Mount Precipice

Mount Precipice
Highest point
Elevation 395 m (1,296 ft)
Coordinates 32°40′58″N 35°17′55″E / 32.68278°N 35.29861°E / 32.68278; 35.29861
Geography
Location Nazareth

Mount Precipice (Hebrew: הר הקפיצה‎ Arabic: جبل القفزة, "jebel al-qafzeh", "Mount of the Leap"), also known as Mount of Precipitation, Mount of the Leap of the Lord and Mount Kedumim is located just outside the southern edge of Nazareth, 2.0 km SSW of the modern city center.

It is believed by many to be the site of the Rejection of Jesus described in Luke 4:29-30 - The people of Nazareth, not accepting Jesus as Messiah tried to push him from the mountain, but "he passed through the midst of them and went away."[1]

Archaeological excavations in the Qafzeh Cave in the mountain found human remains, whose estimated age is 100,000 years old. The human skeletons were associated with red ochre which was found only alongside the bones, suggesting that the burials were symbolic in nature. Previous to this discovery, scientists believed that human symbolic reasoning evolved much later, about 50,000 years ago.[2]

During the 20th century the mountain was used as a quarry, now abandoned. Highway 60 goes through a tunnel dug in the mountain in the site of the old quarry, connecting Afula and Jezreel Valley (Arabic - Marj Ibn Amer) directly to Nazareth.[3]

On 14 May 2009, Pope Benedict XVI gave a mass on the mountain, during his visit to Israel. 40,000 people participated in the mass.[4]

See also

Skhul and Qafzeh hominids

References

  1. ↑ "The Mount of Precipice". Nazareth Cultural & Tourism Association. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  2. ↑ Dr David Whitehouse (2003-12-11). "Cave colours reveal mental leap". BBC NEWS. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  3. ↑ Eli Ashkenazi (2008-11-18). "New "Tunnels Road" will connect Afula to Nazareth and Nazareth Illit". HAARETZ. Retrieved 2013-07-28.(Hebrew)
  4. ↑ John Thavis (2009-05-14). "Pope nears end of Holy Land trip with visit to Nazareth". Catholic News Service. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
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