Russian Jerusalem and Bethlehem
I have been to Jerusalem several times. I walked a lot around the Old Town - both with a guide and on my own. I have also been to Ein Karem... But I still couldn’t get to Bethlehem. This time I decided that I would definitely go. I chose the option of a group tour "Bethlehem and Russian Jerusalem".
A minibus drove up to the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem and took me on a tour. It was about 9 am on the clock. . . First we went to the Mount of Olives, from where we have the opportunity to admire the panorama of Jerusalem for several minutes, take photos. . . Then we went down this very mountain to the monastery of St. Mary Magdalene. Unlike most of the Holy places in Jerusalem, which belong to Catholics, you can’t just go here at any time - only as part of a group or if you agree with the nuns. And of course, you need to meet the "Orthodox" requirements. Those. Shoulders and knees should be covered, and women also have their heads covered!
On the territory of the monastery there is a beautiful garden with small houses where the nuns live. The center of the monastery is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, which was built in the 19th century at the expense of Emperor Alexander III in memory of his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna (German by birth, converted to Orthodoxy). The church was consecrated in honor of its heavenly patron Saint Mary Magdalene, disciple and faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
After visiting the monastery of St. Mary Magdalene, we went down to the foot of the Mount of Olives and got into a minibus. Our path lay in Bethlehem! The city is located on the territory of the Palestinian Authority, so to get there, you need to pass through a checkpoint where documents can be checked. Nobody checked us, and we calmly drove to the center of Bethlehem. It is there that the Church of the Nativity of Christ is located. Outside, the Temple does not seem to be something remarkable, since it was built, destroyed, rebuilt... And it happened so many times during its centuries-old history... However, inside, too, everything breathes antiquity rather than grandeur, but, as one guide told me, “the main thing for the place, and the place is here. ” To go down to a small room under the altar, where there was once a cave and the baby Jesus lay in the manger, you need to stand in line. We were lucky - there were not many people at the time of our arrival. However, while we were standing, the queue grew three times! Here, in the Grotto of the Nativity, the silver Star of Bethlehem is installed - a symbol of the birth of Jesus Christ and a place of worship for Christians from all over the world. Like the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, this temple is shared by several Christian denominations. This is partly why it has been standing rather shabby for many years - they want to repair it, but they can’t agree on how to share the costs : (
After visiting the Temple of the Nativity, we had lunch at a cafe in the neighborhood and left for Ein Karem, a suburb of Jerusalem. There we were to visit the Gorny Orthodox Monastery.
It was there, in Ein Karem, soon after the Annunciation that the Blessed Virgin Mary came from Nazareth to share her joy with her relative, the righteous Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, about the future birth of the Savior. By the way, John the Baptist himself was also born here. In the center of the village of Ein Karem, the Most Holy Theotokos took water from a spring that still gives water to this day. From the source of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the road leads to the Gornensky convent. The monastery owes its origin to the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). In 1871, Archimandrite Antonin bought two houses and an extensive olive tree plantation in this place, and then, having expanded the site by purchasing adjacent land, he built a shelter for Russian pilgrims. Subsequently, Russian nuns began to settle here and the shelter became a monastery.
After visiting Ein Karem, the guide sent me to the hotel by taxi, because. other tourists were from Tel Aviv and Netanya. I liked the tour very much. I saw not only Bethlehem, but also Ein Karem. In general, in my opinion, Ein Karem is one of the most beautiful places in Jerusalem and its environs, so it’s definitely worth visiting there. In addition to the Gornensky Monastery, there are several other Catholic monasteries that you can visit on your own.
