April A to Z Challenge - N is for Nazareth and Nargila

N is for Nazareth

I kept a little notebook in my bag on the trip and jotted down a few notes about different places. This is what I scribbled about Nazareth - "We then went to Nazareth and went to the Church of the Annunciation. Underneath the church is Mary's childhood home - there is also a ritual bath that was found. Upstairs is a modern sanctuary with paintings and artwork donated from all over the world. A group was celebrating mass and they were singing our songs in their language - very powerful. I think they were singing "Lift up your voices, the Lord is near" and I think they may have been Romanian. 

Afterwards, we walked the streets of Nazareth and it was dark and so neat! We went to a sweet shop and everyone else tried Baklava but I drank a Coke Zero instead. There was a ton of traffic - Nazareth was created as a small village which has turned into a crazy place with lots of cars and no place for them to go. Crazy traffic on tiny streets without infrastructure to support ALL THE CARS. Yes, I put emphasis on those words in my handwritten notes.

Now from my tour guide book - Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood, is situationed in the Galilean hills overlooking the Jezreel valley. Its winding, cobbled lanes, churches, convents, and monasteries, and the all pervading sens of history vividly conjure up the story of 2000 years ago when Joseph, heeding the angel's words, "took the young child and his mother and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth." (Matthew 2:21-23)

Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament.

The focal point of Nazareth is the Church of the Annunciation. The church was completed in 1969 and is the fifth church built on the spot where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. 

The mosaics in the central hall of the church were donated by Catholic communities from all over the world. The Grotto, where the Holy Family is said to have lived after it returned from Egypt, was carved out of white rock of the hill. 

outside of the Church of the 

Annunciation

you can see under the floor

where they've uncovered a

ritual bath

the living space beneath the church

this is the statue right outside the church

depicting the angel telling

Mary - she looks

terrified

Mary's hands are blackened where

so many pilgrims have

held her hand

For the Christians reading my blog - Jesus lived in Nazareth for about 30 years - I was there!

N is for Nargila

Y'all - I just took a giant leap from talking about Nazareth and Jesus' growing up years to a Nargila, or Hooka!!

We ate lunch in a Bedouin tent one day and some of the employees were smoking what we thought was a Hooka (or Hukka) pipe. As I was researching, I think they were actually using a Nargila - how awesome is that since I needed another word for today!!

you can see our "tent" above us

like his tent below

I thought I had a picture of the

guys smoking the Nargila

but I can't find it - don't you hate

when that happens??

I just loved this picture I found

on the internet because

he is in a tent!!