Ain Karem is a city in Israel, located a short distance from Jerusalem. This is particularly important for Christians because, according to tradition, it is the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of St. John the Baptist. Here was born St John the Baptist. Ain Karem village lies at a distance of about 8-10 kilometers to the west of Jerusalem, and 150 kilometers from Nazareth.

Name of the city – Ain Karim – believed to have been received from the set of gardens and cultivated fields in the area (karm), fertile thanks to a good spring debit (ain). The significance is not the name of the village fully clarified, “the source with plenty of water,” “vine spring” or “fountain Karem’s”. Ain Karem spring of Ain Sitti Maryam is called, meaning “Fountain of Mary”.

Inhabited since the Bronze Age, Hebrew leader Joshua divided the tribe of Judah Karem, as we read in the Scriptures: “This is the inheritance of the children of Judah by their families (…) Maarath, Beth-anoth and Eltekon: six cities their villages. Tekoa, Bethlehem Ephratah or, Peor, Etam, Culone, tatami, Sores, Careme (Karem), Galema, Betir and Manah: eleven cities with their villages. ” (Joshua 15, 20 and 59)

With the advent of Christianity in the Jewish town of Ain Karem has existed a strong community of Christians, it is mostly dealing with carpentry and guiding pilgrims. Currently, except for a few small Christian communities, the entire population of Ain Karem consists of Hebrew. This mosque in the village to remind you of the existence of an Arab village, before the year 1948. Before this year, the village was inhabited 3,000 Arabs, 300 of whom were Christians.

Town of Ain Karem preserves places of prostration seven Christian churches and monasteries. Among these are: Franciscan Monastery, built on the site where the birth took place St. John the Baptist; Visit the Church of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth; Monastery of St. Zacharias; Lady’s Church in Sahyun, along with a number of tombs.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist – the testimony of Holy Scripture

Holy Scripture testifies to the great joy of the Lord Nativity of the Forerunner. The priest Zechariah, descendant of Aaron, belonging to the tribe of Levi, while offering at the temple incense had a vision. Apostle and Evangelist Luke, who begins the Gospel and with this wonderful event, describes the news and the birth of John:

“It was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priesthood of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and they both were in their day.

And when Zacharias was ministering before God among his week, the lot fell after the manner of the priesthood, entering the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people in time of incense was out and pray.

And i was shown angel of the Lord, standing at the right of the altar of incense. And seeing him, Zechariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. And the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, because your prayer has been heard and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and of his birth, many will enjoy. It will be great before the Lord; not drink wine nor strong drink, and yet another of his mother’s womb will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

And many of the sons of Israel will turn to the Lord their God. And will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. “(Luke 1: 9-17)

Cave left the Shrine is honored Birth of St. John the Baptist, when sugar has spoken Song of Blessing “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, has researched and made redemption of his people and has raised us power of salvation in the house of David his servant, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from eternity; salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

And do mercy with our fathers, that they may remember His holy covenant; oath that was sworn to Abraham our father, as being redeemed from the hand of enemies, give us new fearlessly to serve Him in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our lives.

And you, child, prophet of the Most High shalt be called, you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation intruiertarea their sins through the mercy mercy of our God, that we investigated ourselves sunrise from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. “(Luke 1: 67-79).

Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church in Ain Karem – brief history

Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church is known as the “Saint John of the Mountains”. The second name comes from the words “mountainous” mentioned by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke recounts when visiting the Virgin Mary made her cousin, Elizabeth, while the latter was carrying on St. John the Baptist.

“And in those days Mary arose and went in the hill country with haste, into a city of the tribe of Judah. And entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe has leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried with a loud voice and said: blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ” (Luke 1: 39-42)

Apostle and Evangelist Luke does not specify what is called the city that left in a hurry to Mary, but Christian tradition, confirmed by archaeological excavations, says it’s the Ain Karem. IV-V centuries, the Byzantines used this area to post cemetery, because tombs of two unknown martyrs, remember and inscription on the church gate. V-VII centuries, the Byzantines built a church here in memory of St. Elizabeth.

An example of written Georgian, dating from the VII and VIII, says that the Church of Jerusalem celebrate a great celebration on August 28: “In the city Encharim, in the church where Elizabeth is mentioned Right.” This results from the Jerusalem church calendar. As is customary each year, the community of Jerusalem, to go on a pilgrimage to the “Shrine of Saint Elizabeth in Encarim”. The Crusaders found at Ain Karem two sanctuaries they rebuilt.

From pilgrim Russian Daniel Abbot, from the beginning of the XII century, we kept the first detailed description of the place: “The house of Zacharias at the foot of a mountain, a little west of Jerusalem. In this house of Zacharias came the most Holy Mother of God, to visit cousin of Elizabeth. in this house was born Saint John the Baptist. Now this place rises a church very high. on the left side, after entering the church, in a small Shrine , is a small cave. In this cave was born Saint John. “

A large and beautiful church rises on the site since the Crusader period. However, after the fall of the Latin Empire, in 1187, the church building was much reduced by local Muslims of them doing it housed stables for cattle, more than four centuries. Crusader church was destroyed by Saladin or, more precisely, was transformed into a large inn.

Several writers have testified pilgrims plight of Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church in Ain Karem, until the Franciscans have recovered this holy place, in the eighteenth century. With the arrival of their church building and annexes have begun to be cleaned and used according to their original purpose. Ain Karem Church of Christian worship was rendered.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church in Ain Karem – architecture

Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church in Ain Karem chapels and tombs keeps very old, with newer Crusader intake. The church, pictured below, is as follows: 1. Encrypt who was born in St. John the Baptist; 2. Church of XI-XII centuries; 3. Martyrs chapel with inscription and tombs dating from the fifth century; 4. Chapel South, VII century; 5. Place the ritual washing were done in the first century; 6-7. Crusader hall, dating from the twelfth century.

The most consistent of the church was built in the eleventh century, except for its dome, which was completed in the twelfth century. The crypt which reminds the place where the birth took place St. John the Baptist is in the left side of the Altar. A few stone steps lead to a natural cave, considered part of the house of Zechariah.

During the restoration works was discovered under the current portico of the church, a chapel dating from the fifth or sixth century, with two tombs carved into the rock era Romanian. Greek inscription on one of the chapel mosaics testify it the graves of martyrs. Later, the VII-VIII centuries, Christian piety seen in these tombs burial place of the innocents massacred in Herod’s command.

Alongside this chapel was discovered another chapel, also from the Byzantine era, and in the small courtyard in front of the church was discovered a marble statue of Venus prudish (or Aphrodite). The fragment of a statue of Venus, found this place here to indicate the possibility that there was a pagan temple of the ancient Romans.

In 1885, the entrance gate in the churchyard, on the left, was discovered an inscription in Greek, worked in mosaic; it thus urges: “Rejoice, O martyrs of the Lord!” Following excavations in the years 1941-1942, in the churchyard of Ain Karem were discovered some remnants of buildings in the Romanian period.

(Source: crestinortodox.ro – Teodor Danalache)