Touring Israel: Church of Annunciation and St. Joseph

Everybody has heard of Nazareth before. Famous for being the hometown of Jesus, this Arab city located in the northern district of Israel has nothing to do with the small provincial town described in the scriptures. Today, Nazareth is bustling with tourists and pilgrims traveling from the seven corners of the world to visit its main attraction: the Church of the Annunciation.

During my trip to the Holy Land, I spent half a day exploring the capital of Galilee. Check out what I found during my visit!

Church of the Annunciation.

The church was built over the site where it is believed that the Annunciation took place, a Christian tradition in which the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus, the son of God.

The words with Mary’s consent, written in Latin, decorate the triple-doorway entrance: “The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

The church has two different floors: a grotto, and the main church on top. Historians say that the grotto and its surroundings were turned into a worship place in the 1st and 2nd centuries.

Early sources refer to this grotto as being the house of the Virgin Mary, supported by the many inscriptions on the walls mentioning Mary that were left by pilgrims and visitors in the early Christianity

The Church of the Annunciation is an incredible mix of styles, which is one of the reasons why millions of pilgrims from all over the world come every year to visit this sacred site of Christianity.

Along the courtyard that surrounds the upper church, you can find a display of mosaics with representations of the Virgin Mary from all over the world.

Some of the mosaics are just beautiful, and I found it incredibly interesting to see all the different styles from all over the world.

St. Joseph Church

Just behind the Church of the Annunciation is located the Church of St. Joseph, built where it is believed that the workshop of St. Joseph once stood.

The current church was designed in 1911 in a style that imitates a medieval church and is built upon the remains of a crusader church from the 13th century.

As enjoyable as the tour, we did not have time to explore the city of Nazareth. Because of this, we definitely need to return and spend the entire day learning the city. Well, it is time to head to our next stop. See you soon!

Oh, this trip can be curated for you. Just contact us!

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