Sepphoris

Most people in our modern age are used to the reality that they or their family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers may live in one community and work in the next. While this has become the norm for much of the world in the last few generations, even in an era before automobiles and motorized mass transit, this was not unusual. Nonetheless, many may be surprised to discover that Saint Joseph of the Holy Family and Jesus himself may have been commuters themselves!   

Sepphoris, also known as Zippori in Biblical Hebrew, Diocaesaraea in Byzantine Greek, le Saforie in French, and Saffuriya in Arabic, goes by many names due to its rich history. Located approximately four miles to the northwest of the center of Nazareth, the city was a Jewish settlement at the time of the Holy Family with some Greek-speaking Jews. 

While Sepphoris is not specifically mentioned in the New Testament, and no traditions of Jesus visiting the community prior to or during his ministry have come down to us, the town is significant in Christian tradition as it is believed to be the hometown of Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Virgin Mary. As archaeological evidence suggests that it was a more economically prosperous community than the small village of Nazareth, it is believed that Joseph, a craftsman by trade, other members of his family, and quite possibly, Christ Himself, may have either temporarily lived in Sepphoris for work, or made the comparatively short distance as commuters when necessitated.

Nazareth

The town appears to have been economically prosperous and may have at one time been a center of Jewish religious and cultural life in the region up until the fourth century. A Roman ampitheater and the ruins of a synagogue, a public building, and several villas, all with beautiful mosaic floors are but a few signs of its affluence. The mosaics have drawn particular interest, differing in themes from Jewish religious symbology, Greek mythology (including one possible depiction of the goddess Venus that has been called "Mona Lisa of the Galilee", and even a panoramic depiction of the Nile River, accompanying wildlife, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and a structural implement called a Nilometer meant to measure the water depth of the Nile. In time, the Christian community grew, with the town being elevated to the status of a bishopric. During the Crusades, a church dedicated to St. Anne was constructed, and the town became a strategic center for the Crusaders due to its strategic position and the availability of water. Today, the ruins of a hilltop Crusader fortress, partially rebuilt and repurposed as a school for local Palestinian Arabs during the nineteenth century, provide an excellent view of the region.

Now an open-air archaeological park, visitors can come to Sepphoris and wander through the ruins of the amphitheater and church, see the uncovered and protected mosaic floors on display, and climb the steps of the Crusader fortress to take in the outlying region. On a clear, quiet day, one can imagine the sound of children playing in the village, perhaps with a visiting Joachim and Anna with a young Mary, or the sound of Joseph and his family, and perhaps Christ himself, busily working away as they ply their trade and think of returning home to Nazareth.

Journey to the Holy Land!

Good Shepherd Travel includes Sepphoris as an optional extension in our Holy Land pilgrimages along with Jerusalem, Nazareth and the Galilee, Bethlehem Jericho, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. Other popular pilgrimage tours to locations such as Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, and Ireland are also available. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2022 and 2023, contact Good Shepherd Travel owner and manager, Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com.