Nazareth Village - A Re-Creation of Life in Biblical Times

Based in Western Massachusetts, Naomi Tetherly possesses a background as a public school educator and an academic enhancement coordinator. A travel enthusiast in her free time, she has visited locales from India to the Azores. Naomi Tetherly’s most recent travels took her to Holy Land sites such as the Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane in Israel.

Among the cultural highlights was a tour of Nazareth Village, which provides visitors with a glimpse of life as it was on Galilean farmsteads during the time of Jesus Christ. The rural location includes ancient olive tree groves, where historical actors undertake roles as shepherds, taking care of goats and sheep on rocky slopes.

Tours include demonstrations of ancient terrace and roof making techniques, as well as an authentic wine press from the first century AD that was discovered a decade ago. A highlight for many is watching olives being carried to a traditional olive press, where donkeys then pull the heavy millstone to create olive oil.

Other activities include the plowing of wheat and picking of pomegranates, with visitors also gaining insight into the religion of the time inside a synagogue. The location is also an ideal starting point for those who plan to hike the Jesus Trail and learn more about the founder of Christianity.

Visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

ELA educator and school administrator Naomi Tetherly taught second and third grade at Robert M. Hughes Academy Charter Public School before taking on the position of Special Education Director. Outside of her classroom experience, Naomi Tetherly enjoys exploring new destinations. In early 2018, Ms. Tetherly set out on a 12-day tour of Israel’s Holy Land, making stops at the Dead Sea, the Mount of Olives, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the holy city of Jerusalem, is sacred to Christians. The church is known worldwide as the site of Jesus’s last days and his miraculous resurrection. 

The hill where the Church stands has held religious significance since the 2nd century. The Church as it appears today was built in 1048 and is currently shared by 5 different Christian denominations. The tomb believed to belong to Jesus is housed inside the ancient structure. 

Visitors to Jerusalem’s Old City can explore the Holy Sepulchre year-round between the hours of 5 AM and 8 PM from April to September. During the fall and winter months, the Church closes an hour earlier.

Tips for First-Time Authors of Children’s Books

Primary education professional Naomi Tetherly holds a Massachusetts Initial license for Elementary Vice-Principal/Principal and a master's degree in school administration from American International College. Formerly an English and Social Studies teacher, Naomi Tetherly is currently in the process of writing a children’s book.

The best children’s books engage their audience with relatable characters, interesting scenarios, and rhythmical language. There are a few areas that authors must consider when writing a children’s book for the first time.

Connecting to a young audience requires an understanding of their natural interests. There are significant psychosocial changes that occur as children develop, so authors must identify the specific age group that will be their target audience. Once this has been determined, writers can draw ideas from their own childhood or other children in their lives. 

Though most children’s books have themes centered around typical childhood scenarios, there are infinite unique ways to present the storyline. Authors can keep children and older readers interested by writing in a way that stimulates the imagination. They should also consider how their book’s images will bring the characters and their fictional world to life.

Tours at Nazareth Village

Naomi Tetherly completed her MA in school administration at the American International College in 2013. She previously served as special education director at the Robert M. Hughes Academy Charter Public School. In March 2018, Naomi Tetherly went on a 12-day vacation to Israel, where she visited Nazareth Village. 

Nazareth Village, located in the hills 12 miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee, dates back to the time of Jesus. The village has been explored via extensive archaeological excavations, which have found a wine press that dates to more than 2,000 years ago. It includes the remains of a vineyard, terraces, a spring-fed irrigation system, stone quarries, watchtowers, and old olive trees.

Nazareth Village provides tour services, ranging between 45 and 90 minutes. During the tour, guides lead visitors in languages such as English, French, Italian, Arabic, Russian, German, Hebrew and Finnish. Visitors can choose from three different programs that include the Parable Walking Tour, biblical meals and school and education tours.

In the Parable Walking Tour, a guide describes Galilean life during the first century. The re-enactment includes villagers dressed in first-century costumes, who perform everyday activities such as working in an olive press and on the farm. Visitors are able to see the village’s grape vines, olive trees, and cultivated terraces. The average tour lasts 75 minutes. 

To learn more about first-century cuisine, visitors are welcome to try Nazareth Village’s biblical meals. The Martha meal includes a helping of fresh bread, za’atar and hummus. A traditional first-century meal includes lentil stew, salads, bread and dips. Visitors also can try the traditional meal with chicken, a Passover meal, or the festive Prodigal Son meal.

The Renowned Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A teacher at East Longmeadow Public Schools, Naomi Tetherly is licensed to serve as vice-principal/principal elementary (Pre-K-6) in the state of Massachusetts. Naomi Tetherly enriches her knowledge through world travels and recently visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Israel. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is situated at Golgotha, a hill in the Old City. The church complex encompasses the site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is considered the holiest of Christian shrines. As early Christians revered the site, the Roman emperor Hadrian established a temple covering the site in honor of the pagan goddess Aphrodite. When Christian Roman emperor Constantine I came to power he replaced the temple, sometime around 320, with a Basilica. 

The church underwent destruction and rebuilding under the various forces that controlled Jerusalem over the centuries, including the different Crusades that were fought to gain control of the Holy Land. As a result, the vast church complex is made up of over 30 astonishing chapels and worship locations from various denominations of the Christian faith.

Different parts of the church are owned by the Catholic, the Armenian Orthodox, and the Greek Orthodox churches, and two Muslim families hold the key that open and close the church. As a mixture of various architectural influences and as a place of worship, it is a must see site while in Jerusalem.

EORC’s Monthly Cross-Country Race Series

A licensed school administrator in Massachusetts, Naomi Tetherly teaches within the East Longmeadow Public Schools and draws on her experience teaching language arts to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Naomi Tetherly enjoys running in her spare time, and belongs to the Empire One Running Club (EORC) in Western Massachusetts. The organization holds a series of races throughout the year, including the Holyoke Elks Cross-Country monthly race series.

The racing series consists primarily of 5k races, with five 8k races being held once a month from April through August. Races take place on Thursday evenings on courses along dirt and gravel roads, and the routes also circle the scenic Ashley reservoir. Participation is open to men and women of all running skill levels and individuals aged 16 and under and over 70 may participate for free. A $5 participation fee is required for all other runners. The EORC provides refreshments at the end of every race and distributes prizes through a lottery drawing.

The Unbelievable Barkley Marathons

Currently working on a children’s book, Naomi Tetherly serves as a teacher at East Longmeadow Public Schools in Massachusetts and is licensed to work as a principal and vice principal in the state. A holder of a master’s degree in school administration, Naomi Tetherly is an avid runner and enjoys cross-country and trail running.

For many passionate runners, participating in the Barkley Marathons is on their bucket list, but even applying for entry to the race is shrouded in mystery. Its creator and race director, Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell was inspired to stage the event after learning that Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, James Earl Ray, was once caught only 8 miles from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary after having escaped 54 hours earlier. A portion of the race passes through the now closed prison. 

First held in 1986, the annual 100 mile (some say it's more) ultra trail marathon involves finishing five 20-mile loops through the punishing, fog-filled terrain of Tennessee's Frozen Head State Park, with a race cut-off time of 60 hours. It has over 60,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, more than twice the height of Mt. Everest. Only 35-40 runners are allowed to participate each year, and only 15 runners out of about 1,000 have finished the race within the prescribed cutoff. In the March 2018 edition, like in so many other years, not a single participant finished the race.