Monastery of the Cross
Monastery of the Cross | |
---|---|
دير الصليب / Deir as-Salib[1] | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Eastern Orthodox Church |
Location | |
Location | Jerusalem |
Palestine grid | 1697/1309 |
Geographic coordinates | 31°46′19.56″N 35°12′28.8″E / 31.7721000°N 35.208000°E |
The Monastery of the Cross (
Tradition
Legend has it that the monastery was erected on the burial spot of
History
Late Roman/Byzantine period
It is believed that the site was originally consecrated in the fourth century under the instruction of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who later gave the site to king Mirian III of Kartli after the conversion of his kingdom to Christianity in AD 327.[3] Archaeologists have established that the first basilica was built at the end of the fourth century. As the founder of the church, scholars name Bakur, an Iberian prince, grandfather of the famous Peter of Iberia, who held the position of Dux Palestinae at that time.[4] Remains from the fourth century are sparse, the most important of which is a fragment of a mosaic.[citation needed]
Early Muslim period
The monastery was built in the eleventh century, during the reign of King Bagrat IV by the Georgian monk Prochorus the Iberian.[3]
Crusader period
The remains of the Crusader-period monastery forms a small part of the current complex, most of which has undergone restoration and rebuilding. The crusader section houses a church,[dubious ] including a grotto where a window into the ground below allows viewing of the spot where, reputedly, the tree from which the cross was fashioned grew.[citation needed]
Mamluk period
Under Sultan
In the early 1480s Felix Fabri described it: "...we came to fair church, adjoining which is a small monastery, wherein dwell Georgian monks with their wives. When we entered into the church, we were led up to the high altar, which is said to stand on the very spot where grew the tree of the holy cross."[7]
Ottoman period
In the early 1600s, Franciscus Quaresmius described it as: "beautiful and spacious, paved with mosaic work and embellished with various Greek pictures. Moreover, the monastery is now indeed large, fortified and commodious; but formerly it was much larger, as its ruins demonstrate."[8]
Due to heavy debt, the
In 1697 Henry Maundrell noted: "a Convent of the Greeks, taking its name from the holy Cross. This convent is very neat in its structure, and in its situation delightful. But that which most deserves to be noted in it, is the reason for its name, and foundation. It is because here is the Earth, that nourished the Root, that bore the Tree, that yielded the Timber that made the Cross. Under the high Altar you are shown a hole in the ground where the stump of the Tree stood, [..] After our return, we were invited into the Convent, to have our feet washed. A ceremony performed to each Pilgrim by the Father Guardian himself. The whole society stands round singing some Latin Hymns, and when he has done, every Fryar comes in order, and kisses the feet of the Pilgrim: all this was performed with great order, and solemnity."[11]
Modern period
Georgian inscriptions painted over
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Georgian inscriptions were painted over and replaced by Greek ones. In a 1901 photograph showing the mural of the Council of Archangels, Georgian inscriptions are visible, but 1960 photographs[clarification needed] show that the inscriptions had been changed to Greek; after cleaning the paintings the Georgian inscriptions emerged again. The same happened in the case of the Christ Anapeson, the "reclining Jesus".[12][clarification needed] In many places (e.g. near the figures of St. Luke and St. Prochore) the outline of Georgian letters are clearly visible under the recently added Greek inscriptions.[clarification needed][citation needed]
Rustaveli portrait: defaced and restored
In June 2004, shortly before a visit by the Georgian President
Vandalism
The monastery has been the target of repeated acts of vandalism. On February 7, 2012, suspected Jewish extremists spray painted graffiti calling for "death to Christians" in what is described as price tag attack.[15] On December 12, 2012, the Jewish settler hate group defaced the monastery yet again along with desecration of an Armenian cemetery.[16]
Description, visit
The fortified monastery comprises a church and living quarters. The church contains ancient murals and inside a side chapel one can see a hole in the ground where, according to tradition, the tree once grew from which the Holy Cross was fashioned.
The library houses many Georgian
Visitors can also access a museum and gift shop.
See also
- Nikoloz Cholokashvili (1585–1658), Georgian Orthodox priest, politician and diplomat. Archimandrite of the monastery between 1645-49.
- Religious significance of Jerusalem
References
- ^ Palmer, 1881, pp. 293, 315
- ^ Sylvester Saller & Bellarmino Bagatti, "The Sanctity and Cult of Lot" Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, first published in The Town of Nebo (Khirbet el-Mekhayyat). With a Brief Survey of Other Ancient Christian Monuments in Transjordan, Jerusalem 1949, 5.193–199. Accessed 2008-03-02
- ^ a b The Wellspring of Georgian Historiography: The Early Medieval Historical Chronicle The Conversion of Katli and The Life of St. Nino, Constantine B. Lerner, England: Bennett and Bloom, London, 2004, p. 35
- ^ Pro Georgia. Journal of Kartvelological Studies, Besik Khurtislava, Poland: University of Warsaw, Poland, 2019, p. 119-135
- ^ Moudjir ed-dyn, 1876, pp. 173-174
- ^ Pringle, 1998, p. 34
- ^ Fabri, 1893, pp. 1-2
- ^ Quaresmius, 1639, vol 2, p. 712. As translated in Pringle, 1998, p. 35
- ^ Pringle, 1998, p. 35
- ^ Georgia's new ambassador to Israel bears a heavy cross, Haaretz
- ^ Maundrell, 1703, pp. 92-93
- ^ Alexander P. Kazhdan, ed. (1991). "Christ Anapeson". The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2014-11-21.(subscription required)
- ^ Precious Jerusalem fresco defaced, 5 July 2004, BBC
- ^ Lily Galili, "Defaced Fresco of Georgian Hero Clouds Diplomatic Ties", Haaretz – 05/07/2004.
- ^ Abdalla, Jihan (2015-07-16). "The price of vandalism". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- The Weekend Australian. Agence France-Presse. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
Bibliography
- Clermont-Ganneau, C.S. (1899). [ARP] Archaeological Researches in Palestine 1873-1874, translated from the French by J. McFarlane. Vol. 1. London: Palestine Exploration Fund. (p. 330)
- Fabri, F. (1893). Felix Fabri (circa 1480–1483 A.D.) vol II, part I. Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society.
- Guérin, V. (1868). Description Géographique Historique et Archéologique de la Palestine (in French). Vol. 1: Judee, pt. 1. Paris: L'Imprimerie Nationale. (pp. 77-82)
- Maundrell, H. (1703). A Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem: At Easter, A. D. 1697. Oxford: Printed at the Theatre.
- Moudjir ed-dyn (1876). Sauvaire (ed.). Histoire de Jérusalem et d'Hébron depuis Abraham jusqu'à la fin du XVe siècle de J.-C. : fragments de la Chronique de Moudjir-ed-dyn.
- Palmer, E. H. (1881). The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- Pococke, R. (1745). A description of the East, and some other countries. Vol. 2. London: Printed for the author, by W. Bowyer. (p. 47)
- )
- Quaresmius, F. (1639). Historica theologica et moralis Terrae Sanctae elucidatio in qua pleraque ad veterem & praesentem eiusdem terrae statum spectantia accuratè explicantur, varij errores refelluntur, veritas fideliter exacteque discutitur ac comprobatur. ... Auctore Fr. Francisco Quaresmio Laudensi, ordinis Minorum theologo, ... Tomus 1. Vol. 2.
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 2. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. (pp. 90, 323)
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. (p. 123)
- Vogüé, de, M. (1860). Les églises de la Terre Sainte.(p. 340)
- Warren, C.; Conder, C.R. (1884). The Survey of Western Palestine: Jerusalem. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. (p. 379)
External links
- Monastery of the Cross, biblewalks
- Survey of Western Palestine, Map 17: IAA, Wikimedia commons