Nazareth

The Nazareth where Jesus grew up was an insignificant village nestled in a hollow in the Galilean hills. Today's city of 65,000 is pulsing with energy. Apart from the occasional donkey plying traffic-clogged Paulus VI Street, there's little that evokes the Bible in contemporary Nazareth. The scene is hardly quieter on Friday, the holy day for Muslims, who make up two-thirds of the city's population. It calms down somewhat on Wednesday afternoon, however, when many businesses close for a midweek sabbatical; and on Sunday, the day of rest for the Christians who make up the other third of the town, it's positively placid.