Hill Of Precipitation Near Nazareth, Israel

by David Padfield

 

The city of Nazareth, the boyhood home of our Lord, was situated between two hills, or in a vale among mountains. Nazareth, though not built on the ridge of a hill, is in part surrounded by one to the west, having several precipices.

On one occassion at Nazareth, Jesus "went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read" (Luke 4:16). After His reading and exhortation the audience was "filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff" (Luke 4:28-29). What angered the audience was His apparent compliment to the Gentiles, including Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5:1ff).

The Hill of Precipitation is located south of Nazareth. According to tradition, this was the hill from which the people of Nazareth attempted to throw Jesus off.