The Greek Orthodox monastery of Deir Hajla near Jericho commemorates St. Gerasimus, whose lavra was nearby. Gerasimus left his family wealth and worldly affairs to become a monk. He departed for the region Thebaid in the Egyptian desert, later again returning to his native Lycia. About the middle of 5th century Saint Gerasimus went to Palestine and settled in wilderness near the Jordan River. There he established a monastery and became known for his righteous life of asceticism and prayer. The story of Gerasimus and the lion, when the saint tamed the animal by removing a thorn from its paw and taught it obedience, became widely known in the Christian world. He is reputed to have attended to the Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in 451.The history of the monastery is also linked to another Christian narrative. Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus were said to have found refuge in a cave here during their flight from Herod. An underground chapel was built on the spot where the Holy Family is believed to have spent the night. The crypt floor also contains the bones of monks who were massacred during the Persian conquest of the Holy Land.
Local
Eat and Drink
- Friends of Zion Museum - Jerusalem (16.7 miles) - The Friends of Zion (FOZ) Museum is located in capital city of Jerusalem. The Museum brings these st...
- Snowbar Garden: Pool, Restaurant & Bar - RamAllah (18.4 miles) - Tucked away between the pines, you will find serenity in our not so little "treehouse". Our ...
- Zeit ou Zaater - Ramallah (18.4 miles) - Zeit ou Zaater, Serves organic produce in partnership with various Palestinian NGO’s since Feb 201...
- Singer Cafe - Beit Sahour (18.5 miles) - Singer Cafe is a meeting place for Palestinians and foreigners. It has the best coffee in town and a...
- Afteem Restaurant - Bethlehem (19.0 miles) - "Since 1948, our family has been warmly welcoming guests from Palestine and all over the world t...
See and Do
- Friends of Zion Museum Jerusalem (16.7 miles) - The Friends of Zion (FOZ) Museum is located in capital city of Jerusalem. The Museum brings these st...
- Compass Travel Israel Tours Jerusalem Tel Aviv Herzliya (16.9 miles) - Israel Day Tours and Holy Land tour packages with Compass Israel. Collection of “must see” Israe...
- Beyond Borders Tours Ramallah (17.0 miles) - Founded by Rami Nafez Nazzal—a Palestinian who carries a U.S. Passport and is a resident of East J...
- The Museum for Islamic Art Jerusalem (17.3 miles) - The Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem was founded in the 1960s by Vera Bryce Salomons, a British-J...
- Snowbar Garden: Pool, Restaurant & Bar RamAllah (18.4 miles) - Tucked away between the pines, you will find serenity in our not so little "treehouse". Our ...
