After meeting up with my friend Alan, we made our way to the ancient ruins of Tzipori (Sepphoris). It was a major Roman and Byzantine city, the capital and heart of the Galilee province. It included a network of colonnaded paved streets, markets, residential houses, public buildings, bathhouses, theater, synagogues and churches. The richness of its renowned mosaic floors, architecture and other findings suggest that the city was wealthy.
The historian Josephus described Sepphoris as “the ornament of all Galilee” and it was the administrative capital of the Galilee in the 1st century. While Sepphoris is not mentioned in the bible, the city was under construction during Jesus’ lifetime. Only 5 km north-west of Nazareth, some scholars speculate that Joseph may have worked as a tekton (or “builder”) in the construction of this city. Oral tradition sites Sepphoris as the hometown of Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim.
