Mount Precipice or Mount of Precipitation, is a ridge located just outside the southern edge of Nazareth, approx. 2.0 kilometers southwest of the modern city center. It is also known as the "Mount of the Leap of the Lord" and Mount Kedumim after the Rejection of Jesus episode mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (4:29–30 (see notes)).
The so-called Mount Precipice, is a ridge that extends to the south-west from the Nazareth hills and overlooks the lowlands that separate Galilee from the central hill country. These low lying areas at the foot of the Mount Precipice are loosly refered to as the valley orplains of Jezreel (Esdraelon in Greek). It offers a unique and panoramic view of the Jezreelor Esdraelon valley. From the peak of Mount of Precipitation at least five other biblical landmarks are can also be spotted, i.e. Mount Tabor, Mount Moreh, Mount Gilboa, Mount Carmel, and Tel Megiddo. The Mount Tabor, known in Arabic as Jebel et-Tur is located directly to the east.
It is known as Har HaKfitsa (הר הקפיצה) in Hebrew and Jebel al-Qafzeh (جبل القفزة) in Arabic, literally meaning the "Mount of the Leap". According to the biblical narrative in the Gospel of Luke, 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". The Gospel of Luke mentiones that the angry mob, irritated with Jesus, due to his bold reading of Isaiah.
circa 100,000 BCE
al-Qafzeh Cave Excavations
A number of human remains were discovered during archaeological excavations in the Qafzeh Cave situated on the northern slope of the the mountain. These remains have been dated to be some 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.
During the early to mid 20th century CE the mountain was used as a stone 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.
circa 2009 CE
Mount Precipice Theater
A large, crude theater was constructed for Pope's arrival and subsequent mass celebration. On 14 May 2009, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a Mass on this mountain, during his visit to the Holy Land in which 40,000 people are said to have participated.
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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