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Light a Candle

CHURCH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

(click on the candle)

Picture: Chebishev

(c) Daniel Amarilio

Greek Orthodox
Located on Christian Quarter Road, Old City

GOD,
Please give  Humanity wisdom
To eliminate the Poverty in the World.
So that the rich become richer.
So that no Poverty exists.
So that no  Parent bury his Child.
So that our wonderful Planet is safe.
So that we to live with Joy, in Peace and surrounded by Love.
So that we will glorify You through our short lives, finished even before
being conceived.
So that to hear New prayers coming from every human’s heart,
Which is the same for every Human in this World, independently rich or
poor, white or colored, Abraham or Buddha’s children.
Because I believe only in Goodness..
(Amarilio's Prayer)


Tucked away snugly behind a row of shops in the Old City marketplace, the Church of St. John the Baptist is hardly an impressive sight. Its unpretentious facade is relieved only by a few ornamental stones and a blue-framed picture of St. John's head. That's why the richly decorated interior comes as such a tremendous surprise; indeed the green and gold iconastasis inside St. John's Church is one of the most ornate in Jerusalem - and the artwork on walls and ceiling is absolutely stunning!

The Church of St. John the Baptist was built over one of Jerusalem's earliest sanctuaries. In fact the original church, restored over the last two centuries, is located more than seven meters below street level! And although it wasn't constructed on a New Testament site, the church harbors a bone believed to be part of St. John's skull.

It all began with the Byzantine empress Eudocia, estranged wife of Theodosius II. Criticized for letting his wife influence state decisions, the emperor first tried murder, then eventually banished Eudocia permanently to the Holy Land. There she became involved in good works and was instrumental in the establishment of several fifth-century sanctuaries, including the Church of St. John the Baptist.

During the Crusader period a group of knights operating a hospital within the church walls adopted St. John as its patron. They were part of a military religious order called the Knights Hospitaler, and members cared for sick and needy pilgrims of all denominations. It is believed that after the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, when other Crusaders left the city, a few knights remained to guard the church. Today St. John's belongs to the Greek Orthodox, who had it thoroughly repaired in the nineteenth century.

 
 

Natalia Staikova

 

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