Excursion «10. Christian Galilee. Nazareth»

The most sacred waters of all Christianity, western and eastern, in which Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist.
232 km long Jordan originates at the foot of Mount Hermon, flows through Lake Kinneret and flows into the Dead Sea. It is surprising that once the river valley was buried in tropical forests and hippos were found in coastal factories. Repeatedly mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Once the river separated the territory of the promised land, where Joshua led the wanderers after 40 years in the wilderness of the Jews.
Now the river delimits Israel and Jordan. Pilgrims and tourists from every corner of the planet come to the river to take a bath in the sacred waters. From Israel, the baptismal rite can be performed in the Yardenit complex.

Nazareth, is the third most important city for Christians after Jerusalem and Bethlehem, here the childhood and youth of Jesus Christ passed. Nazareth got its name from the Hebrew word "netzer" - a branch, although in modern Hebrew this word is not used to denote a branch. Nazareth was first mentioned in the Gospel.
According to archaeological excavations, there used to be an agricultural settlement, where only a few families lived, including the holy family (the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph and Jesus Christ). The significant Christian shrine in Nazareth is undoubtedly the grotto of the Annunciation, over which the Temple of the Annunciation was erected. In the vicinity of the city there are: Sepphoris National Park - the parental home of Mary, the remains of the Crusader fortress and other archaeological sites.
It is because of this that Jesus is called “ha-Nozri,” which means Nazarene.

Do not be afraid of the name, this is not the end of the world. Although if he is destined to happen, then according to Christian tradition, this event will occur at the foot of Mount Tel Megido. It will be the last battle between the sons of Good and Evil, who converge in a fierce battle. Although there were already applicants to fight at the foot of the mountain, starting from the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III and ending with Napoleon himself.
Armageddon can be translated as - "haar Meggido" Mount Meggido.
Even in antiquity, the hill occupied a strategically important position, here trade routes passed from the ports of the Mediterranean Sea to the northeast through the Jezreel, Harod and Beit Shean valleys, to the Jordan River and beyond, and military routes. Meggido was the dominant city-state in the Lower Galilee. Over its centuries-old history, it underwent about 26 destruction, as evidenced by archaeological excavations. The hill literally stands on layers of 26 cultural layers, 60 meters high.

Thanks to the Roman emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Elena,  were built churches on the territory of the Holy Land celebrating the main gospel events: the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.  According to the Christian tradition, Mary lived here exactly when the archangel Gabriel announced the good news about the birth of the messiah, thats why this place it seems to be unique.
The modern church was erected in 1969 and is the largest Catholic church in the entire Middle East. The church consists of two levels, the lower level is the grotto, where, upon giving, was Virgin Mary during the Annunciation. You should pay attention to the frescoes that have come down to us from the past and miraculously preserving their almost original appearance.
In the grotto there is a throne with a marble circle, where the message is written in Latin: "Verbum caro hic factum est" - "Here your word has become flesh."

As  known, Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River. That is why Christians from different parts of the world want to plunge into this river, and some want to perform the rite of baptism here. For this, the government of Israel was equipped with a special complex called Yardenit. The Yardenit complex is a calm backwater at the source of the sacred Jordan River. This place is equipped with everything necessary for the convenience of visitors. There are showers, locker rooms, and pedestrian walkways that make it convenient to approach the water. In addition, on the territory of the complex there are small shops where it is possible to purchase souvenirs or cosmetics from Israel, as well as special water containers for Jordan.

No one will remain hungry, because in the complex there is a restaurant with a large selection of dishes.

the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles is the Greek Temple of  and the monastery of the Greek Orthodox Church. According to legend, the temple stands in place of the house where the Lord healed paralysis.

This is a huge freshwater lake, which is also called the Sea of Galilee. It is the main source of fresh water for the whole of Israel. Despite the small size of the Kinnereth, more than 30% of fresh water is taken from it for the needs of the country. In the Kinnereth there are many different types of fish, therefore, fishing industry is thriving here. And coastal fish restaurants are famous for cooking fish dishes according to recipes that have remained virtually unchanged since the times of Jesus Christ. On the shore of the Kinnereth you can relax greatly. Near Tiberias, there are many sanitized paid beaches. History lovers also will not remain indifferent to the sights preserved from biblical times.