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The monastery is the site of the famous story of St.Gerasimos and the Lion. It has been much painted, but perhaps most delightfully by Carpaccio in the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni in Venice |
It is one of the oldest Monasteries of Palestine, built in 455 by St Gerasimos himself. St Gerasimos came from the town Myra of Lycia. His presence was fundamental in the monasticism of Palestine, combining the anchorite with the coenobitic monasticism.
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Vassilis Nedos
The monastery, founded in the 5th century by Saint Gerasimos and located
north of the Dead Sea, includes sections dating back to the 9th and
12th centuries.
Greek authorities have expressed deep concern over reports of expanded land encroachments by Israeli settlers on property belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church in the West Bank, particularly around the historic Monastery of Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan near Jericho.
A high-level meeting was held in Athens to assess the situation, which, according to exclusive reports, involves the extension of illegal settlement activity on land under the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. The monastery, founded in the 5th century by Saint Gerasimos and located north of the Dead Sea, includes sections dating back to the 9th and 12th centuries.
While Athens cannot intervene broadly in Israeli settlement policy, diplomatic channels between Greece and Israel are activated when church property is affected. These issues are managed directly by the Greek Foreign Ministry due to their sensitive religious and historical significance.
Greek-Israeli tensions over Orthodox Church properties have surfaced
multiple times in recent years. The pressure on the Jericho region has
intensified in the past two years, particularly following the October 7,
2023 Hamas attack and the subsequent war in Gaza. At least five new
settler outposts have reportedly been established near Jericho, often
preceding further land seizures.... READ MORE https://www.ekathimerini.com/politics/foreign-policy/1277381/athens-upset-by-west-bank-seizure-reports/
The Holy Monastery of Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan
One of the oldest Monasteries of Palestine is the Holy Monastery of Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan, which was built in 455 by Saint Gerasimos himself. Saint Gerasimos came from the town Myra of Lycia. His presence was fundamental in the monasticism of Palestine, combining the anchorite with the coenobitic monasticism. The monastery is built on the south-east valley of Jericho. The exact place of Christ’s baptism, as well as the Dead Sea is nearby, the place where the ancient cities Sodom and Gomorra used to be.
The monastery stands majestically 400 metres above the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. On its north side there is a three-aisled church dedicated to Saint Gerasimos, Saint Euthymios, Saint Zosimas and Saint Mary of Egypt. All interior decoration is dated back to the 12th century. On the ground floor under the church there is another smaller one, dedicated to the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt when persecuted by King Herod. According to the tradition, the Theotokos with Christ as baby and Saint Joseph were accommodated for a short while in that place and the following incident happened. That was also the hiding place of a chief bandit. He threatened the other bandits not to harm that family or else they would deal with him. In the evening Theotokos bathed Christ. The chief bandit’s wife took the used water and bathed her ill son with it. The child was instantly healed. It is said that that boy was the bandit who was crucified on Christ’s right hand side and was granted life in Heaven. That area is also called the area of the grouse (Deir Jajla). It received that name after the Theotokos. When people saw her passing by they said she walked like a grouse. Someone characteristically said “this woman is so beautiful! If there is a Mother of God it must be her”.
With the Persian army’s raids in 614 the monastery was destroyed and was not rebuilt until the beginning of the 9th century. Today’s monastery is built above the ruins of another important monastery known as... READ MORE https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/holy-shrines/the-holy-monastery-of-saint-gerasimos-the-jordanian/