Mary, Queen of Palestine

On Sunday, the Catholic Church here in the Holy Land gathered around Mary to celebrate her as Queen of Palestine. The shrine is located at Deir Rafat, some 35 km from Jerusalem, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, near the town of Beit Shemesh. 

Church dedicated to Our Lady of Palestine

The Shrine was established by Patriarch Louis Barlasina, who in 1927 instituted this Feast in the midst of the difficult circumstances the Holy Land was going through, appealing for the  protection of our Lady on her earthly home (note that at that time the name “Palestine” designated all the Holy Land). Patriarch Barlasina built the present church, designed by a Benedictine Monk and architect, Don Maurizio Gisler. 

The inside of the Church dedicated to Our Lady of Palestine in Deir Rafat

The Patriarch wanted to decorate the ceiling and the walls of the church with the first words of the “Hail Mary”, in as many languages as possible. There are 280 versions represented, including Maltese.

Maltese version of the first words of the "Hail Mary"
Ceiling of the Church of Our Lady of Palestine

There is also an original oil painting of Our Lady of Palestine. The Virgin Mary appears in her glory, surrounded by angels and extending her hand blessing her native land. At her feet, the Mediterranean sea, the city of Haifa and the city of Jerusalem surrounded by a series of mountains and hills. Mary’s face has a tender look.

Oil Painting of Our Lady of Palestine

Christians, especially Arab Christians, came from all over Israel and Palestine to celebrate this feast. The main celebrant was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem emeritus, Michel Sabbah, since the present Patriarch was in Rome for the Synod on the New Evangelization. During the celebration a number of other ordinaries of different Catholic Rites were given some role in order to highlight the unity and diversity of this local Church. At the end of the Mass, which was celebrated in Arabic, the small statue of Our Lady was taken in procession around the complex.

The small Statue of Our Lady and Patriarch Michel Sabbah
at the end of the procession around the complex

This celebration has helped me appreciate a little bit more the beauty of this troubled Church. The people’s faith is a simple one: they participated in the singing and in the responses of the Mass. Let’s not forget that this Church represents the first Christian community ever.

Afterwards the Latin Parish of San Salvatore, with whom I made this pilgrimage, went for an outing to a large green park in Tel Aviv. It was a joy to see families with young children joining in and enjoying themselves.

Emmaus (Nikopolis), Antipatride (Afeq) and Caesarea

On Thursday I went with the students for an excursion with Prof. Eugenio Alliata OFM. He knows the Holy Land so very well and his explanations are so exhaustive that you never really tire to listen to him. The marvelous thing then is that he is so simple and he says things in such a simple way that you may miss the importance of what he is saying. He may be described as a walking encyclopedia of all that has to do with the Holy Land.

Emmaus (Nikopolis)

The first place we visited as we were travelling on the main road which from Jerusalem takes you to the airport in Tel Aviv is Emmaus – Nicopolis (city of victory). During my trips I have already visited another candidate for the Emmaus story, found in Al Qubeibeh. I have already spoken about the problem we have with the reading of the text in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 24,13, where we read the story of the Risen Lord meeting the two disciples going to ‘Emmaus’. There are manuscripts which speak of 60 stadia; there are others which say 160 stadia. The first one will suit Emmaus in Al Qubeibeh, the second one will be indicative of Nicopolis. Origen and Eusebius of Caesarea are both in favour of the tradition that Nicopolis is the place where Jesus manifested himself in the breaking of the bread. Regarding the distance between Jerusalem and here – something in the region of 30 kilometers (which would entail a 7/8 hour walk) – and the fact the Gospel says that the disciples returned to Jerusalem to relate their experience to the other disciples (which would double the time of walking to 14/15 hours in one day), Prof. Alliata told us that disciples’ ‘heart on fire’ would somehow explain such a great endeavor!

He also explained to us that, when the exact place was not known, it was quite customary for pilgrims to establish a place on the way to the great sanctuaries (like Jerusalem), as a convenient place where to recall such an event. While the historicity of the event is not put in doubt, what needs to be commemorated is the mystery present and manifested in the event. This is the reason behind the sanctuaries.

Nicopolis was an important place en route to and from Jerusalem. In 165 BC Judas Maccabee won an important victory nearby against the Greek troops of Nicanor, thus opening the way to Jerusalem and the purification of the Temple. In the 19^th Century a Carmelite Nun in the Bethlehem Monastery, Blessed Mariam had a vision where she was told that this was the place mentioned in Luke 24. Today, members of the Community of the Beatitudes are taking care of the place.

Excavations, began in 1880 and continued through the 20^th Century, unearthed the remains of two big Byzantine basilicas with beautiful mosaics and a baptistery. There was also a Crusader chapel. Beside the quadriform baptistery there is a basin which could have been used either for the baptism of babies or else to put the holy chrism in it, since at that time the whole body of the newly baptized person was anointed with chrism. 

Nicopolis: the baptistery with a basin for holy chrism or
for the baptism of infants

Among other remains a number of tombs dating back to the first century were also found. They are quite low laying tombs. John’s Gospel tells us that the beloved disciple “stooped to look in” (20,5). Could the tomb of Jesus be similar to this?

Nicopolis: low lying tombs

From here we drove through the Sharon Plain, or Shar'un (Acts 9,35). This is an very fertile coastal plain between Joppa on the South and Mount Carmel on the North. In the Bible it was noted for its flowery beauty (Isa 35,2; Song 2,1). It was famous for its forests and lush vegetation (Is 33,9; Song 2,1), rich pasture. David appointed his overseer for the herds that grazed there (1 Chr 27,29). The Via Maris (a favorite caravan route) passed through the Plain of Sharon, connecting Egypt to Palestine and Syria, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia with many cities along the road (according to the lists of the Egyptian Kings). A problem connected to this plain is that rain water coming down the Palestinian Hills is blocked here by the sand dunes on the coast, thus becoming stagnant – a source of malaria. For this reason, humanly dug canals were built to channel the water to the sea. The British have also brought from Australia Eucalyptus Trees which helped to eradicate this sickness from the region.

On the way we visited the Roman Mausoleum of Mazor. It was built for an important Roman couple in the 3^rd Century AD. The Mausoleum is very well preserved, with Corinth-type columns, and a columbarium on the inside. The dove is considered to be a symbol of life since the female dove gives birth to 2 offspring every month. Artemide is considered to be the goddess of doves! This was also used as a Mosque, dedicated to the Prophet Yahya – John the Baptist.

The Mausoleum of Mazor

Close to this place there is an indication to a kibbutz, called Nahshonim, where Messianic Jews live. These are Jews who have accepted Jesus to be the Messiah but never joined any Christian Church. Speak of someone being on the doorstep but refuses to enter!

Afeq (Antipatris) – Yarkon Springs

This is a beautiful park which celebrates one of the greatest sources of water (Rosh Ha’ayin – Ras il-Għajn in Maltese) in all the Holy Land: the Yarkon Stream. Here we find also the remains of the Tel Afeq which controls the springs and the Afeq Pass (a narrow pass between the Samaria Mountains on the east and the springs on the west). A number of tree-shaded picnic sites are found here. It is truly a great place where one could relax and venture a little bit in the countryside.

Yarkon Springs: an ideal place for fauna and flora

The earliest remains on the mound where the fortress lies date from the Chalcolithic period (4500-3300 BC). Between 3300 and 3000 BC we have the establishment of the site’s first walled city. Clay tablets inscribed in various languages – Sumerian, Akkadian and Canaanite were discovered in the palace. An entire letter written in Akkadian from the city of Ugarit was also found here. The Canaanite city is among those conquered by Joshua (12,18) and it was the base used by the Philistines in their battle against the Israelites (1 Sam 4,1). During the Roman period, Herod expanded the city (9 BC) and named it Antipatris after his father. Remains of the Cardo (the main street), shops lining it, and the odeon (small theater) could still be seen.

According to Acts 23, St Paul was brought to this fortress as a prisoner from Jerusalem on his way to Caesarea (v.31), where the Governor Felix resided. Paul was very well escorted for fear of being lynched by the Jews: “At the third hour of the night get ready two hundred soldiers with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea” (v.23).

The Afeq Fortress where Paul was kept overnight on his way to Caesarea

Caesarea

A very important city-harbour of antiquity, rivaling great Mediterranean harbours like Alexandria and Carthage. Major excavations were made here in the last 60 years making Caesarea one of the most impressive excavation sites of the country. King Herod began building a city here in 22 BC, dedicating it to the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar. As an aftermath of the great Jewish Revolt against the Romans (66-70 AD), many were executed in the amphitheater in Caesarea. In 1251 King Louis IX of France captured the city and added most of the fortifications that are visible today. However, it could not withstand the assault of the Beybars in 1261.

The Roman Amphitheater which is still used

Right on the sea, we have the Roman Amphitheatre (still used today after major restructuring), the Promontory Palace, the hippodrome (seating some 10,000 spectators), a byzantine street, and a number of houses. Herod had also built a Temple to Augustus, although he wanted the city to remain as secular as possible.

In the Promontory Palace, Paul was held as a prisoner in what is called “the hall of hearing”, or “audience hall”. It is here that Paul appeals to Caesar (Acts 25,11) and is heard by King Agrippa (Acts 25,23 – 26,32). From here they sailed for Italy (Acts 27,1), a journey which would providentially end in Malta: “But we shall have to run on some island” (Acts 27,26).

The "Audience Hall" where Paul appealed to Caesar

It was also here in Caesarea that we could mark the beginning of the Church’s mission to evangelize the pagans. Peter, who was in Joppa, had a vision in which he was summoned to accompany some men sent to him by the centurion Cornelius and go with them to Caesarea. After Peter’s preaching of the Word, the Holy Spirit fell on all of them. And Peter baptized all in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 10).

It was also here that Philip, the deacon, had a house. Staying with him were his four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21,8-9). Here the imprisonment of Paul was prophesied and Paul made a most audacious statement: “For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21,13). O Lord, grant to me also this audacity.

An Inscription found in Caesarea bearing the name of Pontius Pilate.
It says: Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judaea, erected a building dedicated
to the Emperor Tiberius.

Many Christian martyrs have witnessed to their faith unto death in this city of Caesarea, especially during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Eusebius of Caesarea has a whole book on the martyrs, most of whom gave their life here in this city. It is quite remarkable that an inscription found here said: “May peace remains for Christians!”

Caesarea is being today promoted as a tourist attraction

Funeral, Shiloah Pool and an Anglican Day!

Funeral of Armenian Patriarch

These past days the Armenian Christian Community here in Jerusalem was mourning the death of its Patriarch, Torkom Manougian, at the age of 93. The funeral was held some 10 days after his death. On Sunday there was a solemn procession wherein the coffin was taken from Jaffa Gate to St James Cathedral within the Armenian Quarter of the Old City. Apart from many Armenian clergy and seminarians, members of other Christian communities here in Jerusalem took part. Place of honour was reserved to the Custodian of the Holy Land since the Patriarch was taken care of in his last months of ailment at the Infirmary of the same Custody here at San Salvatore.

Funeral of the Armenian Patriarch -- near Jaffa Gate

I was quite impressed both by the singing (quite loud, I should say) and the amount of incense used. On Monday, the solemn funeral was held. I was not there on Monday but I’ve been told that the celebration was some three hours and over long. This then was followed by a procession to the Armenian cemetery and burial, which took another hour and a half.

Funeral of the Armenian Patriarch -- within St James Cathedral

City of David – Pool of Shiloah (Siloam)

Here we are in the oldest part of Jerusalem, since here we find the Canaanite settlement captured by King David some 3000 years ago. The excavations started in 1850 and are still going on. The site is found on the slope of Mt Zion, some meters away from Dung Gate and the Temple Mount.

The Royal Quarter, first constructed at around the 10^th century before Christ, we find a fortification wall for a palace on the ridge. There are also the remains of a house (called of Achiel, an aristocrat) built against the wall. This was all destroyed during the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Judean and Babylonian arrowheads were found in the excavations as proof of this fierce battle. Some 51 royal seals (bullae) were found in one chamber here, meaning that it was some kind of office. One of these bears the name of Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, one of the royal officials of King Zedekiah, the king who lost Jerusalem to the Babylonians (Jer 37,3). Another seal bearing the name of Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur was also found here (Jer 38,1).

Moving on, we were facing the other side of the Kidron Valley onto the Arab village of Silwan. Just beneath this, there is what is called Warren’s Shaft, after the British engineer who rediscovered it in 1867. It is a tunnel which runs beneath the city of David to the Spring of Gihon (from earliest days the source of water for Jerusalem). This allowed the Jebusites to have access to water without exposing themselves to danger in time of war. Time ago, some held that David used this tunnel to capture the city, according to 2 Sam 5,8: “Whoever would smite the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft …” According to very recent archaeological findings have discredited this opinion.

Proceeding down further we come to Hezekiah’s Tunnel which leads to the Pool of Shiloah. The purpose of this tunnel was to channel water flowing from the Gihon Spring. The tunnel was constructed in about 700 BC by King Hezekiah to store the water within the city walls (2 Chron 32,3). This 500-m underground passage has water waste-high. Since we were on an excursion we chose not to do this tunnel but walked through a second tunnel which is without water (although slippery, just the same!).

The Shiloach Pool was discovered during excavations in 2005 (since the Byzantines could not find the original pool they built another one a little bit further up – they could it Siloam Pool). It was built during the Second Temple period and was used for purification rituals. There is general agreement that this is the pool where Jesus healed the blind man: “‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing”. (John 9,7). It’s a beautiful account of a person who chooses Christ above everything and everyone! Lord, that our eyes may be opened to be able to see!

The Pool of Shiloah (Siloam) where the healing of the blind man took place (John 9)

The Anglican Day

Together with an Italian Deacon, Don Marco Gentilucci, Tuesday we went to visit the Garden Tomb. This site began to be indicated as a possible site for the tomb of the Christ only in 1883 by an English General Charles Gordon. It all began because he saw a skull-shaped hill where, upon doing some excavations he found ancient tombs which go back to the 5^th century BC. As the tour guide says: “Several cynics suggest that the continued championing of the Garden Tomb has more to do with the fact that it’s the only site in Jerusalem that the Protestants, its owners, have any stake in”. Well, that might also be true!

However, what is interesting here is that the tomb is still very natural and the features mentioned in the Bible’s account of the tomb of Jesus can be seen here: cut of the solid rock (Matt 27,60); sealed by a large rolling stone – there is a channel outside the front wall (Matt 27,60).

The Garden Tomb -- on the outside

The Garden Tomb -- on the inside

The Garden is very well kept and it is also very well organized for groups to hold prayer meetings on site.

From here we walked up Nablus Road to the Anglican Cathedral of St George. It’s a simple, traditionally English Church with a nice stained-glass window in its apse and a beautiful large organ at the back of the Church.

Then we visited the Cave of Zedekiah: this is really an underground quarry from which stones where cut to build the Old City. There are a number of legends linked to this place. It is called Zedekiah’s Cave because it is said that King Zedekiah sought refuge here when the Babylonians besieged the city of Jerusalem. When he tried to escape he was caught here. Another legend says that Solomon cut the rocks for the first temple from here. For this reason it is also referred to as Solomon’s Quarries. It is a huge cave where you can truly see the very hard work of human hands! Who knows how many sweated it out here!

The "Big Hall" within Zedekiah's Cave

In the afternoon, I stayed in my room and listened to a talk on theology given by Archbishop Rowan Williams to the St Paul Theological Centre. For those of you who wish there is the possibility to listen to these talks. I found them very inspiring.  http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/2631/archbishop-speaks-at-st-pauls-theological-centre

St Peter in Gallicantu and a Night at the Holy Sepulcher

St Peter in Gallicantu

On Friday morning, between lectures, I went to visit the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu which is to be found on the slopes of Mt Zion. This is believed to have been the site of the house of the high priest Caiaphas where Jesus was taken (Mark 14,53) following his arrest in Gethsemane. Jesus would have been made to walk from beneath the Mt of Olives round the outer edge of the South-looking walls of the city onto this place on Mt Zion. There are still some stairs which come up the hill which Jesus would have trodden on his way to the House of Caiaphas. 

Stairs up from the Kidron Valley to the Gallicantu Church
Jesus was made to go up these stairs to reach
the House of Caiaphas, the High Priest

Close to the house there is also a dungeon-like pit where Jesus would have been kept for the night. Next to this pit, some caves were found which owing to their contiguity to the pit and the fact that many iron bars were found attached to the walls, led to the suggestion that here we have the public jail where John and Peter might have been kept and scourged for preaching in the name of Jesus (see Acts 4,1-22; 5,17-42). There is also a fourth-century tradition (not found in the Gospels) which says that Jesus was also scourged here by the Jews (not only by Pilate). According to the Gospels, Peter would have followed Jesus in coming here. So this is the place where Peter denied knowing Jesus three times until the cock crew three times (Gallicantu means ‘the crowing of the cock’). See Mark 14,66-72.

So this place invites us to contemplate the Suffering Servant of the Lord. One of the marble plaques here recalls Psalm 88: “My soul is full of troubles … I am reckoned among those who go down to the Pit … Your wrath lies heavy upon me … You have cause my companions to shun me … I am shut in so that I cannot escape … I, o Lord, cry to you”.  It is also an invitation to reflect on how much we cannot rely on ourselves: Peter relied on himself and failed. But we are also called to recall Jesus’ look full of mercy and forgiveness: “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, before the cock crows today, you will have denied me three times” (Luke 22,26). May I also be touched by the full meaning of this merciful look which you also give me, o my Saviour!

A Mosaic in the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu
Jesus looking at Peter

The Assumptionists and the Oblates of the Assumption, who are responsible for this place, have done a great work to help people make a spiritual experience as they tour around the site. In the crypt, there is also the explicit invitation for one to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receive God’s forgiveness.

A Night at the Holy Sepulcher

The night between Friday and Saturday was extremely special for me. Today, October 20, would have been my dearest mother’s 77 birthday. So I decided to spend the night closed within the Holy Sepulcher for a night of prayer and vigilance. We were eight (4 Orthodox nuns, 3 Polish lay persons, and myself) in all, apart from those who usually live within the precincts of the building.

How blessed is this place! It is here that, ultimately, Jesus showed that he loved his own to the end (see John 13,1). This place knows the utter humiliation that God as man decided to go through for our salvation. This is where the blood of God made man washed the ground. It is here that life won over death and sin once and for all. As we sing during the vigil on Easter Saturday: O felix culpa, quae talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem! (O happy fault, that merited such and so great a Redeemer!) As St Paul says: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5,21). “I bow my knees before the Father … that you may have power … to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3,19). This is God’s infinite, gratuitous love for us.

“Heavenly Father, I love You, I praise You, and I worship You. I thank You for sending Your Son Jesus who won victory over sin and death for my salvation. I thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit who empowers me, guides me, and leads me into fullness of life. I thank you for Mary, my Heavenly Mother, who intercedes with the holy angels and saints for me.

“Lord Jesus Christ, I place myself at the foot of Your cross and ask You to cover me with Your Precious Blood which pours forth from Your Most Sacred Heart and Your Most Holy Wounds. Cleanse me, my Jesus, in the living water that flows from Your Heart. I ask You to surround me, Lord Jesus, with Your Holy Light” (the beginning of a prayer written by Fr Robert DeBrandis SSJ which I found to be quite close to my prayer).

I was at the Basilica a few minutes before 7.00 pm when the closure of the Basilica takes place. We were to stay in the area of the Holy Sepulcher until 11.00 pm and then go on the Golgotha for the rest of the time, until 4.00 am when the Basilica opens again for the faithful. I stayed “opposite the sepulcher” (see Matt 27,61) praying my Evening Prayer and the Rosary. It was very meaningful to pray here the Sorrowful and the Glorious Mysteries, which helped me contemplate what St Paul says: “he loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2,20).

The Holy Sepulcher from the outside

I had two long moments when I was able to enter alone inside the tomb of Our Lord Jesus Christ. What a great marvelous gift, to be there where Jesus assumed totally our humanity by entering our death, where he descended into hell, as we say in the Apostles’ Creed, meaning where Jesus reached out to bound humanity to release it and give it the possibility of life everlasting. In this great mystery, Jesus assumes, saves and divinizes us! I prayed that the Lord may touch those areas of my life which are still bound and give me full freedom to live truly and completely as a son of the Father. I did this same prayer for all whom I know and serve.

The Tomb of Jesus

At 11.45 pm I prayed the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer with the Franciscan Friars. One may ask: morning prayer at midnight?! Well here in the Holy Land there is what is called the “status quo”: history in those sanctuaries, shared with other Christian denominations, stopped on February 8, 1852, when an official declaration was signed. This agreement determines the subjects of ownership of the holy places, and more specifically, the spaces inside the sanctuaries. It also extends to the times and durations of functions, movements, the routes taken and how they are implemented, whether by singing or by reading. Any change requires the consent of all the communities (Catholic, Greek, Coptic, Armenian, and Syrian).

The Golgotha

The site where the Cross of the Redeemer stood

Then I moved to the Golgotha where I continued to pray and reflect on the mystery of our salvation. Here I had a beautiful moment when I could pray the Rosary with the Polish lay persons very close to the place where the cross of Christ stood: I was saying one part in Latin and the others in Polish.

The Statue of Our Lady of Sorrows on the Golgotha

Silence was dominant between 7.00 pm and 11.00 pm, when the Greek Orthodox began preparing for their Divine Liturgy in the Katholikon and the Holy Sepulcher. This ended at 2.00 am when silence fell again on the holy space for it to be broken again by the (loud) peeling of bells at 3.00 am and the Divine Liturgy of the Armenians.

Mount Gerizim, Shilo and Ephraim (Taybeh)

This was the second excursion to the Samaria region. This kind of excursion would not have been possible between 2000 and 2009 when even the West Bank was completely close to tourist access. However, now travelling to these areas has been made possible. Let’s hope that it remains like that for two reasons, at least: that the people may live in freedom and get a living from tourism and that pilgrims and visitors in general to the Holy Land may be able to visit these important biblical sites.

Mount Gerizim

I have already made reference to Mt Gerizim in my blog a week ago when we visited Shechem. Today we went up the mountain which is 870 meters high. Here we are in the heart of that region which is called Samaria. There are three moments which could indicate a reason why Samaria was separated from Judea. In 2 Kgs 17 we read of Assyria conquering Samaria, thus constraining the inhabitants to accept their way of life, including their polytheistic religion. “They despised his statutes, and his covenant … They went after false gods, and became false, and they followed the nations that were round about them” (v. 15). A second moment could be the contrast that there was between Nehemiah and Sanballat on the restoration of Jerusalem, as we read it in the book of Nehemiah. While Nehemiah is from Jerusalem, Sanballat is a Horonite from Samaria. Nehemiah wants independence from the North and thus does not accept their help for the building of the Temple, effectively detaching them from the Jewish religion. The third moment is at the time of the Hasmonean rulers, of the 2^nd Century before Christ, with their policy to Judaize all the region: John Erkanus destroyed first the city of Shechem and then the Temple on Mt Gerizim. This was the seal for the Samaritans to look at Jews as enemies (see John 4,9).

The Samaritans, who are a form a Judaic sect, accept only the Pentateuch as their Bible. They have also their own chronicles. They declare themselves as the inheritors of the Torah. According to them, everything is centred on Mt Gerizim. There are some 2000 Samaritans still living and they are being helped to return to this site to live here in the comfort of their own community.

A Samaritan Man ... possibly a priest!

Excavations done in the 1990’s have brought out a whole city with a Temple (in competition with the temple of Jerusalem … see what the Samaritan woman tells Jesus in John 4,20) and houses around. It might well be that in the 5^th Century, Emperor Zeno (474-491) built a Christian Basilica dedicated to Our Lady under the title of the Theotokos, Mother of God, right on the Temple, thus eliminating any trace of it. The basilica is of an octagonal shape with 4 side chapels. During the time of the Romans, a Temple dedicated to Jupiter was built. There are some 1400 steps that from Nablus take straight to this temple.

The Octagonal Basilica on Mt Gerizim dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God

From the top of the mountain there is a very good view of the Valley of Tirzah and the Valley of Jordan. One could also see the Basilica on top of Jacob’s well which we visited last week, the sight where Jews venerate the sight where Joseph the Patriarch is buried (after being brought over from Egypt), and close by, the greatest refugee camp in the West Bank run by the United Nations.

Shilo

Today it is known as Khirbet Seilun. Shilo is connected to great traditions of the Old Testament. First, it was here that Joshua set the tent of meeting (Tabernacle), meaning the presence of the Lord, the Shekinah, to Shiloh (Joshua 18-19) where he continues to distribute the land to the tribes of Israel. Thus, here the land is sacred. It is to this Tabernacle that Elkana and his wife Hannah come to pray to the Lord that they may have a child. Eli, the High Priest, told her that the Lord listened to her prayer and Samuel was born to her (see 1 Sam 1-7). The place was destroyed by the Philistines as described by Jeremiah (7,12-15). The Jews insist on this place as being holy, as long as the divine presence dwelled there (there are many excavations being done here at the moment). During the Christian era, Shiloh becomes a place of pilgrimage and a Basilica and a Monastery are built there.

Mosaic from the Basilica found in Shiloh, the place of the Divine Presence

Taybeh

It is the modern name, meaning good (tajba in Maltese) for Ephraim. There are many different names given to this place. It is mainly linked with what we read in John’s Gospel 11,54, after having brought to life again Lazarus: “Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with the disciples”. Here also Blessed Charles de Foucauld stayed for some eight days during his pilgrimage in the Holy Land (he also stayed in Nazareth and Jerusalem). Here he wrote some meditations related to the retreat in Ephraim. Patriarch emeritus Michel Sabbah has also retired here at least from Wednesday through Sunday of each week.

A Mosaic at the Parish Church of Taybeh (Ephraim)
On the side you could notice Bl. Charles de Foucauld
who stayed  here for 8 days.

What is very characteristic of this place is that it is the only completely Christian village in the whole Holy Land! There are 1400 persons living here of whom 54% are Roman Catholics. The others are Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholics.

The Catholic parish priest of this village showed us a Palestinian home which, according to him, is very similar to what a home at the time of Jesus would have looked like. The house would include on the first floor a place for the animals – these were considered to be part of the family and a very important asset, apart from warming the house during the cold winters. In one room on the second level (because you can’t really speak of a second floor!) all the family would live and sleep. The father would sleep in a special place at the back of the room while the wife and children would sleep on the floor one next to the other. A wall, separating this room from another space which was were women worked and hid during visits by guests, was also wide enough to hold wheat and other important foods of the family. Another interesting feature was a hole in the ceiling which was used to bring into the house the wheat when dried. When not used, this hole would be blocked by a stone. The house would also have an escape route especially for the husband during the occupation of the Turks who would seek to round all men as soldiers. These escape routes were linked to tunnels which lead to outside the village. Seeing this house has helped me understand a little bit better some Gospel narratives.

Finally, this village has the remains of a Sanctuary dedicated to the Prophet Elijah, the one who does not die. The Church has three apses: a central one and another on each side of the Church. Probably, this Church was built in the 4^th century, although the wall surrounding it is of the time of the Middle Ages. Today, the remains of this church are still used: Christians and Muslims come here to kill a lamb or a sheep or some other animal as a sacrifice of thanksgiving for the birth of a child or for the healing of some sick person. The meat of the animal is then given to poor people. When we visited, there was still fresh blood at the entrance of the Church!

The remains of a Church in Taybeh (Ephraim)
with the flesh blood of an animal sacrifice still visible.

Organ Recital

To conclude the day I attended an organ recital at the St Saviour's Parish Church here where I live. The organist was Fr Armando Pierucci OFM, who is the organist of the Holy Sepulcher Basilica since 1988. He played compositions of J. Stanley, J.S. Bach, D. Scarlatti and some of his own compositions. He did a marvelous job.

Fr Armando Pierucci OFM at the organ of St Saviour's Parish Church, Jerusalem.

More Wall … Bethesda … Gethsemani

On Monday, we continued to stroll along the Jerusalem wall to the South up to what is called the Dung Gate, which eventually leads to the Western Wall. This time we did not go on top of the wall but walked beneath the wall from the outside so that Fr. Eugenio Alliata OFM could explain to us better the different strata of the wall, according to the date of its building, as well as other features, like the canals used to bring water into the city.

One particular aspect which he showed us is found a little bit further to the South than the Jaffa Gate. This is a tomb hewn in the rock which is coming from the time of Jesus, He said that such tombs are characteristic of the second century before Christ till the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 after Christ. Although this particular tomb is inexplicably just under the wall, normally these should be at least some 25 meters away from the wall of the city.

Tomb hewn in Stone, characteristic of the time of Jesus

Then we moved towards the next gate, which is Sion Gate, or according to the Muslims, David’s Gate. This was the sight of very fierce fighting during the 1948 war. The stalemate continued until 1964. During this period the Jews took up their positions in the Convent of the Saviour (Armenian), the Church of the Dormition and the Convent of St Francis which are all found on Mt Sion. On the inside of the city the Arabs (Jordan) held tight to their positions. In 1964 then the Jews left their positions (probably a strategic move while they prepared themselves for the 6-day war of 1967). We did see the wall with the effects of shrapnel and rifle bullets! Another example of a war which did not solve anything!

Inside Sion Gate there is the Armenian and the Jewish Quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem. Moving further to the South we did see the water canals of the Hasmonean Rule (Jewish priestly family in Judea during the 1st and 2nd centuries), as well as from the time of the Romans built by Pontius Pilate. This water used to be brought via an aqueduct from the area of Bethlehem, which is more or less as high as Jerusalem. Towards this side of the Wall we could see the remains of a very large Church built by the Emperor Justinian, the Ennea Church or Santa Maria Nuova. It was 100 meters long by 50 meters wide. Fr Alliata told us that, for example, Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome is some 70 meters long! This was built in 546 but destroyed by the Persians in 614 after Christ, only 70 years of existence! Some remains of this basilica have recently been found.

Again moving further south, Fr Alliata indicated to us a gate which was recently discovered called Skin Merchants’ Gate. It is very close to Dung Gate which takes its name from the fact that it led to a refuse area.

On Tuesday morning I visited Bethesda which is found within the Old City close to St Stephen’s Gate. This is a valley akin to the Temple Mount. From early on of the city of Jerusalem it seems that here there were two cisterns for water linked to the Temple by an open canal. Some biblical passages may well refer to this: Isa 7,3 and 2 Kings 18,17. Eventually, part of the canal was closed making it a tunnel. From 150 B.C. the Eastern side of the cistern became popular with sick people. It was thus here that Jesus met with the sick man who was waiting for his healing for 38 years (John 5,1-9). Jesus asked the man: “Do you want to be healed?” (v. 6) It is a question that Jesus is making also to me in this Year of the Faith. Yes, Lord, I want to be made whole. I want to believe.

Basilica of St Anne -- Bethesda

After the destruction of the Jerusalem, the Romans built here a Temple dedicated to Esculapius. In the 5^th Century Patriarch Giovenale built a Basilica (45x18m). This was destroyed by the Persians in 614. It was reconstructed by a monk called Modest for it to be destroyed again by Kalif Hakim towards 1010 A.D. The Crusaders built a Church in 1130. This Church is dedicated to St Anne, because tradition has it that this was the house of St Joachim and St Anne, and thus where Our Lady was born (it is very close to the place the Orthodox have as a commemoration of this). Today, it is run by the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).

Afterwards I visited the Monastery of St Stephen (just outside the Gate which carries his name, at least for Christians), where tradition says that Stephen was stoned to death after his trial (Acts 7,54–8,1). It is run by the Russian Orthodox.

Dome of the Monastery of St Stephen

Just across the road we find the Church with Mary’s Tomb, run by the Greek Orthodox Church. If you recall there is another Church dedicated to Mary’s death and eventually her Assumption body and soul into heaven on the third day: the Dormition on Mount Sion (this apart from the Church in Ephesus, Turkey). Typically, it is full of ancient brass lamps. It is quite dim.

Tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I then went to visit the Grotto of Gethsemane: it is a stone’s throw from the actual Garden of Gethsemane across the road. This Grotto, run by the Franciscans, is a place where you can pray. A Friar is continually there asking people to be keep silence. Over here I passed some good time in prayer and reflection, asking the Lord to grant me always the grace to do his will, whatever the cost!

Grotto at Gethsemane

Remember, Lord, of your priests!
A plaque found at the Grotto at Gethsemane.

Chronicles of Four Days

Thursday: Samaria

Today was our first excursion as part of a course in which we are going to visit a number of sites in Galilee, Samaria and Negev. This excursion took us to Samaria which is in the West Bank territories. This time round we had no problems at all travelling there. The lecturer for this course is Prof. Pietro Kaswalder OFM.

Our first stop took us to Jacob’s Well (Gen 33,18-19 ), very close to Shechem. This well is connected by tradition to the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at this well (John 4). Jesus offered her the living water and revealed to her that he is the Messiah that Samaritans were waiting for. Tradition gives this woman a name: Photina (from phōs, light). She, together with her two children, was martyred for her faith, either in Rome or in Nablus. In recognition for her witness the Holy See has donated to this newly-built Church (finished in 2007) a first-century jar which is displayed in the central nave. The Church is run by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. There we met an Orthodox Monk, Abouna Justin. He told me that he was attacked about 17 times by Jews! In 1979 another monk was brutally murdered here. So, at the beginning of the Year of the Faith, the Lord wanted to present me with this great living witness of the faith: a simple man who remains in this place notwithstanding the very real threats to his life. The visit to the well was an obligatory stop for the Pilgrims, as it helped them recall their baptism. According to a witness of the beginning of the 4^th Century (Itinerarium Burdigalense – the Bordeaux Itinerary [the oldest known Christian itinerarium – 333/334]) here pilgrims used to be immersed in water, coming from the well. Justin of Nablus (2^nd Century) alludes also to this tradition.

Jacob's Well: where Jesus met the Samaritan Woman

From here we went to visit the remains of Tell Balata (Balata from Ballut: Oak tree or from Platanus: plane [sycamore] trees). Here was the city of Shechem (or Sichem), laying in a valley between Mount Gerizim (South) and Mount Ebal (North). The origins of this city take us back to the second millennium before Christ, when the Canaanites built a number of cities. In the Bible Shechem is the first place where Abraham stops on his way from Mesopotamia to Canaan (Gen12,6-7). There is also a mention of an oracle here. Later we are told that Jacob bought the land where he pitched his tent (Gen 33,18-19). In the Book of Joshua we then read that on Mt Ebal Joshua built an altar to the Lord and had all the people of Israel blessed by the priests, half of them standing on Mt Ebal and half of them standing on Mt Gerizim (Jos 8,30-35). It is also here that Joshua had all the people renew their commitment to the Lord, according to Jos 24, where we have the first profession of the faith. “We will serve the Lord, for he is our God” (Jos 24,18). Joshua erected a stone in remembrance of this covenant (v.26-27).  The interesting story around Abimelech (with Jotham going up Mt Gerizim and crying out to the people of Shechem) belongs also to here (Judges 9,7-15). It was also here that Jeroboam set his seat as King, after creating the Northern Kingdom. Among the remains is the Temple and the Stele. A small section of the walls is also visible.

Then we went over to Sebastiya (Sebaste), some 12 kilometers away (this town was founded in 25 B.C. by Herod the Great on the site of ancient Samaria. Here we saw the Church (later transformed into a mosque) where John the Baptist’s body was buried by his disciples after his martyrdom.  Afterwards we had the possibility of visiting the archaeological sites such as the acropolis, the Hellenistic tower and the Roman remains of the temple dedicated to Emperor Augustus, the basilica and the forum, the theatre and the colonnaded street.

A Palestinian Boy riding a donkey in the West Bank

Friday: Ecce Homo

Since the time of the Crusaders, Christian tradition has placed the beginning of the Via Crucis in the area of the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem where the Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Sion is found. In this place, we recall Christ’s suffering at the hands of the Roman soldiers and his trial by Pontius Pilate. The name Ecce Homo refers to John 19,5 when Pilate presents Jesus wearing the crown of thorns and a purple robe to the crowd and tells them: “Behold the man!” Recent archaeological studies suggest that here we are just north of the Antonia Fortress built by Herod the Great around 30 B.C. It served to protect the city against attacks from the north as well as enabling the Roman soldiers to control the Temple area.

The Basilica of the Ecce Homo in Jerusalem

I also continued with my visit to the interesting Museum of the Studi Biblici Francescani (Flagellazione). An exhibit which struck my attention was the Liturgical Bread Stamps (circular or square), coming down from the 5-8^th Century A.D. The most common inscription on these stamps is IC XC Nika, meaning “Jesus Christ conquers”.

I visited also the place where the Orthodox believe was the house of St Joachim and St Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, thus, where Mary is believed to have been born.

Saturday: Pilgrimage to Capernaum: the centre of Jesus’ Mission

The original Semitic name of the village was Kfar Nahum, the village (kefar) of Nahum (a person’s name). In both the Gospels and the writings of the historian Flavius Josephus, the name was translated into Greek as Kapharnaum, and this is how it was subsequently transmitted to modern languages.

The excavations done in 1968 at Tell Hum have brought to light the two public edifices, the synagogue and the traditional house of St. Peter, which correspond precisely to the geographic coordinates of the ancient Capernaum.

Capernaum, together with the whole lake, is a particular place of grace. It is the Galilean village most frequently visited and served by Jesus. Here Jesus selected his disciples and called them to him one by one (Mark 1,16-20), making them witness to his own greatness through his life and his works. Here Jesus announced the Holy Eucharist with his discourse in the synagogue on the Bread of Life (John 6).

Jesus lived here his daily life; here is where he took the decision to reside in the house of his disciple Peter, where he met his apostles, where he was sought by all those who wanted to receive his grace and healing from his own hands (see Mark 1,29-34; 2,1-12). Peter’s house became a new meeting point, the center of a new community that was established around him, after the rejection he had twice received in the synagogue.

Jesus always returned to Capernaum after his voyages in Galilee, a sign of how much he loved living in this city and making it the center of his mission.

The area surrounding the Sea of Galilee can be considered today to represent a unique sanctuary, for this is the land where Jesus lived and taught. He passed through these places so many times, walked in these very sites, and performed miracles here. His voice reverberated among the inlets along the shores of the lake, proclaiming the Word of God, and it almost seems as if it has been etched into this marvelous countryside.

It is here that on Saturday the Custody of the Holy Land wanted to celebrate this presence of the Lord Jesus by a beautiful celebration led by the Custodian, Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM, wearing the insigna of a Bishop except for the crosier. For this Mass some 300 Christians participated coming from the surrounding areas. The homily was delivered by the

Catholic Melkite Archbishop of Galilee, Elias Chacour. He describes himself as a Palestinian, an Arab whose mother tongue is Arabic, a Christian and an Israeli citizen who is proud of each one of his identities. He told those present that the presence of Christians here was thanks to the Franciscans who have been in this land for more than 700 years. He also told the Franciscans not only to take care of the stones but also, and above all, of the Christians who witness to their faith among a majority of Hebrews and Muslims.

The Celebration at Capernaum, the town of Jesus,
organized by the Custody of the Holy Land

Some parts of the Mass and the singing were in Arabic. It was a joy to listen to these people singing and answering with a lot of enthusiasm. Afterwards all were invited for a small dinner on the side of the Lake. There was a very beautiful view of Tiberias all lit up! This was the first time that such a celebration was made on such a big scale. The Custodian said that this will become an annual recurrence.

Sunday: Yad Vashem

On the afternoon of Sunday, I visited the Holocaust Museum to memorialise the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis, and honour those who tried to save them. The name Yad Vashem was taken from Isaiah 56,5: a monument and a name. The history museum has a triangular design representing, in the mind of the Architect Moshe Safdie, the bottom half of the Star of David, because the Jewish population was cut in half as a result of this terrible tragedy. There is also the Hall of Remembrance where an eternal flame burns near a crypt containing ashes of victims brought from the extermination camps (the names of these 22 camps are written on the floor).

At the end of this visit, a number of emotions: certainly an emotion of shame and sorrow and heaviness: the same kind of emotion that I experienced when I visited the concentration camp at Dachau in Germany. Another emotion was a certain disappointment at how partial the planners of this Museum were. Not that the Church and some exponents are not to blame for a certain anti-semitism (of which we already find traces before Christ), however to present the Holocaust as the result of the teaching of the Church (there is a quote from St Augustine at the very beginning of the Museum) is absolutely not fair! Apart from this during this horrific tragedy of the Holocaust, there were many Christians who were put in concentration camps and eventually killed because of their faith and of their resistance to the Nazi Regime. And there were also many Catholic persons, particularly priests and nuns, who helped Jews to hide and thus saving their lives. Some of these are given a marginal mention in the museum. (If you want to read more: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=472 and http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/catholic-martyrs-of-the-holocaust.) I want to be 100% clear: the holocaust of the Jews was the main project of the Nazi program and it is to be completely and unequivocally condemned. 

The Hall of Remembrance with the Eternal Flame.