Built originally in 1600 AD, the church was rebuilt in 1912, and is the site of pilgrimage in honor of Saint George (in Arabic Al-Khader), the soldier monk who slew a dragon. He is venerated for being able to ward off the evil eye. Islamic tradition has it that he left his native Lydda, and settled in this village which bears his name. Muslims and Christians come together annually on St. George’s feast days (5–6 May), to celebrate their common protector, to whom many different blessings are attributed. Saint George is also the patron saint of farmers, travellers, and the mentally sick. According to a popular belief, people who suffered from mental illness were chained to a ring in the walls of the church courtyard in order to be healed through the intercession of Saint George.
