On your way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, you pass by a place on the left, standing like a fortress on a ridge that overlooks both cities. It lies four kilometers north of Bethlehem and only a few minutes from Mar Saba Monastery. This is the stone church of the Prophet Elijah, known in Arabic as Mar Elias, set upon the ancient Jerusalem to Hebron road a short distance from Rachel's Tomb at the northern entrance of Bethlehem.

Each year on August 2, Christian Jerusalemites and Bethlehemites gather together in this stone church to celebrate the Feast of Mar Elias.

The Significance of the Jerusalem to Hebron Road

The Jerusalem to Hebron road existed long before the birth of Christ. Bethlehem was the first stop for travelers to fill their waterskins or to rest for the night before continuing north or south along the way. It is worth remembering that Bethlehem itself did not appear on maps of the Holy Land until Christianity was established as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century.

The History of Mar Elias

The church of Mar Elias is built upon an elevated slope where Christian tradition holds that the Prophet Elijah ascended into Heaven on a fiery chariot, as described in the Second Book of Kings.

During the Byzantine era, a monastery dedicated to the Prophet Elijah was founded on the hillside. Tradition tells that the principal fragment of the True Cross was once hidden by the Greek Orthodox Church at this monastery, and that upon the arrival of the Crusades, it was presented to the Crusaders.

The present church of Mar Elias was built in the late nineteenth century. Although technically a monastery, today it serves the local Orthodox Christian community living in the southern suburbs of Jerusalem, and is a beloved place of pilgrimage. The interior is known for its luminous icons and the relics of a monk discovered at the site, whose nearly complete skeleton was found bound in chains he had apparently worn as an act of self penance.

What happened at Mar Elias when Jesus was crucified?

In local Christian tradition, the hill is known as the Field of Grey Peas, or Stony Peas, after the small grey stones that lie scattered across it. Legend holds that these stones are the bitter harvest of a farmer who rebuked Christ shortly before His arrest and Crucifixion. Christ had greeted the farmer sowing peas as He travelled across the hillside and asked what he was planting. The farmer rudely replied that he was sowing stones. Following the burial of Christ, the peas were said to have turned to stone.

The Prophet Elijah in Arab Christian Culture

The Prophet Elijah holds a treasured place in Arab Christian culture, particularly in Syria, Lebanon, Haifa and the Galilee. "Elias" remains one of the most common Arab Christian names to this day.

How is the Feast Day Celebrated?

The feast day is observed with great devotion by Catholic, Greek Catholic, Maronite and Greek Orthodox communities across the region. Pilgrims light candles, offer olive oil, and bring children named Elias to the church. The Prophet Elijah is also regarded as the patron saint of travel, and in some Eastern Christian cultures priests bless vehicles, wagons and other means of transport with holy water on his feast.

In Jerusalem, where many Christians whose families migrated from the north have kept their devotion to the Prophet Elijah, visiting the church of Mar Elias for the service is common even when the feast falls during the workweek. Bethlehemites take pride in walking the considerable distance from their homes to the church under the hot summer sun.

After the service, chanted in both Greek and Arabic, parishioners and visitors gather for a brief social hour before returning to their busy lives, preparing for the final stretch of summer and hopeful that the Prophet Elijah, whom Christians believe will return shortly before Judgement Day, will bless their families at the dawn of autumn.

If you come to Palestine to visit Mar Elias, you are always welcome to visit us at our workshop in Beit Sahour, very near the church. You can watch as our artisans turn blocks of Holy Land olive wood into beautiful hand made carvings. We craft Holy Land gifts including olive wood crucifixes, olive wood rosary beads, olive wood cooking utensils such as olive wood salad bowls, wooden kitchen spoons, and olive wood trays. We also hand carve other treasures from Bethlehem olive wood, such as chess boards.

To view all these products and many more in high resolution panoramic 360 degrees, visit our online store.

We at Bethlehem Handicrafts are proud to put the Holy Land in your hand by giving you the finest original Bethlehem olive wood carvings, crafted with care in the Holy Land.

Made by Christian Hands. Loved by Christian Hearts.

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