Places of station of the liturgy of Jerusalem

This page is a sub-section of the page Rite of Jerusalem.

Opening remarks

The liturgical calendar of Jerusalem includes/understands 72 or 73 places of station (on this term, to see 4.1), the first of which Anastasis and the church of Martyrium are which is attached to him. The description which follows takes again the classification operated in an article of the review the Christian Middle East , however by renumbering the places from 1 in each of the three sections and while starting with the third (holy places). In each section the places are indicated according to their chronological introduction into the liturgical calendar (this principle also comes from the quoted article, where classification is continuous from 1 to 64), except for the places A.19 and C.9- 15 qu ' no criterion chronological makes it possible to date (if it is not before 614, as for all the places from the principal manuscripts from the lectionnaire géorgien). The references are made in general to the lectionnaire géorgien, knowing that the oldest stations are also indicated in the Armenian old man lectionnaire (good about fifteen places) and Égérie (good ten, while being pressed on Pierre Diacre, who is a medieval reader of the manuscript, at one time when it was more complete than at the time of his discovery in 1884).

A. Holy places

By " saints" places; , one hears the places referring to events told in the Bible or a Apocryphe (what is the case for three places at least - 13,21,28 -, identified starting from a literalistic reading of the Protévangile of Jacques, although, for the two first, the identification does not go back to the origin of their introduction into the liturgical calendar).

Diakonikon (1)

It is the station of December 27th, celebrates of Etienne saint. The protodiacre was the subject of a Invention of relics into 415, and of a translation at this place shortly after. The place is in an angle of the church of Holy-Sion (7) where it was used as diakonikon , of sacristy, and its remainders remain to date. They date in a nearly certain way of the 3rd century and are in any case in conformity, from the architectonic point of view, with a synagog of this time. The existence of such a synagog Judeo-Christian in Sion east, in fact, attested by the textual sources (the Pilgrim of Bordeaux and Épiphane). The Church of Jerusalem " mother of all Églises" , like known as the Liturgy of saint Jacques, his origin has here.

Apostoleion (place of the apostles) (2)

The church is one of the three basilicas built by Constantin the Large one in Palestine on caves: Bethlehem, Golgotha and this one (Eusèbe, Life of Constantin , III 43). It is also called " Éléona" , of the aramaïsé Greek word meaning " oliviers" , since it is on the Mount of Olives where it was probably the vastest church of Jerusalem until the construction of Néa (C.28 hereafter). It is a usual place of station in the great annual processions, like for commemorations of bishops of Jerusalem.

The word Apostoleion ( Vie of Melanie , 4ch. 9, cité below C.27), which is translated into géorgien, referred to the apostles, not because it was relics of apostles there (still that names of apostles were introduced tardily into certain headings) but because it is there that Jesus taught with the apostles his ultimate words (from where the name didaskaleion , place of teaching, which is sometimes also used), and also because one buried the bishops of Jerusalem, successors of the apostles, at this place (or where one deposited their remainders).

The site was excavated by the white Fathers before the First World War, but was not the subject of a direct publication. One at least recognizes on the spot the remainders of the basilica, which had been the subject of an attempt at restoration, which finally led in the construction of a carmel. One put at it mosaics with our-Father in many languages, in reference to the teaching given by Jesus on the Mount of Olives right before passion.

Bethlehem (3)

The basilica of Bethlehem is obviously the station of December 25th, but also of three others memories during the year.

Holy-Anastasis (4)

The Anastasis is the usual place of station, that which is also generally mentioned in the lectionnaire. There is thus an evolution compared to Égérie, for which the majority of the stations, like the early hours, was done in Martyrium (5), in the presence of crowd. Anastasis was to be held for an especially monastic public.

Katholikon ; Martyrium (5)

The Martyrium is mentioned a dozen time in the lectionnaire, where it is also called " Katholikon" (one would say today cathedral, seat of the bishop of the Church " catholique").

Golgotha (6)

One counts ten stations in the Atrium or right in front of the Golgotha, of which it watchman of the Good Friday (a station of the procession) and the Good Friday itself (office of the worship of the Cross).

Holy-Sion (7)

It is the third holy place by the number of the liturgical stations. The basilica was built at the 4th century, probably between 379 (beginning of the reign of Théodose with which goes up its foundation according to géorgiennes sources) and 383 (when Égérie the visit), but the dedication seems a little later since it is in Jean II (386-417) that a manuscript of the lectionnaire géorgien allots this foundation (n°565). In fact it could have made, at that time, the object of a rebuilding or an enlarging, because a survey carried out in the diakonikon (= 1) revealed a first pavement of mosaics 10 cm. low than the later pavement. This first church would thus have succeeded immediately the construction Judeo-Christian of which it is question above (1).

Two fundamental events there are commemorated: Pentecost of the account of the Acts of the Apostles (as of 350 according to an allusion of Cyrille from Jerusalem, XVI 4), but also the Cène Last (after having assimilated, towards the end of the century, the " room haute" ac account. 1,13 with the " cénacle" synoptic Gospels, but this assimilation did not remove a older tradition, still reported at the 6th century, of a last cene of Jesus, undoubtedly that of Jn 12, on the Mount of Olives; to see 10 hereafter). The place was very badly excavated at the time of the construction (at the 19th century) of the Benedictine abbey of Dormition. A thing is sure, the church still functioned after the devastation of Jerusalem by Persians (614). The stavrou 43 mentions, about the 10th century, a " room haute" where one proceeds to the rite of the rectal injection of the feet. There was thus at that time, a stage, as one can see it still today in the holy place which was, with the Middle Ages, in the enclosure of a convent franciscain (the windows on the floor on the two photographs attached give on this part). At the time Othoman this one had to yield the place to a mosque, which shelters the cenotaph of king David.

The idea to locate at this place the cenotaph of king David comes from a Christian tradition, which is with the source of confusion between the biblical hill of Sion (the Mount of the Temple) and the place highest of the town of Jerusalem at the time Roman (the account of the Acts refers to David who is " among nous"). In short one can visit a " today; room haute" above a mosque, become synagog (!), comprising the cenotaph of king David. The Christian pilgrims identified not badly things in this church (in particular various memories relative to Etienne saint, to see 1 above), but never brought back this tradition. The Armenian old man lectionnaire however locates in this church the festival of " Jacob (Jacques) and David" from the 25 (later 26) December. It is perhaps the tradition at the origin of this cenotaph. At all events, the bond between Jacob/Jacques (in Greek it is the same word) and Etienne are interesting. Various elements which it is difficult to review here, suggest that the worship of Etienne developed in Sion because one sought to transpose the traditions Judeo-Christians relative to Jacques on the protomartyr, the Judeo-Christians of Jerusalem having precisely their gathering place, at the 3rd century, this place (see above 1).

Village of Béthanie (8)

The church of Béthanie is one of the three holy places which one showed to the pilgrims at the end of IVe S. to " Béthanie":

the tomb of Lazare brother of Marthe and Marie (according to the account of Jn 11), called Lazarion (from where the name of the current village),
a " church with five pas" of this tomb commemorating the place where Marthe met Jesus in way towards Béthanie, according to Jn 11,20 and 30,
the house of Marthe and Marie itself (= 17 hereafter).

The " church with five pas" is not mentioned any more on the way of Jerusalem to Lazarion after Égérie (CH. 29). The localization would be appropriate rather well for current the " vault of Bethphagé" , built by Franciscains in 1883 following the discovery of a vault of cross time commemorating the episode of Jesus with Bethphagé, the beginning of the procession of the Branches. The Greeks, on their side, built a church a little in the east of Lazarion, a church which has " a stone on which Jesus met Marthe and Marie" attested already in XIIIe century. One can wonder whether this church, which seems to have a Byzantine origin, does not correspond rather to the Foundation of Zebina (C.24 below); this change of localization goes back to one time when the way from Jericho to Jerusalem passed by the current road, but at the time Byzantine Roman then the way passed more to north and it was normally necessary to make a hook by the Mount of Olives and Bethphagé, on its Eastern side, to join Béthanie.

The church of Béthanie is the place of station of Saturday of Lazare for the commémoraison of the account of Jn 11, but the lectionnaire did not retain the procession from Jerusalem indicated by Égérie for this day. September 7th is also a station in Lazarion, for a memory of Lazare.

Village of Bethphagé; Saint-Zacharie (9)

Bethphagé is the village which was located on the Eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, in direction of Béthanie.

(The church of) Bethphagé is mentioned three times explicitly in the lectionnaire, and twice implicitly:

on 23 (or 24) August for a festival of Thomas apostle, station already present in the Armenian old man lectionnaire;
on May 26th for a festival of Philippe (a disciple of Jesus mentioned with Thomas in Jn 14);
on September 5th for a festival of Zacharie, the author of prophecy on the haddock (Za. 9,9).
the commemoration of this prophet was quite comprehensible in Bethphagé, since it is there, according to the Gospels of the day of the Branches, that prophecy was carried out. But Zacharie was the subject already of a memory, and even of a deposition of relics, in the Armenian lectionnaire, at another date, on June 10th, without precision of place. In the lectionnaire géorgien one finds on this date a place called " new Saint-Zacharie with the second mille". One finds there in addition, Wednesday before the Rise, a place called " Saint-Zacharie". Let us start with this one.

One reads this day Jn 14,1-13, the péricope which deals with Thomas and Philippe, who are the two saints of New Testament commemorated in Bethphagé. It is thus rather probable that this Saint-Zacharie church was anything else only the usual name of the church of Bethphagé to Ve S., and that it is there that the relics of this saint had been deposited. Can one know from where they came? There was a tomb of Zacharie to Jerusalem, there even where the foundation of Paul (C.25) will be built. But the bones which were at this place (or more exactly at side, in the cave which was used as tomb with the bucket Hézîr ) were not " identifiés" , then venerated, before the end of Ve S., according to an allusion to Siméon Stylite in the account of appearance quoted further (C.25). There existed on the other hand another layer of relics of Zacharie, if one can say, in the south of the country, close to Éleuthéropolis, according to an account brought back by the historian Sozomène ( ecclesiastical Histoire , IX 17) relating to Zacharie priest of II Chr. 24, which was made recognize around 412. They is thus rather from there that the relics deposited came on June 10th in (old) Saint-Zacharie, alias Bethphagé, even if it were not about the same character as that of prophecy on haddock - confusions of this kind are frequent in our sources.

When, in the account further discussed (C.25), another batch of relics of " Zacharie" appeared, in source this time of Jerusalem even (fall it from the bucket Hézîr ), one would have sought with better distinguishing different Zacharie biblical:

on the one hand by moving the old bones of Bethphagé in a " New Saint-Zacharie with the second mille" (it would be Zacharie d' Éleuthéropolis, even if the heading prescribing the reading of Za. 3-6 did not move),
by reserving the post-exilic memory of the prophet with Bethphagé, for which one instituted a new festival on September 5th, without relics this time,
and by locating the last residence of third Zacharie, the father of Jean-Baptiste, in the pyramidal monolith of the the valley of Cédron (see the images below A.11 and C.25), the Tomb of Zacharie of the Roman epoch. The Protévangile of Jacques, who influenced on this point the account of appearance, in fact another priest and martyr in the temple, like his dislodged homonym from now on (in New Saint-Zacharie).

One could identify New Saint-Zacharie in the village of Béthanie, which is indeed with the second thousand of Jerusalem and where there exists at least a possible candidate (the church in the east of Lazarion, to see 8 above).

Gethsémani (10)

Gethsémani is a station on the way of Anastasis in two processions of the Great Week, those of the Branches and the watchman of the Good Friday. After the destruction of the church in 614, the name Gethsémani passed to the church of " Holy Sepulchre of Théotokos" not far from there (18); it is probably there that were done, when it was possible, the station of the procession of the Branches. June 6th one commemorates with " Gethsémani, with-dessus" (the vault whose remainders are today in the property franciscaine " Dominus flevit") martyrs dating from the devastation of the city by Persians into 614. It is there that was to be held at the time Arabic the station of the other procession. This place is called " Holy-Proskynèse" (of the Greek word meaning prostration) in the stavrou 43.

Place of the Rise (11)

The Mount of Olives is composed of three hills (see the illustrations opposite: two in north and one in the south). On the southern hill, opposite the Mount of the Temple, are Éléona (A.2) and not far from there, towards north, with summon this hill, the place of the Rise, where certain Poemenia made build a church little before 392 ( Vie of Pierre Ibère ); the stations mentioned by Égérie were still done with open sky. In addition to the station of sixth Thursday of Pentecost, day of the Rise, it is one of the stations of the processions which take place during the watchman of the Good Friday, like at the Pentecost and Easter Days. One also goes there for the festival of Transfiguration on August 6th and for the day of the dedication of the church on October 7th.

Poimnion (place of the Shepherds) (12)

The name of the martyr commemorated on September 25th with the " Field extérieur" is deformed too much to allow an identification, but the localization is appropriate rather well for the church of the Shepherds, apart from Bethlehem. In this church, attested as of the Armenian old man lectionnaire at the beginning of Ve S., one goes the afternoon of December 24th (of January 5th in the Armenian lectionnaire) to commemorate the appearance of the angels to the shepherds according to the account of Matthieu of the birth of Jesus. The ruins of the church, which is still visited by the pilgrims with Xe S., were released by the Greeks with Beit Çahûr. It should not be confused with the monastic church of Siyar el-Ghanam , not far from there in a property franciscaine, which would correspond rather to the church of the monastery of Markianos.

Kathism and village of Betebre (13)

The Armenian old man lectionnaire locates on August 15th a station at the Third thousand of the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. In the lectionnaire géorgien the station is moved in Jerusalem in the Tomb of Marie (A.25 below), and there are two other stations with the " Third mille" , also called " Kathisme": 2 (or 3) December for the dedication of a church and on August 13rd for the dedication of another church located more especially " in the village of Betebre ".

The " was known; Kathisme" initially by a short note of the Life of Théodose Cénobiarque (two versions) saying that Hikélia, " marry of the governor, become then deaconess of Christ" , towards 455, a church with the " founded; Kathisme" old man; ; then by local Arab toponymy, where the Bîr el-Qadismu indicated a place corresponding indeed, about, with the third thousand of the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem (not far from the monastery of Mar-Élias). However there remained nothing a church and, when, in 1934, one discovered the ruins of a church not far from there, in Ramat Rachel, one concludes with discovered from the church from Kathisme.

But the things are not so simple. The " third mille" from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is indeed known as of Protévangile of Jacques, at the latest at the 3rd century. It is a water point where pregnant Marie goes down from the ass to rest. It does not have time to reach Bethlehem and goes in a cave where Jesus appears miraculeusement. The readings of the lectionnaire relate to the birth of Jesus precisely (in competition with the festival of January 6th, to see Fêtes of Epiphany). In addition the Bîr el-Qadismu remained a place of pilgrimage practically until the contemporary time, even if one did not know really any more the reason of this traditional halt close to a cistern on the road of Bethlehem. And it is well at this place that one discovered finally the ruins of a splendid church, in 1992, an octagonal church like several churches of pilgrimage of the Byzantine time (Jumble, Bethlehem, Samarie,…). It is necessary any to identify it with the " Kathisme" old man; founded by Hikélia, the church of Ramat Rachel corresponding consequently rather to the station of August 13rd, in a village. The principal festival, on August 15th, is moved in the lectionnaire géorgien with the Tomb of Marie (25 hereafter) following the development of the traditions mariales relative to its dormition. The dedication of December 2nd corresponds consequently to the foundation of Hikélia.

That known as one did not find a cistern (of bîr ), but, part of the church is under the road, which was increased at the time of the British Mandate. It thus seems to be under the current road. It is more delicate to support (but possible while waiting for an archaeological excavation) that this cistern corresponds to the cave (transformed then into cistern) about which Protévangile speaks. At all events the church of Hikélia commemorates very an other to remember that a cave. One speaks, until today in usual interpretations of the " kathisme" , of a " rest of Marie". And it is true that in the center of the church a rock is, which confirms usual interpretation obviously. But this interpretation is more than doubtful within sight of the account of Protévangile, where it is well question of the Epiphany of Jesus (and not of the rest of Marie). One would thus properly have transformed the primitive cave into a rock, for better tallying with the new version of the nativity of Jesus, in a cave in Bethlehem even (and not to three or four km. from there), since it is there that from now on the basilica rested by Constantin was.

The géorgiennes sources bring another argument in favor of this primitive interpretation of the station to Kathisme. They preserve a homélie for on August 13rd, the festival of (new) Kathisme, which mentions a cave, being unaware of as well the primitive tradition relating to the Epiphany of Jesus as consecutive interpretation with the foundation of the church by Hikélia. The account explains how Jérémie hid in a cave the objects contained in the Ark of the Covenant of the Temple of Jerusalem, little before leaving in exile. What is remarkable, it is not so much the history itself, which obviously has parallels in the Judaism (like II Mac. 2,5) and Judeo-Christianity (like the apocryphal book Vitae prophetarum , recension B), that its localization in Kathisme, that according to the date where the text is inserted. There would be thus there an intermediate tradition between the primitive direction of Kathisme (a cave for the Epiphany of Jesus) and the final direction (a rock for the rest of Marie).

In addition there are curious coincidences between this rock and that of Éleusis, where Déméter cried the descent into Hell of his/her Perséphone daughter. Isn't Marie the mother of that which is descended to the hells before ressusciter? There is not a procession towards Jerusalem (the Tomb of Marie) on August 15th, as there is one of them, in September, towards Athens? There is not, in the monastic tradition until today, a fast before August 15th as there was before the initiation of the mystes with Éleusis? The word " kathisme" itself could be used in this pagan context (according to the lexicon of Hésychius, where the word has the direction of " sanctuaire").

We are thus in the presence of the same place which knew a remarkable evolution of a direction initial Judeo-Christian to a final interpretation influenced by pagan mythology, at the time (and perhaps under the influence) of Eudocie.

(Village of) Anatot (14)

The festival of May 1st, memory of the Jérémie prophet (originating in this biblical city), is held in the church of the village (today Anatâ ), whose remainders were identified. The site is not visited any more by the pilgrims after 614.

Village of Kariathiarim (15)

The station of July 2nd appears already in the Armenian old man lectionnaire. A medieval Arab source (Eutychès of Alexandria, Xe S.) identifies the biblical place '' Qiriat Yearim '' ( Kariathiarim in Greek) at the village Qiriat el 'Inab (perhaps the Qiriat 'Anabîm biblical), today Abu Ghosh, where a beautiful cross church is. The excavations on the hill close to the current Moslem village updated a Byzantine church which can go back to the beginning of Ve century. It was the subject of a rebuilding, on a ground pertaining to the sisters of Saint-Joseph.

It is one of the places where the Ark of the Covenant at the time of the Judges (I Sm was deposited. 7,1), before being placed in the temple of Jerusalem. This festival belongs to true a " cycle arche" , with Kathisme on August 13rd (see A.13), Masephtha (A.23), Jérémie itself (A.14).

Saint-Etienne; Foundation of Eudocie (16)

Two texts are to be quoted:

a) “And when (Cyrille of Alexandria) had come with a crowd from bishops from all Egypt and had excellently made the deposition of saints bones of the protomartyr the 15 of May (in a beautiful temple that it had built out of the northern door of the Holy City), at once after, the 16 of the same month, requested by holy Melanie, he also made the deposition of the saints Persan martyrs and the forty martyrs with them, on the Mount of Olives, in the small temple which splendidly had also been built consequently empress Eudocie, as mentions it also an inscription engraved there on wall.” ( Life of Pierre Ibère , p. 32-33, translation of P. DEVOS, the year of the dedication from Saint-Etienne to Jerusalem: 439 , Analecta Bollandiana , 105 (1987), 265-279, p. 266-267). This last place corresponds to Stoa of saint Etienne (hereafter C.19). The patriarch Juvénal was probably present also at this ceremony although the biographer monophysite of Pierre omitted to mention it.

b) “(Eudocie in 460) made devote, although unfinished, the church of Saint-Etienne protomartyr the fifteenth day of June. Then it made the turn of all the churches founded by it, making them devote and assigning to each one a sufficient income. Four months being completed after the dedication, in pious and pleasant provisions with God, it gave his spirit between the hands of God on October 20th of the fourteenth indiction.” (Cyrille de Scythopolis, Life of saint Euthyme , CH. 35).

May 15th, 439 is thus the date of the translation of the relics of Etienne, since the '' diakonikon '' of Holy-Sion, while on June 15th, which is mentioned in the lectionnaire géorgien like day of the deposition of the relics (n°1031), represents in fact the date of the dedication, in 460. June 15th was undoubtedly preferred at May 15th because of the existence of an older festival on this date, also mentioned in syriaques sources.

the other stations are in the octave of the Epiphany (January 11th, n°130), sign of the importance of the church in the system stationnal under Juvénal,
a festival of saint Etienne on January 14th (°142),
a festival of all the martyrs on January 22nd (n°163), the day of the ac reading. VI 1-6, election of the seven deacons to which Etienne belongbelonged (n°773, second Wednesday of Easter),
a memory of Eudocie on September 10th (n°1228),
and memory of its death on October 19th (n°1312).

The text of the lapidation of the protomartyr ( ac. VII 55-60) belonged to a péricope transcribed in the lectionnaire for the old festival of Etienne saint of the 27 (formerly 26) December ( ac. VI 8 - VIII 2). In particular on June 15th, one finds a reference with the readings of December 27th, which suggests that the place was regarded as that of the lapidation of the protomartyr.

The localization " will be also noted; out of the northern door of the sainte" City; in the first quoted text, which makes null and void the localization of the episode of ac. VII 55-60 in a Greek monastery, moreover rather late, valley of Cédron, which gave its name to the " Carry of Étienne" Saint; in the cross and later sources (called today rather " carry of Lions" , in the east of the city). This circumstance had been worth at the time with Dominican purchasers of ground, in 1882 (at the expense of the Russians which had also stood as a candidates), a epic quarrel as well as ridiculous with the Greeks and even Franciscains.

Saint-Pierre, house of Caïphe (17)

It is one of the stations of the procession of the watchman of the Good Friday, the dedication of the church being commemorated the 17 or August 18th. The lectionnaire indicates also the church by the expression " Métanie (= repentance) of Pierre".

At the time Byzantine, one counts only one place for the court of the high priest Caïphe, where Jesus is taken along after his arrest to Gethsémani, and the place where Pierre cried his treason in this same court with the third song of the cock. The accounts of Passion are satisfied to say that Pierre " dehors" left; (MT. 26,75). The " house of Caïphe" is visited by the pilgrim of Bordeaux (333), but the church, of which it is undoubtedly necessary to allot the foundation to Eudocie, is not mentioned in the accounts of pilgrimage before the end of of Ve century ( Breviarius of Jerusalem and Théodose).

Starting from IXe S. one starts to distinguish the two places and thus one located at least until XIXe S. the " house of Caïphe" at the top of the hill enters Holy-Sion and the wall (Othoman) of the city, in a Armenian property. But the place of the repentance of Pierre was always maintained on the hillside, where the Assomptionnistes acquired a ground, " Saint-Pierre in Gallicante" , where were found interesting remainders. It acts on the one hand mosaics which could belong to the church, although one did not succeed in identifying his plan, and on the other hand of a cave which could be the " well; prison of Christ" , before this one migrates in the Holy Sepulchre, with other memories of Passion (like column of scourging, whose Pilgrim of Bordeaux said already that it had been moved in Holy-Sion, probably coming from the House of Caïphe). More recent excavations updated remainders of a rich person house of Roman epoch.

Holy-Sophie, house of Pilate; Saint-Cyr military school (18)

The following station in the procession of the watchman of the Good Friday is the prêtoire where the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate sat. The liturgy also commemorates the dedication of this church (September 21st).

The Pilgrim of Pleasure, at the end of the Life S. locates the " palate of Pilate" , the prêtoire where Jesus was condemned, " handle ruined templi Salomonis sub platea, quae discurrit AD Siloam… " , i.e. in the west of the Mount of the Temple, in the valley of Tyropéon. It was not the historical place of the prêtoire (the lithostrôton of Jn 19,13, v. MT. 27,11-31 and parallels), which was in all probability in the higher palate, the old palate of Hérode and current Tour of David, but undoubtedly a rich person house of the Roman epoch, whose ruins were still visible with the beginning of IVe S., when the place for the first is mentioned by a pilgrim (the Pilgrim of Bordeaux).

Pierre Ibère, towards 475, is the first to mention a church, called " Holy-Sophie" in the lectionnaire géorgien and the account of the destruction of Jerusalem by Persians (of Stratégios). Perhaps because of the title " Holy-Sophie " , the Lithostrôton seems to be regarded as a church mariale (according to a subscription of the synod of Constantinople of 536, mentioning " Joseph of Holy-Théotokos in Lithostrôton").

The station changed place, undoubtedly after its destruction into 614, and one notes a new date of dedication on August 8th. The station of the Good Friday is called " Ambacum" in one of the published manuscripts (S) and this name, which is also in the manuscript the Sinai 34 (Garitte), is actually Cyr (abba cyr), whose name is sometimes confused in géorgien with that of the prophet Habaquq (abba quq). Garitte found the name " besides; Saint-Cyr" ( Amba Qirs ) for this station in an Arab évangiliaire, and it is also the most frequent name of the stations indicated in the évangéliaires into syro-Palestinian. As noted it Milik, the church of the Lithostrôton is precisely known, in a medieval Vie of Constantin , like " church Saint-Cyr-and-Jean". One in addition knows that the patriarch Sophrone composed a panegyric of these two saints, whose place of worship was close to Alexandria (current the Aboukir, " Abu-Kir"), which can explain why one built a church in their honor, which ends up passing for the Lithostrôton after the former Holy-Sophie was destroyed. In any case the pilgrims of which oldest is Épiphane in IXe S. clearly locates the Lithostrôton on the way between the Tower of David and Holy-Sion, in a place which does not have, however, not identified at present.

Village of (Béthel) (19)

The manuscripts indicate " here; Bethléem" , but the object of the festival of October 8th (memory of Jacob) and readings of the day (Gn. 27-28) are appropriate better for " Béthel" , two easily confused words when the words are shortened, which often arrives in the medieval manuscripts géorgiens. It is possible that this village corresponds to el-Birê , close to Ramallah, where the ruins (not excavated) of a cross church are. As the Bible mentions not far from Béthel another village, Have , it could act of a site in south-east, KH. Nisya , also not excavated.

Close to (Béthel) (20)

The festival of Abraham and Loth, with deposition of relics of the apostle Andre, on October 9th, is appropriate rather well for the station " close to Bethléem" (to read Béthel like above 18), where one reads texts of Gn. 12 and 13. It could be a question of KH. Nisya (cf A.18).

Village of Thamnachar (21)

September 3rd, memory of Aaron and Éléazar, with Nb readings. 20 and 25, is held in Thamnachar, Timnat Sérah de Jos. 19,50; 24,29, today Khirbet Tibnê . It should be fall it from Josué, but this one is commemorated the day before, September 2nd, in Probatique (hereafter A.21), with readings of Jos. 10 and 24. It is probably about an error, and it would thus be necessary to move back the station of the one day September 3rd. Besides according to a remark of Milik, the heading of September 2nd contains a name, Anthème, which can be a deformation of Thamnachar. The site is visited by Égérie (according to Pierre Diacre) and Paula (in the account of its pilgrimage made by Jerome, Lettre 108).

Probatique (22)

The Probatique, close to the ruins of which the crusaders built the church Holy-Anne mother of Marie, was built towards the beginning of Ve S. to commemorate the miracle of Jn 5 (even if there are strong chances that the miracle took place in fact with SILOE, hereafter 26). At the end of the century, under the influence of the Protévangile, the place evolved/moved in the direction of a church mariale commemorating the birth of Marie, not far from the Door of the Ewes (known as also Porte Saint-Etienne, because of the Greek sanctuary of this name, medieval time, low in the valley), i.e. the " Probatique" of Jn 5,2 ( probaton = ewe). Protévangile tells that, after Anne accepted from an angel the promise to give birth to, whereas Joachim was itself awaiting in the desert a response of God to his request to have a descent, " Joachim arrived with its herds. Anne awaited it, with the doors of the city. As soon as she saw it appearing with her animals, she ran towards him, suspended herself with her neck… And Joachim, this first day, remained at his place with reposer." (IV, §4)

The place is indicated five or six times like liturgical station:

Dedication on June 9th (between 430, because it is not yet in the Armenian old man lectionnaire, and 450, because the church is attested under Juvénal);
Station of the procession of the Branches coming from the Éléona and of Gethsémani, and in direction of the Anastasis; the two new stations between Éléona and Anastasis (news compared to Égérie and with the Armenian old man lectionnaire) made it possible to read the four accounts of the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem in the Gospels.
Station of the festival of the beginning of the year on September first, beginning of the year civil Byzantine undoubtedly since Leon Ier. It is interesting that the readings refer to the Day of the Atonements (yôm kippur). The Day of the Atonements is indeed, in an old Hebraic calendar attested in particular in the Jubilés and with Qumrân (the Calendrier essénien), the beginning of a year jubilaire. There are other traces of essénienne influence on the Church of Jerusalem (in particular 4.1).
the octave of this day, on September 8th, was selected like celebrates nativity of Marie, a festival which penetrated in all the Christian liturgical traditions and on which by consequence (nine months front) the festival depends on the design on Marie on December 8th, in the Roman Calendrier, i.e. the Immaculate Conception, which is one bank holiday in certain countries.
Chronologically, the first station in Probatique was perhaps that of second Saturday of Pentecost for the reading of Jn 5, because the cycle of reading of this Gospel during the time of Pentecost is very old (see 4.1) although it is not detailed in the Armenian old man lectionnaire.
Remainder a station not-explained on May 30th, perhaps the new dedication of the church after its restoration in VIIe century.

Village of Encharim, church of Elisabeth (23)

The station of August 28th with Encharim commemorates a deposition of relics of various saints of the entourage of Jerome saint, of which most recent than Jerome itself is not other, died into 419 (in contradiction with the Martyrologe hiéronymien for which its relics are in Bethlehem).

Another tradition developed in Encharim, that of the house of Zacharie, which one shows still today with Ain Kârem in the south-west of Jerusalem, i.e. the place of the birth of Jean-Baptiste (one shows also a little apart from the village the place of the meeting between Marie and Elisabeth, three months earlier, according to the account of LLC 1). Doesn't this tradition seem very old (end Ve S., at the same time as the localization of the memories of Protévangile, A.21, A.28, C.25?), but it is true that the lectionnaire done there itself allusion by the reading of LLC 1,57-66 (birth of Jean-Baptiste).

Village of Masephtha (24)

Not far from el Birê (= A.18) is the site of Such in-Naçbê which is sometimes identified in Miçpâ of the Bible, Masephtha in Greek, in competition with Nebi Samwîl where is hardly more than one monastery at the time Byzantine. A church was identified on this site (raised of Bagatti). The station on August 20th commemorates the Samuel prophet, who convened Israel in this village, after the episode of Qiriat Yearim (= A.15), according to one of the readings of the day (I Sm. 7,3-13). Samuel, in the Bible, is also active in Béthel (= A.18).

Béthanie, above (25)

The station of June 4th commemorates a dedication in a place with Béthanie in top of the hill. Only one place is appropriate for this localization, it is a cave, an old cistern, where traces of Christian worship were found. The reading of the day, LLC 10,38-42, suggests that one is in the " maison" of Marthe and Marie, sisters of Lazare, which was visited by the pilgrims at the end of IVe S. (Jerome, Lettre 108,12).

Gethsémani, tomb of Theotokos; foundation of the king Maurice (26)

The primitive dedication took place one June 13rd (according to the the Sinai 34), shortly after the Concile of Éphèse which gave rise to the Culte marial. The church is built around old fall. It is thus certain that she was regarded as of this time as the place of the burial of Marie. However it is at the end of Ve century only that the traditions develop on the disappearance of its body of the tomb (elements in the articles Assomption, Dormition, Dormition (August 15th) and above Kathisme), which will bring the displacement of the station of August 15th of the Kathisme to this church of Gethsémani.

The king Maurice (582-602), to which it lectionnaire allots the foundation, is undoubtedly responsible for a restoration (little before the destruction church in 614, restored again then), which is commemorated the 22,23 or October 24th.

July 14th is indicated a station in this church for the commemoration of two martyrs (Mamas and Taraise).

SILOE (27)

Station of September 6th commemorating the " deposition of the autel" (the dedication of the church or the installation of a furnace bridge in a preexistent building?). The church probably dates from the period eudocian because of the Phokas martyr who is mentioned for this festival in the the Sinai 34, a martyr who is often commemorated in the churches founded by Eudocie.

Tomb of Rachel (28)

The Tombeau of Rachel is the subject of two stations: February 20th for the memory of a " déposition" (of relics of Rachel following a inventio which was not reported in writing?!) and on July 18th for another deposition, where one finds a list rather long of saints whose circulation of the relics is attested in Jerusalem at the time of Eudocie.

Choziba, monastery of Theotokos (29)

Like Kathisme (above 13) and Probatique (above 21), this place was attached to the cycle of events told in the Protévangile of Jacques (see also above 22 and below C.25). The monastery, as the " tell it; Miracles of the happy Virgin Mary in Choziba" (published in Analecta bollandiana , 7,1888) was at the beginning, towards 470, a simple cell transformed into vault. It is possible that the proximity of the dedication of this church on January 18th (according to the lectionnaire), in years 480, with an old festival mariale of January 15th, still preserved in the tradition syriaque, and also mentioned in the lectionnaire, led to the bringing together with the account of Protévangile which locates " in the désert" the place where Joachim required of God to grant to him a descent (I, §4), Marie.

This monastery, restored at the beginning of XXe S., is located in an idyllic place of the desert of Juda (the wâdi Qelt ) and is a usual place of visit for the tourists and pilgrims of Holy Land (see for example the images of http://www.geocities.com/m_yericho/kelt.htm).

B. villages

Of the fifteen villages which are added to the villages " bibliques" (A.8, 9,13-15, 18,20,22,23), only one is identified in an unquestionable way (B.7).

1) Enbeteba
2) Idaquta
3) Enbikumakube
4) Enbigone , Saint-Alexandre
5) Agarthana

6) Gebali

7) Métoba

The village, whose Greek name was to mean something like " faubourg" , is quoted in a form aramaïsée by Cyrille de Scythopolis, which wants to say that he was inhabited by a population speaking araméen, and the context makes it possible to identify it at a place in the south of Jerusalem, not far from Kathisme, the current village Arab of Umm Tuba (where one finds the old arabized name besides). One commemorates in this village, on June 11th, a group of Egyptian martyrs, perhaps a deposition of relics.

8) (Phordisia)

9) Geteno

10) Sebento

11) Yason

12) Betano

13) (Béthoron)

14) Betario

15) Petrebagoni

C. foundations

1) Innocent; Midsummer's Day Old the

2) Melanie

3) Old people's home of Passarion the priest

4) Passarion the priest

5) Juvénal patriarch

6) Aphthonios

7) Church of the martyr Procope

Pierre priest; Saint-Paul; Fourth thousand (8)

The history of this church is rather complex, because it seems to have been known under various names. A church of the " Fourth mille" is mentioned on June 30th in the lectionnaire, where the calendar the Sinai 34 (Garitte) locates a deposition of relics of a group of saints also including/understanding Paul, as well as the XL martyrs. This church, like showed it Milik, was on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and corresponds to ruins not far from a source which preserved in Arabic the name of " quatre" ( Ein Rawabê : well of the Four). Cyrille de Scythopolis allots to the empress Eudocie in her Vie of Euthyme (CH. 35), the foundation of a church " Saint-Pierre" who, according to his position " at twenty stages opposite the " monastery of Euthyme, seems well to correspond to this place. It would have to be brought closer to the dedication of the church " Saint-Paul" or " Saint-Pierre" according to the manuscripts indicated dated January 21st in the lectionnaire. Finally, on October 13rd, a station is done in " the foundation of the Pierre" priest; , with memory of a deposition of relics of the XL martyrs, like on June 30th. One would thus have confused the Pierre priest in Saint-Pierre (the apostle), and also, as the church contained relics of a certain Paul, in Saint-Paul (apostle), and that gives the church " Saint-Pierre-and-Paul" mentioned in these surroundings by account of pilgrimage of the 9th century.
There are few things to see on the spot. Most impressive is still the old Roman road by place very quite recognizable, and where Christ had to pose the foot. Eudocie could finance in the Foundation of Pierre, its monastery, the construction of a cistern, which is the structure best preserved current site (this according to a suggestion of the archeologist israëlien Hirschfeld).

9) Ephrem'

10) Hésychius priest

11) (Church) Midsummer's Day

12) Flavia

13) based

14) Romanos

15) Euplios; Saint-Georges

16) Saint-mount

17) Close to Sion, (Saint-Thalélée)

18) Jean; Saint-Theodore

19) Stoa of Saint-Etienne

20) Spoudaeon

21) The Jordan priest

22) Church of the archangel Michael

23) Jean patriarch

Paul (24)

A monk of the area of Jerusalem tells, in a letter addressed to Épiphane and Pierre, letter preserved in géorgien, how, towards the end of Ve S., the " Zacharie" priest; he appeared to reveal to him the authenticity of the relics which have just been discovered, as well as those of the two other large priests of Jerusalem: Siméon and Jacob (Jacques). They were considered, in imaginary Christians of the time (which developed starting from the Protévangile of Jacques) like the last three large priests of Jerusalem. Do the relics probably come from the adjacent cave, where an account preserved in Latin this time locates the residence of a hermit, Épiphane (the recipient of the account géorgien?), which gives another point of view on this invention of relics (it is, here, Jacques which appears). It is sure in any case that there existed at this place a Foundation, a vault, to contain the aforementioned relics. It is known like " Foundation of Paul" (the name could be a confusion with Pierre of the account géorgien, itself perhaps the patriarch which sat from 524 to 552). It is the place of station of several liturgical dates: on May 18th and 25th for the invention of the relics, on December 1st for the deposition under the pyramidal monolith.

Zebina priest; New Saint-Zacharie (25)

The station of the festival of June 10th is discussed higher (A.9); on Zebina, to see hereafter.

Zebina priest, in the Apostoleion (26)

If it is about the same founder that the preceding place, one can date it from the time of the invention of the relics of Zacharie (above C.25), towards the end of Ve century. The relics deposited on April 29th (Andre apostle, only according to the the Sinai 34) and at least those deposited on September 11th (Euphémie martyrdom) could not the being before the council of Chalcédoine (451), Chalcédoine being the place originating in the relics of Euphémie. Two other stations are indicated in this foundation for the memory of the André apostle: March 5th and on August 17th.

Other relics of apostles (Paul, Philippe, Pierre, Thomas) are mentioned " in Apostoleion" , which was the place of burial of the bishops of Jerusalem (see A.2). But the origin of these relics is doubtful (see the case of Pierre and Paul discussed above C.8) and these mentions do not appear very old (for the commémoraisons of Philippe and Thomas, to see A.9 however). They simply seek to support the assertion (faith) of continuity between apostles and bishops (and are not to take in a literal direction!).

The localization " in Apostoleion" is interesting. One has a text mentioning another foundation in this church, a kind of vault undoubtedly: " … once his/her brother (Pinien, his husband) deadened in the Lord (into 431), it remained in the Apostoleion which it had done itself to build little time before, and where it deposited the remainders of happy (Pinien). There, it remained approximately four years, being macerated until excess in the fasts, the days before and mourning persévérant." (Gérontios, Life of holy Melanie , CH. 49, transl. D. Gorce, Christian Sources , vol. 90). Holy Melanie the Young person is known in the lectionnaire by another foundation, its monastery (above C.2; to also see its role in the foundation of the Stoa of saint Etienne, above C.19). As for its foundation of the Apostoleion itself, according to the quotation which has just been made, it is to be put at the account of its Gérontios biographer, who had succeeded to him in the load of his foundations (and which was a Monophysite, whereas the church was with the hands of Chalcédoniens).

Justinien; Néa (27)

28) Church of the martyr Laurent

Sources

P. Maraval, Égérie. Newspaper of voyage (Route) - Valérius of Bierzo. Letter on Bse Égérie (by Mr. C. Diaz there Diaz), ( Christian Sources , 296), Paris, 1982 (réimpr. 1997)

A. Renoux, Armenian codex Jerusalem 121 '', T. II. Edition compared of the text and two others manuscripts, introduction, texts, translation and notes , Patrologia Orientalis , 36 (1971), 141-390

Mr. Tarchnišvili, large the lectionnaire of the Church of Jerusalem (Ve - VIIIe century) , t.I ( CSCO vol. 188, Scriptores iberici T. 9, text; vol. 189, Scriptores iberici t.10, version) & t.II, ( CSCO vol. 204, Scriptores iberici t.13 text; vol. 205, Scritores iberici T. 14, version), Leuwen, 1959 & 1960

G. Garitte, the calendar palestino-géorgien of the sinaiticus 34 ( 10th century ), ( Subsidized hagiographica , 30), Brussels, 1958

A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, Analekta Ierosolumitikês Stachuologias , II, Saint-Péterbourg, 1894, p. 1-254

Random links: