted them permission to do so.[8] In the 18th century, Zahir al-Umar transformed Nazareth into a large town by encouraging immigration to it. The city grew steadily during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when European powers invested in the construction of churches, monasteries, educational and health facilities.

Since late antiquity, Nazareth has been a center of Christian pilgrimage, with many shrines commemorating biblical events. The Church of the Annunciation is considered one of the largest Christian sites of worship in the Middle East. It contains the Grotto of the Annunciation, where, according to Catholic tradition, angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she would conceive and bear Jesus. According to Greek Orthodox belief, the same event took place at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, also known as Church of Saint Gabriel. Other important churches in Nazareth include the Synagogue Church, St. Joseph's Church, the Mensa Christi Church, and the Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent.[8]

  1. ^ a b c "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b Laurie King-Irani (Spring 1996). "Review of "Beyond the Basilica: Christians and Muslims in Nazareth"". Journal of Palestine Studies. 25 (3): 103–105. doi:10.1525/jps.1996.25.3.00p0131i. ISSN 0377-919X. JSTOR 2538265.
  3. ^ Tamir Sorek (10 March 2015). Palestinian Commemoration in Israel: Calendars, Monuments, and Martyrs (2 ed.). Stanford University Press. p. 97. ISBN 9780804795203.
  4. ^ "2005" (PDF). Cbs.gov.il. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  5. ^ Dumper, Michael; Stanley, Bruce E.; Abu-Lughod, Janet L. (2006). Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: a historical encyclopedia (Illustrated ed.). ABC-CLIO. pp. 273–274. ISBN 9781576079195.
  6. ^ Kanaaneh, Rhoda Ann (2002), Birthing the nation: strategies of Palestinian women in Israel, University of California Press, p. 117, ISBN 978-0-520-22379-0, archived from the original on 11 January 2014, retrieved 27 February 2016, All-Arab cities such as Nazareth, the largest Palestinian city in IsraelQuigley, John (1997), Flight into the maelstrom: Soviet immigration to Israel and Middle East peace, Garnet & Ithaca Press, p. 190, ISBN 978-0-86372-219-6, archived from the original on 11 January 2014, retrieved 27 February 2016, The other major Jewish population centre in Galilee was Upper Nazareth, established next to Nazareth, the principal Palestinian city in Arab-populated Galilee.
  7. ^ Jeffrey, David L. (1992). A Dictionary of biblical tradition in English literature. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 538–40. ISBN 978-0-85244-224-1. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Nazareth | Israel | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.