First Days Volunteering at Nazareth Village

Last week, after some days of orientation, Margaret and I put in a couple of days on the job. We had been given some costumes and roles to play, and so starting at nine in the morning, we were at it. On the first day I was the watchman in the tower, and I was dubbed Abraham. Overlooking the vineyard, the community set up a three hour watch schedule to deter either thieves who might try to steal, or animals that might damage the ripening fruit. This was so common that the word 'watch' was used as a measurement of time. Matt. 14:25, Luke 12:38. On the second day, I became the farmer in Jesus' parables who discovered a tree that was unfruitful. Willing to give another chance, the farmer dug around the base of the tree and cultivated it, so that the tree was again producing fruit. Margaret was dubbed Deborah, and she carried water from the well, and had a 'gazillion' pictures taken of her sitting by the first century, re-constructed olive press. The olives will be ripening in two or three weeks, and we will be helping to gather and preserve the olives, as well as pressing them to extract the oil. It is really quite marvelous how the property where Nazareth Village is located has been found, and developed. Excavations of the property, about 500 meters from the center of downtown Nazareth, revealed it was used as a vineyard. They found an original wine press and vat, the ruins of three first century watchtowers. They have built a first century replica of a cistern, a tomb, and has the only full-sized replicated synagog, where you can imagine Jesus when He was asked to read the Scripture, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has appointed me to bring Good News to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim the captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favour has come". Many tour groups go through each day, and hear Christ's parables, in an area He probably played and worked in. This recreated first century village with its farmers, shepherds, weavers, carpenters, men, women, children and animals, has an amazing effect. Some are moved to tears thinking about how God lived His life among us, so ordinary, yet so divine, using the world around Him to portray spiritual truth. Revolutionary!

Us in our Nazareth Village roles