Monasticism in the Judean Desert
The Judean desert rolls eastward from Bethlehem
to the Jordan rift valley and the Dead Sea. To the early monks who followed
in Jesus' foot- steps, the harsh climatic conditions were symbolic of the
evil powers which threatened the human spirit and had to be fought. Monasticism
in the desert actually predated Jesus. Prophet Elijah who is believed by
some to have been the first true monk, wandered in the desert forty days
and nights without food. Until the 4th century, the center of Christian
monasticism had been in Egypt. The first monks came here from Cappadocia
in Central Turkey, Asia Minor, and Armenia in quest of perfection and solitude.
They occupied the most remote desert gorges and caves, surviving on roots
dug up with trowels. Yet these monks were also active scholars who played
a leading role in the development of Christian Liturgy and dogma. Mo- nasticism
in the West can be seen as developing from these early desert institutions.
On the eve of the Per- sian invasion in AD 614, the Judean desert was a
maze of monasteries.
Only three of them still stand today: St. Theodosius
and Mar Saba west of Bethlehem, and St. George's in Wadi Qilt. The monastery
of St. Theodosius is about 12 kms east of Bethlehem near the village of
Ubaidiyya. Theodosius was a monk from Cappadocia who was staying in Jerusalem
when he was divinely directed to seek out a cave where the Three Wise Men
from the East had rested after paying homage to Jesus in Bethlehem. Here,
in AD 476, he founded a monastery which at one time housed 693 Greek, Georgian,
Armenian, and Slavic monks within a fortified compound with four churches.
This monastery, along with virtually all the others, was destroyed by the
invading Persians in 614. The building that stands today was constructed
by the Greek Orthodox Church at the turn of the century on the ruins of
the Byzantine complex. The Monastery of Mar Saba is a huge semi circular
structure closer to the Dead Sea than to Bethlehem. It is reached by a
narrow road passing through the vil- lage of Ubaidiyya. The monastery was
founded by St. Saba of Cappadocia in the 5th century. Long a center of
theological literature and poetry, the monastery had as many as 5000 monks
in residence at one time. Today it is tended by only a few. Women and even
female animals are forbidden to enter. Women may, however, look out on
the monastery from a special tower to the south of the building.
Nabi Samuel
The skyline north from Jerusalem on the Nablus
road is dominated by a beautiful mosque on the top of the hill of Nabi
Samuel, with its high minaret. This is the traditional tomb of Prophet
Samuel. From the roof of the mosque one can have a magnificent panoramic
view of Jerusalem with the cities of Ramallah and Al Bireh and their many
historic villages in the foreground. On a clear day, both the Mediterranean
and the mountains of Jordan can be visible. The Crusaders called the spot
"Mount of Joy." From there their armies in 1099 got their first glimpse
of the Holy City.
The Premonstratenians built a church here in
1157, but it was abandoned when the Crusaders retreated to Akka after the
battle of Hittin in 1187. Richard the Lionheart spent a few hours here
in 1192. It was his only glimpse of the city he had come so far to conquer:
he was forced to abandon his plan to attack Jerusalem when expected support
did not arrive. The site was a place of pilgrimage for Jews until the 16th
century AD when a mosque replaced the church. The mosque follows the lines
of the medieval church.
The place was badly damaged by Turkish shells
in 1917, but the edifice was restored during the British Mandate. The mosque
can be visited all day except during times of prayer. From the annex along
the north side, steps lead down to a crypt which is a rock-cut tomb. This
tomb may have been at the origin of the tradition of Samuel's burial. It
must have been transformed into a crypt in the Byzantine period, a role
it retained in the Crusader church.
Source: PACE tour guide to the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip
