Discovered the first house in Jesus' time

At Christmas, Israeli archaeologists claimed to have discovered the remains of the first house in Nazareth, from the time of Jesus' birth.

A square of 85m square has been dug, but the house may be larger.Photo: Getty

According to Israeli authorities, the discovery sheds light on the lives of people 2,000 years ago when Christians believed Jesus grew in Nazareth.

A spokesman said Jesus and childhood friends of God might have known about the house.

Traces were discovered near the angel Gabriel was said to have told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.

Archaeologists have found traces of a wall, a shelter and a tank to store rainwater.

'The house we found was small, simple and very similar to the type of house people in Nazareth at that time,' said Yardenna Alexandre, of the relics management agency, and who directed the archeology to know.

She said the first house of the First Century, near today's Annunciation Church, is said to be home to a 'simple Jewish family', with two rooms and a small courtyard.

She described Nazareth as a "small village" during the time of Jesus. Today, Nazareth has grown into Israel's largest Arab city, with a population of 65,000.

The house was discovered when masons were digging a small yard in a former monastery, to build a new Christian center.