Archives: Locations

Lake Tiberias

A multitude of occurrences have been related to the Holy Land, as its natural beauty makes it a much travelled holy shrine. Lake Tiberias is on the south part of Galilee. It is a small interior sea with salted water, 212 metres below the surface of the Mediterranean. The river Jordan estuary crosses Palestine through the lake and concludes in the Dead Sea. Capernaum, Bethsaida and Magdala were some of the thriving towns surrounding the lake during the Lord’s epoch. The name of the lake in Hebrew and in the Old Testament is Kineret stemming from the word Kinor (violin) because its shape from a sky view looks like a violin. In the Gospels it is called Lake Gennesaret. Churches and monasteries have been built around the lake since the Byzantine era. Of interest to the pilgrims are not only the original sites of gospel related wonders, but also ruins of monuments of the Christian antiquity.

ألناصره
الناصرة مدينة السيد المسيح ومريم العذراء. ففي الناصرة أقامت مريم العذراء ويوسف النجار، وفيها بشر الملاك جبرائيل مريم العذراء في السنة الخامسة قبل الميلاد بميلاد السيد المسيح وفيها قضى المسيح 30 سنة من عمره . ومنذ القرن الرابع بدأت الناصرة مع إزدهار المسيحية بالتحول إلى مزار مقدس.

إستناداً إلى التقاليد، بُنيت في الناصرة خلال الفترة البيزنطية كنائس كبيرة وصغيرة فوق المزارات المقدسة الأربعة: العين (حيث تمت البشارة)، مغارة ومشغل يوسف، الكنيس (المكان الذي فيه تعلم المسيح وألقى خطبته المعروفة يوم السبت (متى 13، مرقص 6 ، لوقا 4) والتي أعلن فيها أمام أبناء قريته اليهود بأنه المسيح)، حافة جبل القفزة (الجبل الذي أرادوا اليهود طرح المسيح إلى أسفله (لوقا 4:29)). في أيامنا هذه يستطيع الزائر زيارة جميع هذه الأماكن المقدسة.

بنيت كنيسة القديس الملاك جبرائيل قرب “عين العذراء”، وهذه الكنيسة تحت رعاية رعية الروم الأرثوذكس. أما الكنيس فقد بنيت عليه كنيسة الروم الملكيين (الكاثوليك),اما مكان المجمع وفي المكان الذي فيه كان بيت مريم والدة يسوع ومشغل يوسف النجار فقد بنيت كنيسة البشارة الكبيرة التابعة لطائفة اللاتين، والتي يجد فيها الزائر الآثار البيزنطية. أما على قمة جبل القفزة في القسم الجنوبي الشرقي لمدينة الناصرة فقد أقام الأرثوذكسيون كنيسة صغيرة نجد فيها أنقاض الكنيسة البيزنطية القديمة والدير.

Lydda is located on central Israel. The church of Saint George witnessed the peak of Christianity in Lydda. Sources reference the existence of Lydda’s Diocese, the first among twenty-five autonomous Dioceses which belonged to Jerusalem and later on it became an Archdiocese. At present there is an Archbishop of Lydda who lives at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Historically, the construction of the church is attributed to Emperor Justinian. The Christian tradition mentions that Saint George was born in town Diospolis of Palestine, the present Lydda. Saint George is said to have been serving the Roman army in Asia Minor and he martyred for Christ during Diocletian’s persecutions. His relic was transferred to be buried in his hometown Lydda. Lydda was a Christian shrine in the 5th century and a marvellous Basilica hosted the Saint’s tomb. This Christian church was destroyed by the famous Imam al-Hakim in 1010, reconstructed by the Crusaders, demolished in 1191 by Salah ad-Din and rebuilt in 1442. Parts of this 5th century Basilica are preserved to this day in the Lydda Mosque named Jamaa al-Khabir.

The Path of the Martyrdom (Via Dolorosa)

This is the Path of the Martyrdom, the path of pain, the way the Lord followed carrying his Cross, coming to his Passion willingly. Before this Path all mankind bows down. The guided tour on Via Dolorosa has the following 14 stops;

The Virgin Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was first set in a place other than that of the birth of Saint John at the beginning of the 14th century: “Zechariah’s house is in the mountains of Judea.. In this place there are two churches… and between these churches flows a spring that is quite full of water. At the site of the first church, it is said, Elisabeth was greeted by the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is also said that the blessed John the Baptist was hidden there during the Slaughter of the Innocents. At the site of the second church, the blessed John the Baptist was born” (Brother Giovanni Fedanzola of Perugia, 1330).
Going beyond the gospel episode, the same church also conserves the memory of the hiding of Saint John the Baptist, taken up by the apocryphal protoevangelium of John (2nd century): “Beyond a small valley full of trees is the mountain toward which Elisabeth ran with her own son, saying “Mountain! Receive a mother and son!” And the mountain opened and offered them refuge. Herod’s soldiers who were following them reached that point and finding no one, returned, confused. Even today one can see the place where this happened, marked in the rock. Above it is a small church, under which is a little grotto and in front of its entrance another little church has been added. From this grotto flows a spring that quenched the thirst of Elizabeth and John while they were in the mountain,staying there, served by an angel, until the death of Herod.” Relics of “earth from the grotto of Elizabeth and John” were conserved as early as the 7th century in Rome, in the Lateran treasury and elsewhere. A stone, exposed in the crypt, continues this tradition today.

Milk Grotto

According to tradition, the Milk Grotto is where Mother Mary nursed baby Jesus while hiding from Herod’s soldiers before going to Egypt. Located southeast of the basilica, it is an irregular grotto hewn out of soft white rock. It is believed that some drops of Mary’s milk fell onto the rock, turning it white. Revered by Christians and Muslims, the milk-white rock is known for its healing powers and reputed ability to make nursing easier for women.