"Can Anything Good Become of Nazareth?"

In the Gospel of John, Nathaniel asks, “Can anything good become of Nazareth?” There's apparently a debate over whether this pessimistic rhetorical question was meant to bemoan the site's insignificance at the time, or its residents' lack of faith in its native son Jesus.

You wouldn't guess either of these today upon watching the hordes of tourist groups and religious pilgrims parading through town to visit the overwhelming number of churches. Among the dozens of monasteries, shrines and other religious buildings, the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation (pictured at the upper left from afar, and to the right from up close) is the centerpiece of the city's skyline, the largest church in the Middle East, and one of Christianity's holiest sites.

In addition to the numerous religious sites, the city has made an effort in recent years to establish itself as a sophisticated cultural and culinary destination.  It has renovated many historic buildings (although there is still much work to be done on this front), and there are a number of fine restaurants, including several places acclaimed for their innovative “nouvel Arab fusion” cuisine.

Nazareth has been referred to as "the Arab capital of Israel" and is, according to information from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the only large urban area in the country where a majority of the population is Arab.  The population was mostly Christian about 100 years ago, although today nearly 70 percent of the city's residents are Muslim.  We've read about some conflicts between Christians and Muslims in Nazareth, including a controversy several years back over the failed proposal to construct a mosque that many Christians (including President George W. Bush and Pope Jean Paul II) thought was too close to the Basilica of the Annunciation.  I also witnessed first-hand some anti-Israel graffiti (in English) on the walls of the old town.

Turning from these profound and difficult issues to the fun parts of my day of touring, the strenuous climb up through the winding streets of the old town provided an escape from the tour groups and a fascinating glimpse of everyday life - like a woman washing the front of her house and two men sitting on an old couch under a tree smoking the nargileh (water pipe).  It also gave me a chance to admire some graceful old mansions from the Ottoman era (some in a better state of repair than others).  At the top of my climb, I was rewarded with a fantastic view of the city's skyline and surroundings.

The most memorable moment of my visit came as I was surrounded by vistas of different churches and a couple of nuns walked by, and then the call to prayer blared out loudly from a nearby mosque.  Only a few minutes after being struck by this vibrant mix of cultures and sensations, I passed a small store where a western rock song was playing on the radio....