Jesus in Israel

The House of Bread

Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. It is fitting that the Messiah should be born in the city from which King David hails, but there is a deeper connection. The name Beyt-lechem (בית לחם) means “house of bread” in Hebrew. Years later, Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread to feed five thousand people (Mark 6:44) and declared “I am the bread of life; he comes to me will not hunger” (John 6:35).
  

The Branch Will Bear Fruit

Jesus spent most of his childhood in the tiny village of Nazareth, which isn’t mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Why would the Messiah live in such an unheard of location? The name Nazareth (נצרת) contains the root netzer (נצר), meaning “branch”, alluding to the messianic prophecy about the future Davidic king: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).

Unlock the hidden meanings of Jesus’ life

After having the Passover feast in Jerusalem, Jesus went to pray in a garden called Gethsemane, meaning “olive press” gat shemen (גת שמן) in Hebrew. Under the pressure of his impending arrest, Jesus implored God to spare his life, but he couldn’t escape his fate atop Golgotha גלגלתא (“skull”). Hebrew is your key to unlocking the hidden meaning of the story of the life of Jesus. Enroll in our live online Biblical Hebrew course today.