164 
THE HOLY LAND. 
CHAP, 
IV. 
Nazareth. 
Condition 
of the In- 
habitants. 
principally ascending, until we entered a 
narrow defile between the hills. This, suddenly 
opening towards our right, presented us with 
a view of the small town or village^ of 
Nazareth, situate upon the side of a barren 
rocky elevation, facing the east, and com- 
mtlnding a long valley. Throughout the 
dominion of Djezzar Pasha, there was no place 
that suffered more from his tyrannical govern- 
ment than Nazareth. Its inhabitants, unable to 
sustain the burdens imposed upon them, were 
continually emigrating to other territories. The 
few who remained were soon to be stripped 
of their possessions ; and when no longer able 
to pay the tribute exacted from them, no 
alternative remained, but that of going to 
Acre, either to Vv'ork in his fortifications, or to 
flee their country. The town was in the most 
wretched state of indigence and misery ; the 
soil around might bid defiance to agriculture ; 
and to the prospect of starvation were added 
(1) " Nat^ajjT, scribit Epiphanius, olim oppidum erat, nunc vicus, 
xu/jLYi' Iiib.i. adversus Heereses, p. 122. notatque p. 136, ante tempore 
Josephi (usque ad imperium Constantini Senioris) nullis praeter Judasos 
illic habitare licuisse." Relandi PalcBslina, in verb. Nazareth. 
" Phocas appellat eam Kuy/o-roXtv, sic ut xaftr,; et ■roKiia;, vici et urbis^ 
certo respectu nomen mercatur." Ibid. See also IfiUiam of Tyre., 
lib. xxiii. c.26. 
