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nazareth

nazareth


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Nazareth,  PA  (borough,  FIPS  52808) 
  Location:  40.73989  N,  75.31301  W 
  Population  (1990):  5713  (2546  housing  units) 
  Area:  4.3  sq  km  (land),  0.0  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  18064 
  Nazareth,  TX  (city,  FIPS  50496) 
  Location:  34.54143  N,  102.10366  W 
  Population  (1990):  293  (107  housing  units) 
  Area:  0.8  sq  km  (land),  0.0  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  79063 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Nazareth 
  separated,  generally  supposed  to  be  the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew 
  _netser_,  a  shoot"  or  "sprout."  Some  however,  think  that  the 
  name  of  the  city  must  be  connected  with  the  name  of  the  hill 
  behind  it  from  which  one  of  the  finest  prospects  in  Palestine 
  is  obtained,  and  accordingly  they  derive  it  from  the  Hebrew 
  _notserah_,  i.e.,  one  guarding  or  watching,  thus  designating  the 
  hill  which  overlooks  and  thus  guards  an  extensive  region. 
 
  This  city  is  not  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament.  It  was  the 
  home  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Luke  2:39),  and  here  the  angel 
  announced  to  the  Virgin  the  birth  of  the  Messiah  (1:26-28).  Here 
  Jesus  grew  up  from  his  infancy  to  manhood  (4:16);  and  here  he 
  began  his  public  ministry  in  the  synagogue  (Matt.  13:54),  at 
  which  the  people  were  so  offended  that  they  sought  to  cast  him 
  down  from  the  precipice  whereon  their  city  was  built  (Luke 
  4:29).  Twice  they  expelled  him  from  their  borders  (4:16-29; 
  Matt.  13:54-58);  and  he  finally  retired  from  the  city,  where  he 
  did  not  many  mighty  works  because  of  their  unbelief  (Matt. 
  13:58),  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Capernaum. 
 
  Nazareth  is  situated  among  the  southern  ridges  of  Lebanon,  on 
  the  steep  slope  of  a  hill,  about  14  miles  from  the  Sea  of 
  Galilee  and  about  6  west  from  Mount  Tabor.  It  is  identified  with 
  the  modern  village  en-Nazirah,  of  six  or  ten  thousand 
  inhabitants.  It  lies  "as  in  a  hollow  cup"  lower  down  upon  the 
  hill  than  the  ancient  city.  The  main  road  for  traffic  between 
  Egypt  and  the  interior  of  Asia  passed  by  Nazareth  near  the  foot 
  of  Tabor,  and  thence  northward  to  Damascus. 
 
  It  is  supposed  from  the  words  of  Nathanael  in  John  1:46  that 
  the  city  of  Nazareth  was  held  in  great  disrepute,  either 
  because  it  is  said  the  people  of  Galilee  were  a  rude  and  less 
  cultivated  class,  and  were  largely  influenced  by  the  Gentiles 
  who  mingled  with  them  or  because  of  their  lower  type  of  moral 
  and  religious  character.  But  there  seems  to  be  no  sufficient 
  reason  for  these  suppositions.  The  Jews  believed  that  according 
  to  Micah  5:2,  the  birth  of  the  Messiah  would  take  place  at 
  Bethlehem,  and  nowhere  else.  Nathanael  held  the  same  opinion  as 
  his  countrymen,  and  believed  that  the  great  good"  which  they 
  were  all  expecting  could  not  come  from  Nazareth.  This  is 
  probably  what  Nathanael  meant  Moreover,  there  does  not  seem  to 
  be  any  evidence  that  the  inhabitants  of  Galilee  were  in  any 
  respect  inferior,  or  that  a  Galilean  was  held  in  contempt,  in 
  the  time  of  our  Lord.  (See  Dr  Merrill's  Galilee  in  the  Time  of 
  Christ.) 
 
  The  population  of  this  city  (now  about  10,000)  in  the  time  of 
  Christ  probably  amounted  to  15,000  or  20,000  souls. 
 
  "The  so-called  'Holy  House'  is  a  cave  under  the  Latin  church, 
  which  appears  to  have  been  originally  a  tank.  The  'brow  of  the 
  hill',  site  of  the  attempted  precipitation,  is  probably  the 
  northern  cliff:  the  traditional  site  has  been  shown  since  the 
  middle  ages  at  some  distance  to  the  south.  None  of  the 
  traditional  sites  are  traceable  very  early,  and  they  have  no 
  authority.  The  name  Nazareth  perhaps  means  'a  watch  tower'  (now 
  en-Nasrah),  but  is  connected  in  the  New  Testament  with  Netzer, 
  'a  branch'  (Isa.  4:2;  Jer.  23:5;  Zech.  3:8;  6:12;  Matt.  2:23), 
  Nazarene  being  quite  a  different  word  from  Nazarite." 
 
 
  From  Hitchcock's  Bible  Names  Dictionary  (late  1800's)  [hitchcock]: 
 
  Nazareth,  separated;  crowned;  sanctified