Nazareth to Sepphoris

Sepphoris (also called Zippori or Tzipori) was a small, Roman-styled city just five miles north of Nazareth. When Herod the Great took Judea with the backing of the Roman empire, only a few cities dared resist him. Sepphoris was one of those cities, and Herod captured it in 37 BC. After Herod’s death, the city rebelled and was subsequently destroyed. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great and the ruler in Jerusalem the day Jesus was crucified, rebuilt the city and made it his capital. In Luke 8:3, a brief mention is made of “Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household.” Though it depends upon speculation, it is possible Jesus met Joanna while working as a carpenter in Sepphoris. With the city in need of construction help for decades, it’s possible Joseph had found employment there. This video illustrates the short hike from Nazareth to Sepphoris. This often overlooked passage has another insight for us. Some of the women mentioned here financially supported Jesus’ ministry and even traveled with his disciples (Luke 8:2,3).