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The modern Church or Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth is a Catholic Church built over the ruins of four earlier churches. The new basilica, the largest Christian sanctuary in the Middle East, was dedicated in 1964 by Pope Paul VI during his visit to the Holy Land, and consecrated on 23 March 1969. It is a massive two-story church with a cupola reaching over 170 feet in height.
The courtyard has many depictions of the annunciation from different places around the world. It is very interesting to see how different cultures represent Mary and the baby Jesus in their own image (for example, the Thai mosaic depicts them wearing traditional Thai regalia, as well as Thai facial features).
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The lower church incorporates the TRADITIONAL cave where Mary received the news from Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. Pilgrims have visited this site since very early times and it is still a favorite place for many Holy Land pilgrims today.
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In this photo where the priest are giving Mass, there are words in Latin etched into the white altar/table they are standing behind: “Verbum Caro Hic Factum Est”. Translated: “Here the word was made flesh”. Those words were extracted from the gospel of John 1:14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
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