How can Jesus be from Nazareth when Nazareth didn't exist in the 1rst Century?

Question

*At the said time of Jesus's existence, Nazareth was a burial ground.

Answer 1

It's really very simple:

Jesus is a myth.

Answer 2

Nazareth was an extremely obscure Galilean village. In fact it was so obscure that it was never mentioned in the OT, Josephus, Philo, early rabbinic literature, or OT psuedepigrapha. However, the NT reference is (or should be) sufficient to establish its existence.


"Despite Nazareth's obscurity (which had led some critics to suggest that it was a relatively recent foundation), archeology indicates that the village has been occupied since the 7th century B.C., although it may have experienced a 'refounding' in the 2d century b.c. " ([MJ]A Marginal Jew--Rethinking the Historical Jesus, (vol 1), p.300-301)...cites Meyers and Strange, Archeology, the Rabbis, and Early Christianity, Abingdon:1981. pp.56-57

"Despite the Hellenization of the general region and the probability that Greek was known to many people it seems likely that Nazareth remained a conservative Jewish village. After the Jewish war with the Romans from AD 66-70 it was necessary to re-settle Jewish priests and their families. Such groups would only settle in unmixed towns, that is towns without Gentile inhabitants. According to an inscription discovered in 1962 in Caesarea Maritima the priests of the order of Elkalir made their home in Nazareth. This, by the way, is the sole known reference to Nazareth in antiquity, apart from written Christian sources... (next paragraph) Some scholars had even believed that Nazareth was a fictitious invention of the early Christians; the inscription from Caesarea Maritima proves otherwise."

Answer 3

Its a long answer, but here it goes...I am apologizing for the length up front. This is a conversation between a journalist (Lee Strobel) and Dr. John McRay a professor and former research assoc, and trustee of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem (the list continues) He also supervised numerous excavating teams.
Mr Strobel:
:"Is there any archaeological confirmation that Nazareth was in existence during the first Century?"
This issue wasn't new to McRay" Dr James Strange of the University of South FL. is an expert in this area, and he describes Naza. as being a very small place, about 60 acres, with a max. population of about 480 at the beginning of the 1st century."McRay Replied.
However, that was a conclusion; I wanted the evidence. "How does he know that?" I asked (Mr.Strobel)
"well Strange notes that when Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70, priests were no longer needed in the temple because it had been destroyed, so they were sent out to various other locations, even up into Galilee. Archaeologists have found a list in Aramaic describing the twenty four 'courses,' or families, of priests who were relocated, and one of them was registered as having been moved to Nazareth. That shows that this tiny village must have been there at the time."
In addition he said there have been archaeological digs that have uncovered 1st century tombs in the vicinity of Nazareth, which would establish the village's limits because by Jewish law burials had to take place outside the town proper. Two tobs contained objects such as pottery lamps, glass vessels, and cases from the 1st, 3rd, and 4th centuries....
McRay picked up a copy of a book by renowned archaeologist Jack Finegan, published by Princeton Univ. Press. He leafed through it, then read Finegan's analysis: " From the tombs...it can be concluded that Nazareth was a strongly Jewish settlement in the Roman period."
McRay looked up at me. "There has been discussion about the location of some sites from the 1st century, such as exactly where Jesus' tomb is situated, but among archaeologists there has NEVER really been a big doubt about the location of Nazareth. The burden of proof ought to be on those who dispute its exsistence."

Sorry about the length and the typos..The source I got it from proves many different facts and backs them up with numerous resources..check it out.

Answer 4

Sorry to burst your bubble, but "Nazareth" DID exist in the first century a.d. It was "Bethlehem" of old you must be thinking of that existed in the land of Zebulon when Micah wrote down his prophesy.
The mistake "made" is the ASSUMPTION that Bethlehem of Judah is the town where Jesus was to be born when in FACT Micah was foretelling that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem which existed near where Nazareth is. When Jesus was born, Bethlehem of old did not exist, so Bethlehem of Judah was SUBSTITUED in the stories told of Jesus which are WRONG. If you STUDY all that is WRITTEN you will find alot of things which ROMAN CATHOLICS "rewrote" much later and have STUCK in BIBLES as TRUTH.......

Answer 5

Look again. Ancient maps show the city...and historical writtings other than the Bible also speak of the city.

Answer 6

I think he bought in before the developer built any of the houses.

Answer 7

Wow, what an unfornate mistake on the author's parts! They named a town that Jesus is from before it even existed. Must have been a prophecy!

Get a life you freak!

Answer 8

Yes it did.

Answer 9

Who told you that lie ? .......and why do you believe so quickly , what people are telling you and don't believe God , Who knows everything ???