Someone on Reddit said they were going to Israel for a week. They didn’t think they'd have time to get to both Nazareth and Bethlehem and they asked for advice on which site was more worthwhile. About ten people responded. Most pointed out that Nazareth was Jesus' boyhood home, while he was born in Bethlehem. I knew that, but I did learn some other things. Nazareth is in Galilee which is part of Israel. The city is 64 miles north of Jerusalem. Bethlehem is 28 miles south of Jerusalem in a part of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Half of the ten respondents on Reddit said Nazareth was better than Bethlehem while the other half said the opposite. One group said their favored town was beautiful while the other group said it was a dump. That's Reddit for you. I've never been to Israel but I would have said, take a tour. The typical seven day Holy Land tour visits Nazareth and Bethlehem along with many other sites.
The question about where to go and all the answers were posted three years ago, before the war in Gaza. Is it safe now to visit Nazareth and Bethlehem? The U.S. Travel Advisory site says, "ReconsiderTravel" due to terrorism and civil unrest. The advisory is a 3, just below "Do Not Travel". It also says that if you do decide to travel to Israel, maintain high situational awareness and learn where the nearest bomb shelter is and definitely don't go to Gaza.
Reddit on the other hand, say Israel is safe for tourists. Five days ago MadMuffinMan117 said he feels safer in Israel than in London. Some of these more current respondents said things may heat up if Israel decides to wipe out Hezbollah in Lebanon once and for all. Iran is always a concern. Get Cancel for Any Reason insurance before you go. The war has been terrible for tourism, which is an important part of Israel's economy. Before Covid, almost five million travelers per year visited Israel. The numbers had climbed to three million before the war. Less than a million visitors came in 2024.
I would go if I had the chance. In Nazareth I would visit the Church of the Annunciation, built over the grotto where Gabriel told Mary she was to be the mother of God. There is also a living museum Village of Nazareth which brings first century Galilee to life. Over in Bethlehem I could see the Church of the Nativity built over the grotto where Jesus was born.
The folks at Reddit say Nazareth has a calmer scene while Bethlehem is more hectic. There are abundant restaurants and tourist shops in both places. If you want a manger scene for Christmas, go to Bethlehem, while the best falafel will be found in Nazareth. No one's offering me a free trip to the Holy Land right now so I think I'll postpone my visit till things settle down in the Middle East.
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| From Nazareth to Bethlehem with a detour to Egypt |
For a great virtual tour of Israel, read Lyudmila Ulitskaya's "Daniel Stein, Interpreter".
ReplyDelete"I would go if I had the chance." Your chance is coming up in February... You've been to Paris a dozen times where all the news kiosks on the corners know you by name, c'mon! Go to Israel for once; you'd blend right in. Take in the sites; drink their coffee. Your mother'd be so happy you took the trip. Dad would insure you a parking place wherever you'd go. It's calling you. The kids would love it. Huh? Huh?
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