LANDS AND PLACES
During the lifetime of Jesus, two cities stood out as much more significant than any of the many villages in the region of Galilee: Sepphoris and Tiberias. Curiously enough, Sepphoris does not appear in the New Testament, and the only mention of Tiberias appears in John 6:23, which notes that people in boats came from Tiberias seeking Jesus. He conducted His ministry in Galilee among the small villages in the countryside, rather than in the two larger cities.
The absence of Sepphoris in the New Testament is all the more remarkable given that it was located within easy walking distance from Nazareth (6 km or 3.7 miles). Jesus and His father, Joseph, almost certainly worked there as builders. A revolt following the death of Herod the Great (4 BC) extensively damaged Sepphoris, but his son Herod Antipas chose the city as the administrative center of Galilee. Finding the city in a ruined state, Herod inaugurated an ambitious building program that took many years to complete, and which would have drawn workers from the surrounding country. The rebuilding took place during the time that Jesus lived in Nazareth before He began His public ministry.
Jesus and His father were carpenters. Mark 6:3 describes Jesus as a tektōn (τέκτων), as Matthew 13:55 does His father. A tektōn was someone skilled in working in wood and stone, and the English word “builder” is probably an excellent modern equivalent. Because Nazareth was small, the two builders would have had to look farther afield for employment. Given its proximity, and the building activity going on there at the time, it is nearly certain that Jesus and His father would have worked at Sepphoris on construction projects. Yet the gospels do not mention the city.
Sepphoris has had several names: the Greek name Sepphoris at the time of Jesus, Diocaesaraea after the Bar Kochba War (AD 132–135), Sephory during the Crusades, Saffuriya in Arabic, and Zippori in Hebrew.
Several teams of archaeologists have been working at Sepphoris, and between them, they have uncovered many ancient ruins. They include a substantial Roman theater, paved roads, and magnificent private and public buildings. Among the public buildings is a large synagogue with a floor mosaic that, besides depicting scenes from the Bible, contains a large zodiac. Many such finds date from after the time of Jesus (though debate continues as to whether or not the theater was built at that time or later). But the city of Jesus’ day had a substantial wall and extensive housing. The discoveries that we can date to His lifetime are mostly consistent with Jewish practices. For example, archaeologists have found very few images (cf. Ex. 20:4; Lev. 26:1; Deut. 27:15; the synagogue with its mosaic images is from a later time period). Carved menorah (candlesticks reminiscent of those found in the Temple) were common. More than 20 mikvaot were discovered in one area alone. A mikvah was a small immersion pool used in first-century Judaism to remove ceremonial impurity (cf. Lev.14:8; 15:27; 17:15). Many scholars see the practice as lying behind Christian baptism, which symbolizes leaving the uncleanness of sin behind.
During the third century AD, Sepphoris was known as a center for both Christianity and Judaism. The names of several Christian bishops have survived. Tradition also says that the Jewish leader Judah the Prince composed the Mishnah there.
McCollough, “City and Village in Lower Galilee: The Import of the Archaeological Excavations at Sepphoris and Khirbet Qana (Cana) for Framing the Economic Context of Jesus,” 49-74.
McIver, “Sepphoris and Jesus: Missing Link or Negative Evidence?” 221-232.