This fortress looking Crusader church, surrounded by a lovely gardened courtyard, is one of the best preserved in Jerusalem and is a stark contrast to the busy Muslim quarter. It's simple design and high ceilings give it amazing acoustics, which we got to try while we sang. Even our small group sounded like a large choir as our singing reverberated high above us.
more cats... there were feral cats everywhere in Israel
The church's crypt is a cave that is believed to be the home of Mary's parents.
Unlike most churches in Jerusalem, this church was not destroyed when the Muslims conquered the city in 1189. Instead the sultan Saladin turned it into an Islamic law school. The name can still be seen above the main door.
Adjacent to the church are the ruins of the Pools of Bethesda. They were originally built to collect rainwater but in Herod the Great's time, they were made into curative baths. In John 5:1-18, the story is told of a paralytic that waited 38 years for someone to help him into the pool when the water was stirred. Jesus healed him there at the "house of mercy." Later the Crusaders built the small Church of the Paralytic on the site.
I loved the little flowers growing in the midst of the ruins
And wherever there was an open staircase to explore, we walk down it... :)
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