"Now imagine doing this while carrying jugs of water," our tour guide, author Miriam Feinberg Vamosh (Daily Life At The Time Of Jesus, Concordia Publishing 2001) commented. I couldn't. I was too busy working at catching my breath.

Biblical History

The Hebrew word for well is "beer" and is the forename of places like Beersheba (Beer'Sheva) where Abraham's Well is located.  Many of the ancient wells found in the Holy Land were dug from limestone and oftentimes had steps that led into them. Some were supplied by springs. Women and young girls went to the wells to draw water typically in the early hours of the day, in order to have water to prepare bread that would be taken out into the fields. 

"The girls would have to be physically strong, in order to lift the skins or jars that were quite large," reports Miriam. "They would also have to be aware of their surroundings, especially if the well or spring were outside of the town, in order to protect their property and themselves from marauders and mischief-makers."

For centuries there was only one well in Nazareth.  During the period in which Mary lived there as a young girl and later as the wife and mother, she would have walked to this well daily, never dreaming, surely, that one day it would carry her name as a memorial.

According to tradition, Mary had gone to the well when the angel Gabriel visited her. "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.'" (Luke 1:26-33 NIV)