Bethany: Difference between revisions
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The oldest house in present-day al-Eizaraya is a 2,000 year old dwelling that has attracted pilgrims who believe it might have been the House of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.<ref name=Shahinp332/> There are ongoing excavations at a site just beyond the House of Martha and Mary.<ref name=Shahinp332/> Just west of it is the house of Simon the Leper, which is known by locals as the Tower of Lazarus and is operated by the [[Greek Orthodox Church]].<ref name=Shahinp332/> |
The oldest house in present-day al-Eizaraya is a 2,000 year old dwelling that has attracted pilgrims who believe it might have been the House of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.<ref name=Shahinp332/> There are ongoing excavations at a site just beyond the House of Martha and Mary.<ref name=Shahinp332/> Just west of it is the house of Simon the Leper, which is known by locals as the Tower of Lazarus and is operated by the [[Greek Orthodox Church]].<ref name=Shahinp332/> |
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==References== |
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[[Category:Towns and villages in the West Bank]] |
[[Category:Towns and villages in the West Bank]] |
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Revision as of 16:16, 27 May 2007
al-Eizariya (Arabic: العيزريه, lit. Place of Lazarus) is a Palestinian village of 4,000 inhabitants[1] located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles (3 km) from Jerusalem. The village is commonly identified with biblical Bethany.
History
Since the beginning of the 16th century CE, almost all of the town's inhabitants have been Muslim. The Ottomans built al-Ozir mosque in the city to serve the town's inhabitants and named it in honor of the town's patron saint, Lazarus.[1] For 100 years after it was constructed, Christians were invited to worship in it, but the practice was frowned upon by European church authorities who felt separating the denominations was a better option.[1]
In the early 20th century, visitors counted 40 family dwellings in village.[1] The Catholic Encyclopedia reported in 1908 that the modern village was centered on the cave that was associated with the raising of Lazarus, which had become an early pilgrimage site, and that the site of the village mentioned in the New Testament was a little distance away, higher up on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives.[citation needed]
A Franciscan Church designed by Antonio Barluzzi and built in 1954 marks the spot of the Tomb of Lazarus and its gardens contain the remnants of a mosaic floor from an earlier church built in the 4th century CE.[1]
Present-day
Today, the village suffers from overcrowding, due to rapid expansion, a lack of proper town planning, and general neglect from decades of occupation.[1] Much of the rich agricultural land that produced figs, almonds, olives and carob has been lost and many of the original inhabitants now live in Jordan, the United States, and the Arab Gulf States.[1] Real estate speculation and the opening of many bank branches briefly accompanied expectations that the Palestinian Authority would set up its seat of government in East Jerusalem.[1]
The oldest house in present-day al-Eizaraya is a 2,000 year old dwelling that has attracted pilgrims who believe it might have been the House of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.[1] There are ongoing excavations at a site just beyond the House of Martha and Mary.[1] Just west of it is the house of Simon the Leper, which is known by locals as the Tower of Lazarus and is operated by the Greek Orthodox Church.[1]