Nazareth Village is an open-air museum that recreates the daily life of Nazareth about 2,000 years ago, in the time of Jesus. Dr. Nkhle Bishara, the medical director of Nazareth Hospital, envisioned the Nazareth Village. During its development, archaeologists uncovered ancient terraces and a basin of a winepress. Opened in the year 2000, the 15-acre site presents the region’s physical landscape and its human use. A shepherd attending to his sheep, a farmer plowing with a donkey, olives harvested, and wheat threshed are just some of the agricultural activities presented by devoted staff in authentic costumes. They illustrate daily life in rural lower Galilee and their use in Jesus’ parables, acts, and miracles. Furthermore, a reconstructed home, carpentry, and even a tomb and a synagogue echo the Nazareth that Jesus knew in a new and unprecedented way.

Touring Nazareth Village

Nazareth Village is less than a mile south of the Church of the Annunciation. It is open every day of the week and has an entrance fee. A visit to the site must be made in advance and led by a local guide. The tour takes about an hour and a half. Special event meals can also be arranged on-site, serving typical products and foods of this region in Roman-style pottery.

A tour of Nazareth Village can be combined with a guided day tour of Nazareth and the Galilee.