Spending my first night in Nazareth. It is a very large city now, but In Jesus' day it was quite small. The city has this haze over it because they need some rain to settle down the desert sands. Nazareth is in a bowl shaped valley with mountain ridges all surrounding it and as I look out our balcony you see millions of lights littering the hillside. Several are green which I have learned is to ward off evil spirits for muslims. Our hotel is quiet and just like out of a movie. We have a beutiful interior garden with trees and tables and lights. Everything is open air and you hear constant car horns and firecrackers. It is a Jewish holiday...celebrating the Torah or Law. they set off firecrackers...but they have no lights. So it sounds a lot like gunfire, but they say it is not. Everything so far feels quite safe and quite foriegn. Well wish me luck sleeping. Tomorrow we are off to old Nazareth and then Sea of Galilee.
Shalom.