Mar Elias Monastery – Where Elijah Rested
Mar Elias monastery, situated near Jerusalem, is a Creek-Orthodox monastery with a rich history dating back to the 6th century AD. According to local tradition it commemorates where Elijah rested while fleeing from Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19).
History of Mar Elias Monastery
The Monastery was founded in the Byzantine period and named after Saint Anastasius, but the Persian’s invasion in 614 AD led to its destruction and abandonment. In the 12th century, the Crusaders rebuilt the monastery, and in 1345 AD, Jerusalem’s Patriarch, Elias, was buried in its compound. This led to a change in the monastery’s name. However, a local tradition developed associating the monastery with the biblical prophet Elijah, whose name in Arabic is Elias.
Prophet Elijah and Mar Elias Monastery
Biblical era prophet Elijah battled against pagan worship and is primarily known for slaughtering the Ba’al Prophet after a religious contest in the Carmel (1 Kings 18). Angring Queen Jezebel, Elijah fled south to Mount Horeb. By local tradition, he rested near Jerusalem during his run, which the monastery commemorates.
The Burial of the Chained Monk
In the 1990s, on the hill opposite the monastery, salvage excavations uncovered the burial of a person in chains. Dating to the Byzantine period, it is most likely a burial of a monk who lived an extreme ascetic lifestyle. The shackled skeleton is displayed in the monastery’s main church, next to the apse.
Visiting Mar Elias Monastery
The Monastery and its church are open to the public. The church and the restaurant on its compound are decorated with Byzantine-style paintings presenting Biblical themes, especially those relating to the prophet Elijah. The church celebrates Elijah’s ascension to the heavens (2 Kings 2) every summer on July 19th.
A tour of Mar Elias Monastery can be combined with a guided day tour of Jerusalem.
