Abu Gosh lies only a few miles to the west of Jerusalem. Guidebooks recommend Abu Gosh for its famous chummus, a contender for the title of Israel's finest. Dana and I ate at one of three restaurants claiming to be the original Chummus Shukri (first picture below), but the chummus was disappointing. Abu Gosh is also the home of two important churches.
The Church of Notre Dame de l'Alliance (and the adjacent convent for the sister of St. Joseph) is built on the remains of a Byzantine church (some of the original mosaic floor is still visible), originally erected on the spot where the Ark of the Covenant rested before it was brought to Jerusalem (the pictured icon visually depicts this unique history). The top of the church sports a giant statue of Mary, as seen in the picture below.
Abu Gosh also contains an impressive Crusader church, pictured below.
A few miles down the road, the village of Ein Kerem lies deep in the hills surrounding Jerusalem. The beauty of the area is absolutely breathtaking (see first picture below). Ein Kerem is the biblical birthplace and home of John the Baptist, and the location where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth when the two women were both pregnant--an event commemorated by the Church of the Visitation (second picture below; the fourth picture below shows the interior of the church). According to tradition, the two woman touched stomachs (see third picture below), and the unborn infants jumped for joy. The crypt of the church preserves an ancient well associated with John the Baptist (see fifth picture below).
The Church of St. John the Baptist lies across town. The impressive gate leads to a large courtyard. Inside the Franciscan church, a tunnel beside the altar leads to a marker in the floor, said to be the space where John the Baptist was born (see third picture below).
And now... Holy Week begins!
No comments:
Post a Comment