The Church, built around the rock where the Virgin
Mary is said to have rested on her way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, is expected to become a prime pilgrimage point at the celebrations of the year 2000.
by Lili Eylon
Rich remains of a Byzantine church of the 5th century have just
been unearthed on land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
of Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority is excavating the
site in what began in 1992 as a rescue excavation, when a tractor
clearing rocks to widen the Jerusalem-Bethlehem road hit a wall
of the church. Amir Drori, director of the Israel Antiquities
Authority, explained that at the Authority's insistence, the road
was moved further west, away from the precious underground treasure.
Deodorus I, head of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
hailed the find "a great discovery with historical and religious
significance" and pledged his full cooperation with the Antiquities
Authority. Both the Patriarchate and the Authority hope to develop
the site as a tourist and pilgrim attraction for the year 2000,
when many tourists are expected to visit Israel.
The most remarkable feature of the church is a group of beautiful,
almost perfectly preserved ancient mosaic floors from the 7th
century. They are of geometric designs with palm leaves and flower
designs in colors heretofore not found in this country. Distinguishable
in a few places are bits and pieces from the original 5th century
mosaic floor, evidently destroyed at the beginning of the 7th
century and rebuilt during that century under Umayyad rule.
At the exact center of the church, a large flat rock was uncovered.
This is believed to be the seat - cathisma - where the
pregnant Virgin Mary rested on her way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
Archeologists Rina Avner and Yuval Baruch, who were in charge
of the emergency dig, explain that both the size of the church
- 43x52 meters, the largest Byzantine church found in the country
- and its sophisticated plan point to its importance. The octagonal
plan later served as the basis for a smaller and simpler church,
on Mt. Grizim, and its influence can also be seen in the octagonal
floor of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
Rina Avner added that the Church of the Kathisma ("the
seat") and its adjacent monastery were dedicated to Maria
Theotokos ("bearer of God" in Greek) and were built
on the spot where Mary rested, with a donation of Iqilia, a rich
widow, who lived in the mid-fifth century. While the rock is not
mentioned in the New Testament, it is known from Christian documents
of the fourth century. Mary and her husband Joseph were traveling
from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph's birthplace, to participate
in a census. By tradition, Mary rested on the large flat rock
just off the ancient Jerusalem-Bethlehem road, a road still in
use today.
According to the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem, this spot,
the cathisma, was known to members of his church, "thanks
to tradition handed down by word of mouth as well as from church
manuscripts. Pilgrims have been venerating it through the ages."
His Beatitude called the uncovering of the church "a great
achievement in our time" and expressed his gratitude to the
Israel Antiquities Authority for "bringing ancient churches
to life." He said he was proud that his ancestors built a
church which is today admired, and pledged full cooperation in
the efforts to restore the church. "There is a Greek proverb
that says that it is more difficult to preserve than to create,
but we are determined to preserve this church to the glory of
God."