Beneath this seemingly impenetrable exterior lies a story that stretches back millennia. This is the Monastery of the Cross. It is a place of legend, faith and artistic treasures.
The Monastery of the Cross stands in the Valley of the Cross. It is near the Knesset and the Israel Museum. Its location was once an isolated site. The buttressed walls gave it a fortress-like appearance.
Legend says that the monastery’s origins are linked to the very wood of Jesus’ cross. Tradition holds that the wood came from a tree. This tree grew on this very spot. Some say Lot planted the tree. Others believe Adam did.
The monastery’s history is as complex as its architecture. It may have been founded in the 5th century. Sources differ on who founded it. Some credit Emperor Constantine. Others credit his mother St Helena. King Mirian III of Georgia is also named.
The monastery was rebuilt in the 11th century. The Georgian monk Prochorus oversaw it. He used remains of an earlier structure. Persians had destroyed that structure. Hundreds of monks lived here. It became a cultural center for Georgians in Palestine.
Georgia declined in the 17th century. Persians and Ottomans subjugated it. In 1685, the Greek Orthodox took over the Monastery of the Cross. They restored and repaired it in the 1960s and 70s.
Inside the Monastery of the Cross complex there is a chapel. There are also living quarters for monks. Several courtyards offer quiet spaces. A small museum displays monastery life from the past. There is also an old refectory and kitchen. Today visitors can buy souvenirs from a gift shop.
The chapel is a basilica with a central dome. Frescoes from the 12th and 17th centuries decorate the walls and pillars. The iconostasis separates the sanctuary. It contains many icons and paintings.
A mosaic floor lies to the right of the altar. It remains from a 5th-century church. Persians destroyed that church in 614.
One fresco commemorates Shota Rustaveli. He was Georgia’s national poet. Rustaveli lived in the monastery. He wrote the epic poem “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” here.
In 2004, a vandal scratched out Rustaveli’s face. Part of the inscription was also damaged. Other Georgian artworks in the monastery had suffered a similar fate.
A doorway on the chapel’s left side leads to the heart of the Monastery of the Cross. A narrow passageway displays old vestments. These are in glass cabinets. It leads to a darkened chapel. A circular plate surrounds the spot beneath the altar. The tree of the cross supposedly stood here.
Nearby is a repository for photographs. People send photos of those who need help. Prayers are offered for them.
Restored medieval frescoes adorn the walls. They tell the story of the tree. First, Abraham is shown with three heavenly visitors. They give him three staffs. These are cedar, cypress, and pine. After Sodom’s destruction, Abraham gives the staffs to Lot.
Lot plants the staffs. He waters them from the Jordan River. The three woods grow into one tree. Centuries later, the tree is cut down. A beam is prepared for the cross.
The Monastery of the Cross stands as a testament to time. It reflects faith and art. It is a place where legends intertwine with history.