Childhood home of Jesus Christ found in Nazareth
Archaeologists working in the city of Nazareth have unearthed what they believe to be the childhood home of Jesus Christ. Following an arduous, 14-year excavation of the site at the Sisters of Nazareth Convent, researchers say they believe the first-century home is where Jesus grew up as a child. Lead researcher Professor Ken Dark embarked on 14 years of research and fieldwork at the ancient site. He says his studies of the well-preserved abode on a limestone hillside revealed "excellent craftsmanship" and a "structural understanding of rock". He says this is, "consistent with it having been constructed by a tekton" – the occupation of Jesus' father, Joseph. Professor Dark says the dwelling was originally found in the 1880s and was first excavated in the 1930s. For decades, experts and nuns living in the convent have asserted that the site was Jesus' boyhood home. Dark started on his dig in 2006 to investigate these assertions. He said the site had been "almost forgotten by scholars". He used cutting edge archaeological techniques to uncover more secrets of the house. Dark discovered that people believed that the building was Jesus' house from at least the 380s. However, he says his claims are not conclusive and acknowledges that we may never know for sure whether or not Jesus Christ lived at that location. |