The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth / Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Egypt and the Holy Land

by Thomas Wallace Knox

THE PLAN OF NAZARETH.
1. New quarter of the Latin Convent; 2. Church of the Annunciation; 3. Protestant Church; 4. Protestant Parsonage; 5. Protestant Mission School; 6. Protestant Missionary's House: 7. Convent of French Nuns; 8. The "Mensa Christi;" 9. House of the Mufti; 10. House of the Turkish Governor; 11. Mosque; 12. Mission Hospital.

Doctor Bronson explained to his young companions that Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, though some writers have attempted to identify it as having a history earlier than the Christian era. According to the biblical account it was a small village at the time of our Saviour's birth, and the name of Nazarene was used in derision. The modern name of the place is En-Nasira, and down to the time of Constantine it was almost exclusively occupied by Samaritan Jews. Its present population is estimated at six or eight thousand: nearly half the inhabitants are Moslems, and the balance are separated into various Christian sects, of which the orthodox Greeks are the most numerous. The town is divided into the Moslem quarter, the Greek quarter, and the Latin quarter, and the various Christian sects are under the protection of foreign powers, though generally subject to Turkish rule.

VIEW OF NAZARETH.

It was on Saturday evening that our friends reached Nazareth, and very properly they determined to remain there till Monday. The tents were pitched in a little grove just outside the town, and in a picturesque position, where all the surroundings were agreeable to the eye. The guide offered to lodge them in the Latin convent; but they preferred the freedom and comfort of the tents, and wisely concluded that a visit to the convent would be all they would need of it. So many pilgrims visit Nazareth that both the Greeks and Latins have found it necessary to maintain establishments there for the benefit of their adherents. The poor are lodged gratuitously, but those who can afford to make payment are expected to do so at the same rate as in a hotel.

The evening was passed in reading, by the light of candles, the story of the Annunciation, as given in the New Testament, and in commenting upon the identification of the spot by modern Christians. Doctor Bronson said there could be no doubt whatever that this was the place described in the Bible, though there might be some question as to the exact spot in Nazareth where the event occurred. He said it was a curious circumstance that for three centuries after the birth of Christ there was not a Christian inhabitant in Nazareth, and the first Christian pilgrimage was made there not earlier than the sixth century. In the sixth or seventh century two churches were built there, and from that time the place has been a prominent one in the history of the religion of Bethlehem.

In good time next morning all were out of bed and ready to start for the Latin convent, where service was to be held. We will let one of the youths tell the story of what they saw and heard:

"The convent is supposed to be on the site of the house of the Virgin Mary; at any rate the Latin monks press that claim for it, and it is not disputed by the Greeks, though the latter say that the angel first appeared to Mary at the fountain and not in her house. Consequently, the Greek Church of the Annunciation is over the fountain, while the Latin one is above the site of the house where the Virgin dwelt.

"The Latin convent is on the side of the hill, and is a prominent feature in the picture of Nazareth. There are several buildings clustered together, and at first sight we were reminded of the Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem and its massive surroundings. There is a high wall surrounding the buildings, and the gate through which we passed is heavy enough to resist the attack of any ordinary band of Arabs. We entered a court-yard which was open to the sky, and then passed to another and smaller one directly in front of the church. The sacred building is about seventy feet by fifty, and was completed in its present form a century and a half ago. Several churches have stood here, and the materials of each have been used in the erection of its successor, so that we may fairly believe that some parts of the first church of Nazareth are to be seen here.