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“MARY SET OUT AT
THAT TIME AND WENT AS QUICKLY AS
SHE COULD TO A TOWN IN THE HILL COUNTRY OF JUDEA"
LUKE 1:39
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In the days that
Herod was king over Judea, an elderly childless
priest named Zachariah won the lottery with the
right to offer incense in the Lord’s Temple in
Jerusalem. (Luke 1: 9) Just as Zachariah was standing by
the great altar holding a cup full of burning coals
and incense, the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared
incognito to the right side of the altar.
Zachariah was startled and frightened.
The angel patted his shoulder, reassured him and
pronounced the amazing news to Zachariah that his
wife Elizabeth, who was “well along in years,” was
to give birth to a son. Zechariahs’ first
reaction was disbelief and a demand for proof.
Gabriel formally introduced himself and left
Zechariahs mute, having to tell worshippers in the
Temple courtyard by sign language that he had seen a
vision.
Six months later, Gabriel visited the Galilean
village of Nazareth, this time appearing to a young
virgin named Mary. She, also, was initially
alarmed by the sudden presence of a stranger.
But he reassured her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you
have found favor with God.”
A few days later, or perhaps a few hours later, a
pregnant Mary began the long arduous journey (90
miles as the crow flies) from Nazareth to visit her
cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea.
Would she have walked, or would she have ridden a
donkey? We can’t know.
But what we do know is that she would have traveled
along a land of hills and valleys studded with many,
many rocks. The most she could have traversed
in one day is 9 to 10 miles, so we are talking about
a ten-day journey at the very least, and, in a state
of pregnancy. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Tradition has it that Mary drank
from a spring under this mosque in Ein Karem |
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| Mary’s destination,
Elizabeth’s home village in the “hill country of
Judea,” is traditionally identified as Ein Karem, on
the western outskirts of Jerusalem. Ein Karem
means “spring of the vineyards,” alluding to the
many terraces, still evident, which were filled with
grape vines and olive trees in ancient days. |
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| Mary’s visit with her pregnant cousin Elizabeth is
commemorated by a lovely church called “The
Visitation Church.” To reach the church we
pass a spring where Mary is reputed to have quenched
her thirst, before she climbed up the hill to
Elizabeth’s summer home. It’s a 7 to 10 minute
walk up the hill with 89 steps to the entrance of
the church. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Statue of Mary greeting Elizabeth
at the entrance to the Visitation Church |
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The Church of the
Visitation is an ideal place for reflection on the
promise of motherhood and the intervention of the
Holy Spirit. Another possibility is comparing
the birth narratives and ministries of cousins John
and Jesus.
Although the church is visited by many groups, most
don’t linger. Members of your group can disperse
facing the rustic views of the terraced countryside,
or find solitude in the upstairs chapel or the
downstairs grotto. You can read the Magnificat
(Luke 1:46-55) set in ceramic tiles in 57 languages,
from Scottish to Swahili and Portuguese to
Vietnamese. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Magnificat set in ceramic in 57
languages |
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| If our group is
filled with boundless energy, we’ll wander a bit
through the narrow village alleyways and admire some
of Jerusalem’s finest landscaped country homes. |
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If you’d like to
meet where Mary met Elizabeth,
contact me while you are
in the stages of planning your next trip to
Jerusalem. We’ll include a visit to rustic Ein
Karem on your next pilgrimage.
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Mary meeting Elizabeth
commemorated at the Visitation Church in Ein Karem |
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Gila
Yudkin, a Connecticut Yankee
guiding in King David’s court, has been
sharing biblical insights on site in the
Holy Land for over 30 years. She loves
showing off Ein Karem to pilgrims -- and to her
family and friends.
Be sure to
contact her in the beginning
stages of planning your tour to check her
availability.
If you are contemplating leading a tour to
the Holy Land or know someone who is, don’t
miss Gila’s tips about do's and don'ts guaranteed to make your Holy Land
pilgrimage a rave success. Read
Tips from A to Z for Holy
Land Tour Leaders. |
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Copyright 2008, 2015 Gila Yudkin. Permission
needed for any reuse. |
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Coming to Jerusalem
soon?
Would you like to find the venues where you can
quietly be transported back in your imagination to
the time of Mary and Elizabeth?
Make every
minute matter while you "Explore
Jerusalem's Soul" with Gila's
unorthodox guide.
This up-to-date PDF (Adobe Acrobat)
46-page guide gives you the Top Ten places to
meditate on the Bible, the Top Ten lesser-known
churches worth visiting, the Top Ten most
rewarding roof-top views and the Top Ten places
for sampling Middle Eastern soul food. Pick and choose
among 40 sites according to your temperament, time
frame, impulse and imagination. Some are
in Ein Karem, right near the Visitation
Church! More on
Gila's Guide...
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TCHERNIKOVSKI
64A
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