Expert: Ralph Salier - 2/17/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have read recently that a house has been discovered in Nazareth that dates back to the time of the first century.Is this correct and does this now prove that Nazareth existed at the time of Jesus Christ. Also is there any archaeological evidence that Bethlehem existed in the first century AD?

ANSWER: Hi David,

Nazareth is an ancient town on the shore of the sea of Galilee.  It dates back much farther then the 1st century AD, perhaps by 500 to 1000 years BCE.  The section the archaeologists are working on is from the time period of around the 1st century.  And like Nazareth, Bethlehem is also an ancient city dating back to at least 1500 BCE.  This is based on excavations done in the 1970's after the 6 day war.  So, yes, these places did exist at the time of Jesus.  However, this does not prove the existence of Jesus as a historical figure.  

Remember that during this time, there was great upheaval in the region due  to harsh Roman occupation and there were many upstart revolutions and leaders.  There had been several Jewish revolts against the Romans including the one that ended at Masada and the Roman siege.  If he existed as an individual, the Romans would have been looking for him and as a Jewish leader, would have had a price on his head.  So, he never stayed any where for long.  30 pieces of silver was the typical bounty for these "criminals" according to Josephus, the Roman historian.  And, the punishment favored by the Romans at the time was crucifixion which was a horrible way to die, blood loss and slow suffocation.  It is estimated  that some 500 to 1000 were so punished.  

It was also a time of many different "movements" exploring different ways to worship.  Many of the more orthodox Jews had fallen out of favor with the Temple due to the corruption they saw.  Others had no access due to poverty and were seeking alternatives. The Esscenes were such a group.  The Maccabees and the Heroditans were others from the time period.  All were lead by very charismatic leaders.  Some were more revolutionary others more contemplative.   However, all were Jewish and had deep Jewish roots.  

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QUESTION: Thank you for your last answer. I would just like to ask a further question.I was talking to some one recently and they said that Nazareth had been deserted during certain periods of time namely the 1st century. Is it possible that Nazareth could of gone through periods of people living there and not living there. Does the lack of archaeological evidence show that Nazareth was not occupied during certain periods of time in the past. Also how do archaeologists know that when they find ruins from say a building that it was called Nazareth at that time?

Answer
Hi David,

When there is continuos occupation of a site, there is little material left "undone".  Buildings are literally on  top of the rubble of the previous building.  During times of abandonment, silt and other materials drift in and form a "sterile" layer.  Some of these may only be millimeters thick but if present, indicate lack of occupation.  Much like a layer of dust in an old house that no one lives in any more.  Over time, this layer gets thicker and can in some ways give you an idea of how long  the abandonment period was.  In most cases, carbon 14 dating or magnetic dating is used  to determine the age of each layer.  It is well with in the realm of possibility that no one lived in "Nazareth" during periods of time.  This may be due  to war, famine, disease or other factors  that would either drive people away from a place or in the case of the plague, could kill every one.  

As for your last question, it is a very good one.  We only know the names of places from historical context like the Bible, the Historian Josephus, or other historical writings from that time frame.  It may have been called something else when under the rule of other peoples or cultures.  Some places like Jerusalem has probably always been Jerusalem since it is referenced in the Bible as well as other ancient documents.  Some place names stick around for a very long time.  But even modern cities have changed names.  New Amsterdam is today's New York City for instance.