| Church of St. Gabriel | |
|---|---|
The church |
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| Basic information | |
| Location |  Nazareth, Israel |
| Geographic coordinates | 32°42′25.5″N 35°18′5.7″E / 32.707083°N 35.301583°ECoordinates: 32°42′25.5″N 35°18′5.7″E / 32.707083°N 35.301583°E |
| Affiliation | Eastern Orthodox |
| Architectural description | |
| Direction of facade | South |
| Year completed | 1769 |
The Church of St. Gabriel, known colloquially among the Arab citizens of Nazareth, whom it serves, as Keniset il-rum,"[1] is an Eastern Orthodox church first established in Byzantine-era Palestine.
The church, also known as St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church or the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, is located over an underground spring that according to Eastern Orthodox belief is where the Virgin Mary was drawing water at the time of the Annunciation.[2] Water from the spring still runs inside the apse of the church and also feeds the adjacent site of Mary's Well, located 150 yards (140 m) away.[3][4] The spring was the village of Nazareth's only water supply at the time the church was constructed, and served as a local watering hole for some three thousands years.[5]
The spring inside the church is located at the end of a low vaulted cavern built by the Crusaders in the twelfth century. Ancient Armenian tilework decorates the walls of the cavern and there is a small recess with a shaft leading down to the spring where one can lower a metal cup to draw water.[6]
Contents |
The remainder of the structure was built in 1769. Modern decorative murals cover the walls and the ceilings. An iconostasis (a screen decorated with icons) hides the altar from view, in keeping with Eastern Orthodox tradition. The tomb of the founder of the Church can be seen along the north wall.[6]
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