Tomb of Lazarus
The Tomb of Lazarus at al-Eizariya | |
---|---|
The Tomb of Lazarus is a traditional spot of
History
The site, sacred to both
Several Christian
Historic church buildings at Bethany
There is no mention of a church at Bethany until the late 4th century AD, but both the historian
The Lazarium consisted of the church (to the east of the site), the tomb of Lazarus (to the west), and an open space between the two which probably served as an atrium. The church was in the form of a three-aisle basilica. The apse, in a solid rectangular block shape, was at the east end. A sacristy on each side opened into the aisles.[6]
The Lazarium was destroyed by an earthquake in the 6th century, and was replaced by a larger church. This church was mentioned by the
In 1138,
After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the nuns of the convent went into exile. The new west church was most likely destroyed at this time, with only the tomb and barrel vaulting surviving. The 6th century church and tower were also heavily damaged at this time but remained standing. The village seems to have been abandoned thereafter, though a visitor in 1347 mentioned Greek monks attending the tomb chapel.[12]
The tomb
The entrance to the tomb today is via a flight of uneven rock-cut steps from the street. As it was described in 1896, there were twenty-four steps from the then-modern street level, leading to a square chamber serving as a place of prayer, from which more steps led to a lower chamber believed to be the tomb of Lazarus.[13] The same description applies today.[14][15]
The steps enter the antechamber (3.35 m long by 2.20 m wide) through the north wall; the outline of the former entrance via the mosque can still be seen on the east wall. The floor of the antechamber is two steps above the floor level of the mosque, possibly due to rock falls from the soft limestone ceiling during construction of the Crusader-era church above the tomb. The Crusaders strengthened the tomb itself with masonry, which obscures most of the original rock surface (except for a few holes).[3] The alignment of the tomb and antechamber suggests they predate the Byzantine churches and may very well be from the time of Jesus.[15]
Three steps connect the antechamber with the inner burial chamber (which measures a little more than two square metres in size). It contains three funerary niches (arcosolia), now mostly hidden by the Crusader masonry. One tradition places the tomb of Lazarus to the right of the entrance, which was formerly closed by a horizontal stone. Tradition also says that Jesus was standing in this antechamber when he called Lazarus from the grave.[13]
Current structures
Mosque of al-Uzair
Mosque of al-Uzair | |
---|---|
Religion | |
al-Eizariya, West Bank | |
Architecture | |
Completed | 16th Century |
By 1384, a simple
For 100 years after the mosque was constructed, Christians were invited to worship in it, but the practice was frowned upon by European church authorities who preferred for adherents of the faiths to remain separate.[16] As Christian access to the tomb became more difficult, the Franciscans were eventually permitted (between 1566 and 1575[3]) to cut a new entrance into the tomb on the north side. At some point the original entrance from the mosque was blocked. This entrance can still be seen in the east wall of the church's antechamber.
Catholic Church of Saint Lazarus
In 1863, the
Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Lazarus
Church of Saint Lazarus | |
---|---|
Religion | |
al-Eizariya, West Bank | |
Architecture | |
Completed | 1965 |
In 1965, a modern Greek Orthodox church was built just west of the Tomb. Its construction incorporates the north wall of the former medieval Benedictine chapel.[3] Nearby the church are ruins that belong to the Orthodox Patriarchate and are traditionally identified either as the House of Simon the Leper or Lazarus.
-
Burial Chamber Entrance
-
Commissioner John Lawley of The Salvation Armyat the Tomb in 1905
-
Tomb Entrance Circa 1906
-
Roman Catholic Church
-
Catholic Church Mosaics
-
Greek Orthodox Church
See also
- 432267397 Tomb of Lazarus on OpenStreetMap
References
- ^ John 11:38–53
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Bethany". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-923666-4.
- ^ The Onomastikon of Eusebius and the Madaba Map, By Leah Di Segni. First published in: The Madaba Map Centenary, Jerusalem, 1999, pp. 115–20.
- ^ Itinerary of the Pilgrim of Bordeaux Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, translated by Arnold vander Nat, 2001.
- ^ a b Bethany in Byzantine Times I Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine and Bethany in Byzantine Times II, by Albert Storme, Franciscan Cyberspot.
- ^ Translation by J. Wilkinson.[citation needed]
- ^ Ayer, Joseph Cullen. A source book for ancient church history: from the Apostolic age to the close of the Conciliar period. Charles Scribner, 1913.
- ^ MacPherson, James Rose, trans., The Pilgrimage of Arculf in the Holy Land, about the year A.D. 670 (London: Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society, 1895).
- ^ Bethany in Byzantine Times III, by Albert Storme, Franciscan Cyberspot.
- ^ Bethany of the Middle Ages, by Albert Storme, Franciscan Cyberspot.
- ^ Bethany – Jerusalem Archived 2009-08-20 at the Wayback Machine, Sacred Destinations.
- ^ a b In The Biblical World 8.5 (November 1896:40).
- ^ Modern Bethany Archived 2013-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, by Albert Storme, Franciscan Cyberspot.
- ^ a b c "Sacred Destinations" Archived 2009-08-20 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ ISBN 1-56656-557-X.
- ^ Church of St. Lazarus, Bethany Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, Antonio Barluzzi and the Pilgrimage Churches.