This short film from the 1940s takes viewers on a tour through the historic city of Nazareth. The New Testament describes Nazareth as the childhood home of Jesus and the area has become a center of Christian pilgrimage. It is presented by Films of the Nations (:08) and is narrated by Peter Allen (:29). The film was produced by Maurice T. Broen for D. P. M. Productions Inc. (:32). Between the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea lay Nazareth also known as the ‘Holy Land’ (:44). Palestine’s landscape consists of plateaus, plains, deserts and arid gardens (:54). Nazareth is located in Galilee (1:15) and the Galilee Sea is where the Gospel of Luke says that Jesus preached to fishermen (1:24). It is also the site where he was said to have performed other miracles such as walking on water. The ancient river of Jordan is shown next (1:38) which is sited in St. Matthew. Jesus was said to have spent his youth in a small town in lower Galilee (2:22). A span of the town in which tradition states Mary and Joseph were to have lived, follows (2:35). The city’s streets and market are dotted with locals walking through (3:22). The fountain of the Virgin Mary rests at the center of a crossroads in the eastern part of town (3:27). The fountain’s historical value has been authenticated and it was rebuilt in 1862 (3:38) though it still receives water from the same mountains it had almost 2,000 years ago. The brothers of the Franciscan Terra Sancta guard and protect the religious relics and mementoes (3:53). A few members are pictured before the Garden of the Church of the Holy Family (4:02) along with the many relics in the garden (4:08-4:38). The northern end of the garden houses the Church of the Holy Family (4:56) and a sign seen outside the entryway reads “Entrance Strictly Forbidden” (5:15). Inside of the church (5:17) the main altar is pointed to. The 4th grotto of the Holy Family is entered through a passageway opening from the lower floor of the church (5:29). Tradition states that this was Joseph’s carpentry shop and home (5:37). The holes dug into the ground were done in an effort to preserve grain by inhabitants in ancient times (5:48). Icons and flowers were set into the opening at one end of the grotto (6:14). Beneath the main floor are steps that are believed to have once led to an old Benedictine Monastery (6:19). Part of the original Byzantine mosaic is still visible on another opening which acts as a window (6:33). The Church of the Annunciation is pointed to which had been erected in 1730 (6:37) and it was built over the ruins of an old basilica (6:45). The Statue of Our Lady rests upon a granite column dating back to the 4th century (7:14). Visitors and pilgrims travel miles to worship before the church’s high altar (7:24) and under this is the grotto of the Annunciation (7:32). The Column of the Angel follows (7:41) which is also from the 4th century. Above the altar in the main grotto sits a painting of the Annunciation (8:06) with Latin words below it which translate into “here the word was made flesh”. The Franciscan cross which is said to mark ‘the blessed spot’ (8:22) follows. The altar on one side of the vestibule grotto had been dedicated to St. Anne and St. Joachim (8:30) while the altar on the other side was dedicated to the archangel Gabriel (8:36). The iron gates which follow (8:43) are said to have led to the home of the Virgin Mary. An altar dedicated to St. Joseph sits inside of a second compartment of the grotto (9:00). The tunnel which was once believed to be the kitchen of Virgin Mary is shown at (9:17) as well as various ancient paintings of the Annunciation (9:38). The Chapel of Mensa Christi built in 1861 rests in the center of Nazareth (9:51). Though it is a Greek Catholic church today, it was once believed to be the synagogue that Jesus had read the sermon in which lead to his rejection by his fellow townsmen (10:24). The mountain that is known as the Precipice (11:31) precedes a white chapel which the Franciscans had erected to honor the place where Mary had waited anxiously, after finding out the townsfolk’s plans to throw Jesus from the Precipice (11:51). Youth are seen walking by the white columns of the church (12:03) and praying inside (12:20). The End.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com