HISTORIC NAZARETH
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Year Published: 1940s
Format: 16mm
Description: 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.
Complete Record: 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.
Transcription
[Music] Between the desert wastess of the Arabian Peninsula and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean lies a narrow strip of soil known the world over as the Holy Land. Palestine is a place of scorched plateaus and fertile plains, of stony deserts and luxurant gardens, of desolate war and hopeful peace. Birthplace of a divine idea so powerful that never may the sands of time obliterate. [Music] Nazareth is located in the richly beautiful province of Galilee. The biblical Sea of Galilee is here, where according to the gospels, Jesus called to the simple fisherman, saying, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. [Music] Through the Galilean Sea flows the ancient river Jordan. In St. Matthew, it is written, "Then went out to John the Baptist, Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." [Music] As far as the eye can see, the rich and fertile land spreads itself, sheltered by the hills of lower Galilee, while on the horizon beyond bloom the mountains of upper Galilee. And still the old pastoral life spins on in time, seemingly unchanged since the days when the good shepherd was tending his flock. [Music] Not mentioned in the Old Testament, Nazareth first became known as the town where Jesus spent his youth. A small town in lower Galilee, it was the home of Joseph and Mary, and to it they returned after their flight to Egypt. And it was in a synagogue here that Jesus preached the sermon that led to his rejection by his fellow townsmen. Through the ages, a massive legends and precarious identifications have grown in connection with Nazareth, an ancient and still colorful town attracting visitors since the century of the great crusaders. [Music] In the center of a crossroad on the east side of town, visitors stand in awe at the Fountain of the Virgin Mary, the authenticity of which has been verified. Rebuilt in 1862 and still in regular use today, the fountain receives its water from the same mountain sources as it did when Mary and her divine son came by here almost 2,000 years ago. All the precious momentos from the earliest days of Christendom in Nazareth are today guarded and cherished by the brothers of the Franciscan order of Terra Sancta. Right in front of their condent lies the garden of the church of the Holy Family. Strewn about the garden are relics from the various churches which once stood on this spot. [Music] There we go. [Music] at the northern end of the garden stands the church of the Holy Family. [Music] The main altar of the church in white marble was the present of one marquee nicico. [Music] A narrow passage which opens from the lower floor of the church leads to the grotto of the holy family. According to ancient tradition, the cave below was once Joseph's home and carpentry shop where the little Lord Jesus dwelt with his earthly parents. In those ancient times, in order to preserve their grain, folks used to dig large compartments under the floors of their homes. Joseph's house was no exception. To extract the grain, a rope was passed through a handle in the wall and pulled from above. an ingenious forerunner of the modern crane. At one end of the grotto, a large opening brings fresh air into the cave. Pilgrims have placed an icon and flowers in the opening. In the center of the crypt, beneath the main floor, are some steps that once led to an old Benedicting monastery. The round opening served as a window and admitted light into a still lower grotto. Part of the original Bzantin mosaic is still discernable. The church of the enunciation was erected in 1730, almost modern as time is counted in ancient Nazareth. The present edifice was constructed over the ruins of an old basilica. [Music] The western wall of the church borders on a large square which once formed the nave of that basilica while the statue of our lady rests on a granite column dating back to the 4th century. Thousands of devout tourists and pilgrims have come to worship before the church's high altar. Under the high altar lies the grotto of the enunciation. Here the chapel has been entirely carved out from rock. The column of the angel. This reddish granite stone also remains from the 4th century. [Music] Above the white marble altar in the main grotto hangs a memorable painting of the enunciation while beneath it is the Latin engraving verb caro hikum est which is translated here the word was made flesh. According to tradition, this Franciscan cross marks the blessed spot on which we're pronounced the sacred words of the enunciation. In the vestibule of the grotto, the altar on one side is dedicated to St. Anne and St. Yokim. The other altar is dedicated to the Archangel Gabriel. Tradition has it that behind this iron gate is an area that once comprised the home of the Virgin Mary. The ancient mosaic bears a Greek inscription by Konos. Another iron door leads into a second compartment of the grotto where an altar dedicated to St. Joseph has been erected. [Music] Opposite this altar, a narrow tunnel of stairs leads to a convent built in 1624. This tunnel passes through a cave which for many years was imaginatively considered to be the kitchen of the Virgin. [Music] Some ancient and some very precious are the numerous paintings of the enunciation which decorate the walls of the famous old church. [Music] A 10-minute walk from the Church of the Annunciation brings one to the Chapel of Mensah Christi, located in the heart of Old Nazareth. A small building crowned by a cubula, it was constructed in 1861 by the Franciscans over the ruins of an ancient ortorium. [Music] Visitors to the chapel study a fine painting of Jesus and his disciples taking supper around a large stone table. What is today a Greek Catholic church is believed once to have been that synagogue from which Christ was driven by his townsmen to a precipice after interpreting a certain passage from Isaiah. The walls and altar of the former synagogue are crowded with numerous precious icons and paintings. Among these, those depicting Jesus expounding on Isaiah [Music] [Music] [Music] These youthful sightseers are on their way to the mountain known today as the precipice. According to local tradition, when the Holy Virgin discovered that the town's folk were intending to throw Jesus from the precipice, she followed in their footsteps, inspired by maternal love to save him. Hardly had she reached this hill when she beheld the Nazarines returning without their captive. Christ had proven his divine power by vanishing from their midst. Local Christians called the hill Tremori or fright and the Franciscans have erected a white chapel to commemorate the place where the holy virgin lived those anxious moments. [Music] Because its hills, roads, and byways are hallowed by the footprints of the Galilean, whose name will always be associated with it. Nazareth remains dear in the devout hearts of millions today, tomorrow, forever more. [Music]
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