Sepphoris, a few hour’s walk from Nazareth, was a prosperous town in Jesus’ day that would soon become known as the “ornament of all Galilee.” Today, it is a national park where fascinating ruins enrich your understanding of New Testament times.
Joanna, a follower of Jesus and the wife of Cuza (Luke 8:3), may have hailed from Sepphoris, the regional capital of Herod Antipas, whose steward Cuza was. Considering the town was under construction when Jesus was growing up, and Joseph’s profession, according to the Greek, was actually “builder,” some say Joseph, and even Jesus, could have worked here. A reconstructed villa with its gorgeous “Mona Lisa of Galilee” mosaic, a theater, market streets and other finds showcase daily life in Roman times.
At Sepphoris, where the biblical commentary known as the Mishnah was codified in the third century, Christian visitors are also fascinated by the scriptural symbols of its sixth-century synagogue mosaic, which tell a story of faith and redemption.