Holy Land Reflections 11
Nazareth
Underground storage places
‘The Virgin’s Kitchen’
T
HE ANGEL GABRIEL left no mark of his visit to Mary on the fabric of the ancient village of Nazareth. Archaeologists have found signs of occupation dating back as far as the 8th century B.C. Most was obliterated by the building of a 12th Franciscan friary, and then a palace for the crusader archbishop of Nazareth. Of the older constructions, the parts that were dug out of the soft rock are best preserved; a cistern for storing rainwater, silos at different levels for storing foodstuffs, a winepress, cellars full of jars, stables with mangers for the animals and a bread oven. The part closest to the reputed site of Gabriel’s appearance is known as ‘the Virgin’s Kitchen’. A small area of mosaic is all that remains of the original Christian church on the site, dating back to the 4th century.
The present church is a vast 20th century concrete structure, on several levels. The lowest level has the reputed site of the Annunciation to Mary. Just above a square altar stands in the centre of the church, surrounded by raised galleries so that worshippers can look down both on the service at the altar and at the lowest part. The upper church has a massive ring in the centre of the floor, allowing light to enter the church below, and providing more worshippers with a view of the holy places. The brutalist concrete structure appears totally out of sympathy with the tenderness of Gabriel’s visit and message. For something more appropriate, the surrounding courtyard area has mosaics donated by Christians from many countries. Since this is where Jesus grew up, most are images of the Virgin and child. One of my favourites
is the one illustrated below, donated by Thailand.
## Tom Ambrose