A local pilgrimage

In addition to its plethora of restaurants and galleries and its impressive landscape, Ein Kerem is an important site for Christian tourists.

By MEITAL SHARABI
The Russian Orthodox church 521 (photo credit: HADAR YAHAV)
The Russian Orthodox church 521
(photo credit: HADAR YAHAV)
Spring, summer, fall or winter – visiting the Ein Kerem neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem is an enjoyable outing all year long. Famous for its fine restaurants and numerous art galleries, it is also a wonderful place to wander through the narrow streets and admire the charming stone houses, monasteries, churches and, of course, the Jerusalem hills.
Ein Kerem was home to the multitudes of Crusaders who flocked to the Holy Land, as well as the birthplace of John the Baptist, an important character in the New Testament.
We began our visit by taking a circular path that begins at Mary’s Spring on Spring Street, just next to the main road (Ein Kerem Street). Mary’s Spring was the focal point of a Canaanite settlement here about 3,000 years ago. According to Christian tradition, this was where Mary, Jesus’s mother, met with her cousin Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, both of whom were pregnant. Legend holds that Mary stopped to drink from the spring, and as a result many people believe that it is a holy place. Mary’s Spring is one of the most bountiful springs in the Judean Hills, and in the past Christians would fill their bottles with the spring water. Today, however, the spring water is contaminated and drinking it is not recommended.
Just above the spring is the Makam – a mosque that was built 100 years ago. In the past it housed a school for local children, but currently it is an abandoned building. Above it remains the mosque’s minaret, which has become a symbol of Ein Kerem.
We then continued up the road toward the Church of the Visitation. The church itself is the main attraction; however, on the walk up to it, we passed many beautiful spots – such as the Ein Kerem Music Center, which at one time was the private abode of pianists Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir; and at another the dwelling of the local sheikh, Haj Ismail. Legend has it that when British Gen. Charles Gordon visited Ein Kerem in 1883, Haj Isma’il gave him a present – a young mulberry tree that the general planted in the sheikh’s yard, and is still there today.
As we continued up the hill, we passed the Sisters of the Rosary Convent, which is currently an orphanage. And then, finally, we reached the courtyard of the Church of the Visitation, from which we had an amazing view of the surrounding area, including Beit Zayit and Nahal Sorek.
The Church of the Visitation is a relatively young Catholic church (1955) that was built on the ruins of a Crusader church that, according to legend, was built for Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine. There is a large gate at the entrance, above which sit bronze statues of Elizabeth and Zechariah, her husband and John the Baptist’s father. An image of Mary riding a horse can be seen on the mosaic at the forefront of the church. Christian tradition tells us that when Mary visited Elizabeth here, the baby began to move within her womb – at which point Elizabeth blessed Mary. Mary then sang a hymn called the Magnificat, whose lyrics are engraved on ceramic tiles in the church’s courtyard. There are another four impressive wall drawings that depict the events involving Elizabeth and Zechariah.
Next we returned to Ein Kerem Street and followed signs to the Monastery and Church of John the Baptist, which is still a functioning church. It is built in the form of a basilica, and according to Christian tradition, Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist here. There are numerous marble statues, one of which is of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order that established this church and the Church of the Visitation. Another statue is of St. Clair. One of the most impressive drawings in the church depicts John the Baptist being decapitated by King Herod.
We then walked back down to the main road, and entered one of the small side streets in search of art galleries and a quaint restaurant. I recommend parking in the underground parking lot, which is free of charge.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.