For other uses, see Nazareth . Nazareth () (, Standard Hebrew Ná??rat, Tiberian Hebrew N???ra?, an-N??ira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest city in the North District of Israel. It also serves as an Arab capital for Israel's Arab citizens who make up the vast majority of the population there. In the New Testament, the city is described as the childhood home of Jesus, and as such is a center of Christian pilgrimage, with many shrines commemorating biblical associations. Etymology see also: Gennesaret (Ya-Nezareth) The etymology of Nazareth from as early as Eusebius up until the 20th century has been said to derive from netser, a "shoot" or "sprout", while the apocryphal Gospel of Phillip derives the name from Nazara meaning "truth".GosPh 56.12; 62.8, 15; 66.1