Nazarenes Recreate 2,000 year-old village

[Mephisto]

No matter what your religious preference is, I think it's ironic that this peaceful and worthwhile scientific endeavor (for archeologicial, sociological and archival purposes especially) is intruded upon by the backlash from a religious war of the 21st century.

Nazarenes live and act as Jesus did

POSTED: 7:32 p.m. EST, December 19, 2006

By Michael McKinley and David Gibson

NAZARETH VILLAGE, Israel (CNN) -- Two thousand years after Jesus walked the hills of the Galilee, a group of American and Israeli scholars have created Nazareth Village, the kind of first-century Hebrew town where Jesus grew up, in the very city where he was raised.

That makes Nazareth Village a treasure not only to archaeologists and Christian pilgrims, but also to filmmakers.

Because in spite of the religious significance and nostalgia surrounding the biblical town of Nazareth, today's sprawling, modern-day version of the city would have been unrecognizable to Jesus.

Then, a decade ago Dr. Stephen Pfann, president of the University of the Holy Land, spotted remnants of an ancient wine press while visiting nearby Nazareth Hospital.

Encouraged by the hospital administration, Pfann worked with fellow biblical scholars, including his wife, Claire -- one of the on-camera experts in the CNN Presents documentary "After Jesus" -- to painstakingly rebuild this modern-day archaeological marvel on a 20-acre patch of hillside in the midst of a bustling city of 70,000 people -- Muslim, Jewish and Christian.

Nazareth Village is no dry museum piece or shallow tourist trap, but a working village that recreates a Jewish community at the time of the first century.

Today, Nazarene men, women and children from the surrounding neighborhood dress in authentic first-century costumes to plow fields, bake bread and press olives.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/19/afterjesus.nazarethvillage/index.html
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The article doesn't mention whether or not the re-enactors are Israeli citizens (one could hope for a conglomeration of people of the area) or not, but brings to light the simple fact that innocent people in that region are STILL dying because of religious nonsense.

[boloboffin]

So this village isn't archeologically based, i.e., built on top of actual ruins, but is a "standard Jewish small village" in a proposed location for the town of Nazareth?

Sigh. I had heard that there was very little evidence for a town called Nazareth anywhere in Galilee at the turn of the common era. I smell the methodology of the Creation Museum here...

[supercorgi]

So this village isn't archeologically based, i.e., built on top of actual ruins, but is a "standard Jewish small village" in a proposed location for the town of Nazareth?

Sigh. I had heard that there was very little evidence for a town called Nazareth anywhere in Galilee at the turn of the common era. I smell the methodology of the Creation Museum here...

I don't know if there is a lot of evidence for a town called Nazareth, but I do applaud the creation of living history sites - unless they're constantly touting it's significance as the birthplace of Christ. I'd be much more interested in how they lived, the agriculture, the weaving, all the various crafts and organization that could keep a 2,000 year old town prospering. If they're being honest and not pushing an agenda, I sort of see it like the Iron Age living history sites in England.

Of course that being said, as someone who has studied archaeology at the graduate level, I'm very suspicious of Biblical archaeology because they're not always excavating and studying what actually was, but trying to shore up the historical accuracy of the Bible.

[David Swidler]

I don't know if there is a lot of evidence for a town called Nazareth, but I do applaud the creation of living history sites - unless they're constantly touting it's significance as the birthplace of Christ. I'd be much more interested in how they lived, the agriculture, the weaving, all the various crafts and organization that could keep a 2,000 year old town prospering. If they're being honest and not pushing an agenda, I sort of see it like the Iron Age living history sites in England.

In Israel, the idea is not unique, but certainly the largest such exhibit here of which I'm aware. Jerusalem itself has a bunch of them, ranging from a restaurant the recreates the Roman banquet to a "living museum" built around the ruins of a first-century Roman villa, taking visitors down a reconstructed marketplace populated by actors and proprietors who double as guides.

Of course that being said, as someone who has studied archaeology at the graduate level, I'm very suspicious of Biblical archaeology because they're not always excavating and studying what actually was, but trying to shore up the historical accuracy of the Bible.

When the Bible is the only source for certain locations/events, it can be hard to figure out where that line is.

[Mephisto]

There are several such "re-creation" sites in the U.S. as well and not all of them are so peaceful. I've met several civil-war re-enactors and some of them (from BOTH sides) seem intent on refighting the civil war. Injuries are common and tempers sometimes flare, so even if they are preserving the history of the era, I feel that they sometimes also preserve the prevalent hostilities of the time as well. Without getting into the politics of the U.S. civil war (or sectarian violence :)), it's obvious that concentrating on something this negative isn't necessary in the middle east.

If this commune is actually interested in accurately preserving the historical technology, arts, crafts and culture of the area (as opposed to Biblical propaganda) it would be a special loss to the scientific community of the world if they should die in a Hezbollah rocket attack.

[Kopji]

In what way is this not a tourist trap?