The bus takes me 90 miles from Jerusalem to the "the Arab capital of Israel" and the town where Gabriel announced to Mary she would conceive the Christ child -- Nazareth!

NAZARETH
When the state of Israel was created in 1948, Nazareth was a small Christian town . Then, in the 1980's, the old city became very dangerous because of political conflicts as the result of a large influx of Muslim refugees. But, eventually setteled down to become a more peaceful place.
 
Nazareth is now the largest Arab city in Israel with a population of about 75,000, all Arab citizens of Israel. (69% are Muslims and the remainder mostly Arab Christians.) There was a Jewish population, but they were separated off into their own town in 1974, called Nazareth Ilit.
 
The first historical records of Nazareth were around the 4th century A.D. In Jesus’ time, Nazareth was a small Jewish village of not more than 300 people. This was determined through archaeological excavations.

I stayed in the ancient city of Nazareth. It's a quiet city without the military soldiers with machine guns standing around (like in other cities I have been to). And, I found that Sunday's it's a ghost town with closed markets and empty streets.
 
IN THIS ENTRY
The Church of the Annunciation is built over the cave that was home to Mary when the angel announced she would be the mother of Jesus .

St. Gabriel's Church of the Annunciation is built over the spring that fed Mary's Well believed to be where Mary drew water and used to bathe young Jesus.
 

RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE
For Jews
As far as I know Nazareth doesn't have any special religious significance for the Jews. It's not mentioned in the Old Testament.
 
For Muslims
They have built 7 mosques in Nazareth and are the majority of the population. They do not accept Jesus as God's Son. They believe He was only a prophet equal to Moses or other prophets.

For Christians
17 times the Christian Scriptures refer to “Jesus of Nazareth”. The New Testament describes Nazareth as the place where the angel told Mary she would conceive God"s Son. The small village was the childhood home of Jesus. He returned later in life, and angered the Jews in the synagogue so much, they tried to throw Him off the side of the mountain! 
 
In Scripture:
  The Annunciation: Luke 1:26-38
  The Holy Family settles in Nazareth: Matthew 2:23; Luke 2:39-40
 
NEXT: "JESUS IN NAZARETH"