The monastery of Mar Elias is a monastery of the Greek Orthodox in southern Jerusalem, and it is one of the largest monasteries in Roman patriarchy, and its building is similar to a fortress or an old castle.
the site
The monastery of Mar Elias is located between the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, 5 kilometers north of Bethlehem, and it is on a hill overlooking the Al-Quds-Khalil street, at an altitude of 817 meters above sea level.
From there, an exciting panorama can be seen, notably Jerusalem in the North, Bethlehem South and Jabal Abu Ghoneim, whose occupation turned into the colony “Har Hawam” in the East, and even Mount Ferdes (Fort d’Hérodium) in the Southeast.
Prophet Elias
Mar Elias, also known as “Élie”, is a prophet with miracles – according to what has been said in the book of kings in the Hebrew Bible (or what is known as conversation) – he lived under the reign of King Ahab in the ninth century BC.
In chapter 18 of the first book of kings, Elie defended the cult of God instead of worshiping the Canaani God Baal, who was adored by the people of the Levant and Asia Minor, and they considered him the God responsible for rain, thunder, lightning and dew.
According to the same source, the god has done many miracles in the hands of Elijah, including the renewal of the dead, the landing of the fire in heaven and the rise of the sky living in the fire.
On behalf of “Elijah Al -Tasibi”, this prophet came to warn that there would be years of catastrophic drought that she will not even be formed, according to the Hebrew book.
According to the same perception, Ilya, when he predicted drought, was not only a challenge of the God on the same divinity, but King Ahab, his wife Isabel, his priests and the people of Israel were also disputed.
Elias was mentioned in the noble Koran and the noble Sunnah of the Prophet, as mentioned in the Koran 3 times; Once in Surat al -anam and two in Surat Al -Saffat, and the owners of this opinion say that eliasin mentioned the all -powerful saying in the surate al -saffat (peace is on the eliasin, we also reward the benefactors) is Elias because the Arabs are attached to many names.
Muslims believe in a message and a prophecy of Elias, and many scholars mentioned that he was himself Elie, as Ibn Katheer said, for example, that his message was for the inhabitants of Baalbek west of Damascus, and he adds that they had an idol to love him called “Bala”.
The Koran mentioned this idol on the language of the Prophet Elias in his saying in Surat Al -Saffat (and Elias is one of the messengers, as he said to his people not to fear, you will be broken and judged the best of creators).
In Islamic mysticism, Elijah is closely linked to the Green Wise, whose history has been mentioned in Surat Al -kahf, and the Sufis describe it as “the brother of vegetables”, and they say that he drank “youth of youth”, a source which, according to them, gives young people to all those who drink or bathe with his water.
The story of the monastery
The name of the monastery with this name is due to more than one reason. According to Christian tradition, he is based on the site where the prophet Elias rested when he escaped Queen Isabel, who persecuted the prophets and wanted to take revenge for him after having ordered the murder of the prophets of God Baal.
The children of Israel were worshiped by God, and when their king married Ahab of Isabel, this cult was encouraged, the children of Israel were divided between Abed to God and Abed Laa, and when the debate occurred between Elijah and the Prophets of Baal in the Mountain of Caremel, which was later called the “Holocaust”, while they were Fire with fire and fires and they challenged. And waited from heaven, but they didn’t do it. They must, and defeat, and the prophet Ilia poured water on firewood, then God sent the fire from the sky and burned wet firewood.
At that time, people began to return to God with faith and repentance to idolatry, then Ilya ordered the arrest of all the prophets of “God Baal” and dragged them on the Qishaun river, and there ordered their massacre, then Queen Isabel ordered to harm Elijah, so he was known to Bethlehem, and exactly as “brand”.
Another story tells that the monastery is based on the sanctuary of Saint Elias, the Egyptian monk, who was the patriarch of the city of Bethlehem in 494 AD, while some believe that he was appointed by this name because the Bedouins appreciate the prophet Elias, then he called a parent of him so that he was not subjected to the attacks of the Beouin and their invasions.
The monastery was built in the Byzantine era, and some believe that Banneh is the patriarch of Jerusalem Salosteius in 486 AD, while others believe that Paneh is the patriarch Ilya in the year 518 AD, and others say that those who ordered its construction are Hercules, the Emperor of 610 Ad, and they say that Destroyed after their invasion of 610 AD, and they say that the Persian after their expulsion, he again built Hercules.
The crusaders recognized the monastery at the start of their reign, of Palestine, and after half a century, he collapsed following an earthquake, and in the year 1160 AD, the Emperor Manuel, the competitions of the competitions.
The monastery has witnessed other additions over time, because other sections were built on the east side, especially for guests and to absorb more monks.
The Mar Elias monastery was closed at the start of the First World War by the Turkish government and its monks were repeated, and it was reopened after its end in the middle of a great celebration of the statue of Re -Maryam for him, and this celebration is still an annual ritual organized on the second Sunday after the Western slate.
The monastery has witnessed many extensions with the passage of time until it ends in the form of a semi-existing castle in a strategic location between the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
In 1948, the monastery was damaged due to the fall of the shells on him because of the line of fire, and after the defender was silent, he became at the arm of the armistice line, and the road to Jerusalem was no longer ahead, but people took a way to surround him next to the village of Tire Baher, the village of Jabal Al -Mukaber.
Next door, the Jordanian army built a camp in which a severe battle took place in June 1967, and the monastery was again damaged.
The historian Wasef describes the monastery of Mar Elias, saying that “one of the largest and larger monasteries affiliated with Greek Orthodox patriarchy, and it contains the many spacious heavenly pieces and squares, and the church is located on the ground floor, and he has a special endowment around him the old Romanian olive forests.”
He adds that “the era process is famous” and describes its result as “pure and pure oil, which is always sold at more prices than the other oil in the country”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhk18xdtq2i
Terns traditions
Deir Elias in the past was associated with a certain number of traditions, in particular by holding the wedding crowns there, and what was also famous for her in August, this is what is called “Mar Elias day”, and people bring her to make the wishes they cut, and they offer candles, oil or crafts.
The sellers are spread over the square of the monastery building, which looks like an old fortress or a fortress, while the church is filled with Christian clerics.
Deir Elias milestones
Inside the monastery, there is the tomb of Elijah, Greek bishop of Bethlehem, died in 1345 AD. Near the monastery, there is the Katizma church, which was a standing station for the caravans between the Levant and Egypt, and it is one of the eight distinctive churches.
South of the monastery, clips from the Al-Sabeel canal, which transported Berkim Suleiman water, can be seen near Bethlehem in Jerusalem.
The monastery faces a stone seat installed by the wife of the British painter William Holman Hunt (1827-1910), who drew some of his main works in this place, a seat engraved with verses written in Hebrew, Greek, Arab and English languages.
Israeli establishments are surrounded by the monastery, like “Ramat Rachel”, which witnessed strong battles in 1948, and its acceptance of the former ruin of the drummer, which is part of the city of Beit Saffa, and he transformed an Israeli site on behalf of “Tal al -tayyar Hill” (in which an Israeli plane was regulation.