Has the Childhood Home of Jesus Been Found?
Jesus’ home in Nazareth
The Sisters of Nazareth Convent
A Roman-period, Byzantine, and Crusader site in central Nazareth
Ken Dark
ISBN 9780367542191
Published September 16, 2020 by Routledge
284 Pages 18 Color & 147 B/W Illustrations
The childhood home of Jesus may have been found underneath the Sisters of Nazareth Convent in Nazareth, Israel, according to archaeologist Ken Dark.
This very well could be the childhood home of Jesus. It doesn’t 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 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. In “Has 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 that this is the place where Jesus spent his formative years—or at least the place regarded in the Byzantine period as the childhood home of Jesus.
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 home’s original features are still intact, including doors and windows. Also found at the site were tombs, a cistern and, later, a Byzantine church.
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 the Jesus/Historical Jesus study page to read free articles on Jesus in Bible History Daily.
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 what may have been regarded as Jesus’ home in Nazareth. Archaeological and geographical evidence from the Church of the Annunciation, the International Marion Center and Mary’s 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 identity—as 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.
The Sisters of Nazareth Convent
A Roman-period, Byzantine, and Crusader site in central Nazareth
Ken Dark
ISBN 9780367542191
Published September 16, 2020 by Routledge
284 Pages 18 Color & 147 B/W Illustrations
Read the full article “Has Jesus’ Nazareth House Been Found?” by Ken Dark in the March/April 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
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A version of this Bible History Daily article was originally published in March 2015.
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I love reading all the bits and pieces that are discussed on this forum, but Jesus came for a special purpose, so don’t let us get sidetracked.
‘Look at my Servant, see my Chosen One. He is my Beloved, in whom my Soul delights. I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He Will Judge The Nations.’
Adele- Is there any possible way to know if Jesus sibling’s were of Mary as my Husband adamantly agrees.But on my Grandmother’s teaching to me from her Bible 1700 she read from.Her explanation to me was Joseph was in his 40’s Mary but 12-13,That Joseph had children already.Please clear this tormenting thought to me which is correct?
Yeshua may have had half brothers (4) and sisters (2) from Yo-sef’s first marriage, according to the stories that he was a widowed man, and won Miriam’s hand as a protector/celibate mate as we might say, when she was of age to leave the Temple. Some stories say the stick he chose when all the unmarried Hebrew men were called to Temple, either blossomed, or a dove flew down and landed on his shoulder showing the priests that he was favored to care for her, and thus for Yeshua or Jesus in his childhood. There is a wood working shop near or attached to this house which must be why it is considered their home in Nazareth, however that is of course a guess. Homes were made of stone/mud brick, but perhaps Yo sef did some of the work making stools, beams in roofs, or window lattices. Roofs were straw over wooden beams imported from somewhere the trees were – maybe dragged by donkeys like the Ethiopians do today? But Nazareth was a small town of only 300 people, a few extended families, so much of the work would have been done in other towns where Romans lived too possibly. This small town would have been a safe place to live, farming was the mode of livelihood for most residents, around the city. Some stories say Yo sef was 111 when he died peacefully with his wife and family around him. He must have been a wonderful caretaker, to take Miriam in at an early age, even 7 or 8 possibly, before or as she was maturing – the oldest stories say she was 16 when Yeshua was born in a cave or a dwelling of some kind near Bethlehem. Augustus did call for “registration” of people possibly for a Roman world wide celebration during his lifetime, altho there is no recorded census for taxes that has been found. There was no room in the common place possibly in a synagog near Bethlehem, although there were no motels in those days, so a manger was offered by someone for the child to be placed in, a normal practice, like we used to use drawers in dressers put on a bed for babies when I was young, nothing fancy. A manger was a kind of basket sometimes used for feeding animals or carrying items like we do today. It is fun to imagine Miriam weaving or making thread on the roof of the home, keeping cool, going to get water in the early a.m. at the well, or even hiding her family below ground in the cellars if the Romans came by the town. No Romans lived here by any report, just Hebrews around 0 CE, a good safe place – water, fields and probably some wild birds and small animal, or goats to supplement the diet. The testing of bones shows the people ate low protein diets. I think Yo sef was not extremely poor but hid his family here (even his wealth) and probably helped the townspeople survive in his day. A synagog could be built or the meetings held in homes anywhere there were 12 men, women were respected highly and children, all could attend the torah readings I believe, and women maybe met together and spoke of God. No synagog has been found yet in Nazarath, but Magdala did have one that held 200 people (see internet). Perhaps people met in Yo sef’s house on the Sabbath, as they did in Peter’s home too (Simon and Andrew) North of the Sea of Galilee. These were wise men and women and part of a revival of purity in Galilee and Judea, taking holy names used in the Old Testament and wanting to raise their children well – teaching the Psalms and the Proverbs to the young by memory. When 12 Yesh ua went to the Temple for his bar mitzvah, and probably walked with many of his cousins and family members to Jerusalem, probably 4 or 5 days walk or more, don’t you think?
Well, interesting if true. It was a small, most likely related, hamlet. Joseph, who was a “builder” as the proper translation of the term implies, would have found most of his work in nearby Sepphoris. However, it’s nearly impossible to say if this was Joseph’s hovel or his cousin Bob’s.
Biblical Archaelogy seems to have a habit of going for the sensational headline rather than the accurate one. It undercuts their legitimacy. There is no reason to even suggest this is “Jesus’ Home” unless the names Jesus, Mary and Joseph can be found carved into the rock. Why can’t they say, with accuracy, “a first century home of a craftsman has been found in Nazareth, which might have resembled the one Jesus’ knew.”
Though I have not read through all the lengthy posts here about whether or not Jesus had siblings, or if Jesus took over Joseph’s buisiness, etc., all the conjecture provided by these comments is unnecessary.
After all, this is the “Bibilical Archaeology ” review and the author, Ellen White, is summarizing an earlier hypothesis (note the question mark in the title) of another author about an archaeological find.
I did not see anywhere in her article that she was emphatic about this being the true home of Jesus, nor do I see where she was promulgating any particular theological view about the find.
This article is just the sort Biblical Archaeology should be printing. Leave it up to the individual to analyze the information presented and develop his/her understanding of it.
The Bible says that Joseph did know Mary (as a wife) until after Yeshua was born. Mary was 100% human otherwise Yeshua is not the Messiah & we have to wait for another. Her name means sorrow fulfilling a prophesy. Yeshua said, “Who are my mother & my brothers? Anyone who believes in me!” Mary continued to live & work with the disciples & James (Yeshua’s own brother) became the first head of a church. Mary is not a deity. She was human. The Messianic equation is that he be 100% Human & 100% Deity. God the Father is already 100% deity. Yeshua came to teach the truth about Spiritual things. His life here was not meant to be worshipped.
It seems everyone has missed Mary .she was human a virgin till she wasn’t like all women ! The thing that made Mary stand out was shown in a form of parrellism in the story’s .John’s father was trained as a priest all his life . but when the angel showed up nothing but unfaith rolled out of him .he had to have his mouth shut up because of it. But not so with Mary a woman of great faith she was worthy .she was wholly given to the angels words .in this she should be given praise. Why because it pleased GOD . Jim
I found the article interesting. Nazareth was not likely to have been a huge city in Jesus’ era so it is remarkable that any dwelling place would have remained. Dark did, in his BAS article, cite some reasons for supposing this might have been the home Jesus grew up in. But if not, what of it? It is unlikely that the place he did grow up in looked any different. It does, however, give credence to the concept that Nazareth existed as a community in the early first century A.D., and this is a detail that some also do not like because they prefer “The Myth of Nazareth” as a way to make sense of their beliefs, or unbelief.
First the scholars word was that Nazareth, not having been mentioned by Josehpus and other historians of the period, despite every single town and dive in the Galilee being mentioned leads them to think that there was no Nazareth at the time Jesus was born.
Now out of nowhere, this town, called Nazareth. Possibly another town renamed or a new town built later but given the name Nazareth. And with a Jesus Slept Here Sign as well.