Has the Childhood Home of Jesus Been

Found?
Jesus home in Nazareth
Ellen White 03/02/2015

This very well could be the childhood home of Jesus. It doesnt look inviting, but this rock-hewn courtyard house was
quite likely Jesus home in Nazareth. The recent excavation by Ken Dark and the Nazareth Archaeological Project
revealed good evidence to suggest this is where Jesus was raised. Photo: Ken Dark.

The childhood home of Jesus may have been found underneath the Sisters of Nazareth Convent in
Nazareth, Israel, according to archaeologist Ken Dark.
The excavation site located beneath the convent has been known since 1880, but it was
never professionally excavated until the Nazareth Archaeological Project began its work in
2006. InHas Jesus Nazareth House Been Found? in the March/April 2015 issue of BAR,
Ken Dark, the director of the Nazareth Archaeological Project, not only describes the
remains of the home itself, but explores the evidence that suggests this is in fact the
place where Jesus spent his formative years.
The excavation revealed a first-century courtyard house that was partially hewn from
naturally occurring rock and partially constructed with rock-built walls. Many of the
homes original features are still intact, including doors and windows. Also found at the
site were tombs, a cistern and, later, a Byzantine church.

The Galilee is one of the most evocative locales in the New Testamentthe area where Jesus was
raised and where many of the Apostles came from. Our free eBook The Galilee Jesus
Knewfocuses on several aspects of Galilee: how Jewish the area was in Jesus time, the ports and the
fishing industry that were so central to the region, and several sites where Jesus likely stayed and
preached.

The remains combined with the description found in the seventh-century pilgrim account De Locus
Sanctis point to the courtyard house found beneath the convent as likely Jesus home in Nazareth.
Archaeological and geographical evidence from the Church of the Annunciation, the International
Marion Center and Marys Well come together to suggest that this location may be where Jesus
transitioned from boy to man.

Ken Dark also discusses the relationship between the childhood home of Jesus, Nazareth
and the important site of Sepphoris. It has been thought that Sepphoris would have
provided Joseph with work and Jesus many important cultural experiences. However, Ken
Dark believes that Nazareth was a larger town than traditionally understood and was
particularly Jewish in its identityas opposed to the Roman-influenced Sepphoris. This is
partially based on the result of his survey of the Nahal Zippori region that separates
Sepphoris and Nazareth geographically.
For more on the childhood home of Jesus, read the full article Has Jesus Nazareth House
Been Found? by Ken Dark in the March/April 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

BAS Library Members: Read the full article Has Jesus Nazareth House Been
Found? by Ken Dark in the March/April 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
Not a BAS Library member yet? Join the BAS Library today.

Is it possible to identify the first-century man named Jesus behind the many stories and traditions
about him that developed over 2,000 years in the Gospels and church teachings? Visit
theJesus/Historical Jesus study page to read free articles on Jesus in Bible History Daily.

Related reading in the BAS Library:

Steve Mason, Where Was Jesus Born?: O Little Town ofNazareth? Bible Review,
February 2000.
Philip J. King, Biblical Views: Jesus Birthplace and Jesus Home, Biblical Archaeology
Review, November/December 2014.
Eric M. Meyers, The Pools of Sepphoris: Ritual Baths or Bathtubs? Yes, They Are, Biblical
Archaeology Review, July/August 2000.
Mark Chancey and Eric M. Meyers, Spotlight on Sepphoris: How Jewish Was Sepphoris in
Jesus Time? Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 2000.
Zeev Weiss, The Sepphoris Synagogue Mosaic, Biblical Archaeology Review,
September/October 2000.
Not a BAS Library member yet? Join the BAS Library today.

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