A Holy Land
Lebanon was one of the first regions to receive the news of Christianity,
and it was Jesus, in person, who was its first evangelist. The Gospels teach
us that Jesus preached beyond the borders of the Decapolis, notably in Tyre
and Sidon, where he performed miracles. Thus Lebanon is part of the "Holy
Land" where the feet of Christ once trod. Some of the first Christian communities were set up here during the time of the apostles and were visited by Saint Paul. In fact, the Acts of the Apostles records that Saint Paul came to Tyre before his last visit to Jerusalem and his arrest (Acts 21). For a country of ancient spiritual and cultural traditions, could there be a more extraordinary privilege?
Message of Friendship
Lebanon today is a young nation developed by many centuries of civilization and adversity. (Recent archaeological excavations show that urban life along its coast goes back more than 6,000 years.) After the year 640 the new religion of Islam arrived in Lebanon. Islam, in its turn, encouraged the spread of culture, and along with Christianity, produced an original style of life founded on mutual, tolerance and friendship. It was this fact that led Pope John Paul II to declare that "Lebanon is more than a country, it is a message" for both the East and the West.
"At this exceptional gathering," said Pope Jean-Paul II during his pastoral visit to Lebanon in 1997, we want to tell the world about the importance of Lebanon and its historic mission over the long centuries. A country of many religious confessions, it has shown that these different religions can live together in peace, brotherhood and cooperation; it has shown that it can respect the right of man to religious liberty, that all can live united in love for this country which safeguards the spiritual heritage of its fathers." (Quotation from the open air mass at Beirut port, May 11, 1997).
A Natural Gateway
Since
antiquity, Phoenicia's geographical location has made it a natural gateway
for conquering armies, merchants and travellers. Later the first missionaries
who accompanied the apostles used the same route. This north south strip
of coastal land, narrow in some places and wider in others, is enclosed
between the foothills of Mount Lebanon and the Mediterranean. Today it still
serves as an essential land corridor.The Gospels tell us that Jesus used this passage to make his way to Tyre and Sidon, as well as to Caesarea Philippi, a new town built by Herod Philippe in honour of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. In the time of Christ this town was part of the "Trachonitide", a region in what is today the southern part of Lebanon.
The personal presence of Jesus in north Galilee, in Phoenicia and in the Trachonitide, can be dated to the years 28 and 29 of the Christian era according to the astronomer, Denis the Small.
Jesus in Phoenicia, Lebanon
Let us then follow the footsteps of Jesus in Lebanon.
In Galilee (March, the year 28 A.D.)
At the time of Jesus' birth, Galilee was the northernmost of the three divisions of Palestine west of the River Jordan, with its borders extending as far as Phoenicia. Galilee comprised a mix of races and religious beliefs. Here the Jews lived in Greek or Roman settlements, among Arabs, Syrians and ethic Mesopotamians, as well as with the indigenous Canaanites and Phoenicians.
Because the Jews considered this proximity with other peoples "unclean," the Roman historian Pliny (V, 14) noted that the Jews of Judea harboured a real contempt for the Galileans. The most distant part of this province of Palestine was even known as the "Galilee of Nations", that is, of non-Jews.
Thanks to the influence of the Phoenicians, a mercantile people, the Jews of Galilee were generally regarded as comfortably well off.
Cana of Galilee
Near
the Lebanese city of Tyre is a village named Cana of Galilee. According
to well established tradition dating to the first church historian, Eusibius
of Caesarea, and to Saint Jerome, this is the site of Jesus' first miracle.The Virgin Mary, Jesus and his disciples were in Cana for a wedding, according to the gospel of St. John (John 2). Mary noticed that the wine had run out, and before the guests were aware of the situation, she told her son. "There is no more wine." Jesus replied: "What do you want from me, Woman, my hour has not yet come." But the Virgin Mary gave orders to the servants: "Whatever he says to you, do it." The rest of the story is well known. The water was changed into a wine better that the one served first, much to the surprise of the host. To Jesus' disciples the miracle represented an important sign of things to come.
In Galilee (Summer, 28 A.D.)
The Gospel of Saint John records a second miracle performed by Jesus at Cana of Galilee. A nobleman from Capernaum went to Cana to ask Jesus to go there and cure his son, who was gravely ill.
“Lord, come down or my small child will die!" the nobleman said. Jesus answered: "Go, your son lives." The next day, on the way back home, the man was met by his servants who announced that the child was safe and well. (John 4)
Cana of Galilee is also the village of Natheniel (John 1) one of Jesus' first disciples. This is probably the apostle Bartholomew of the synoptic Gospels.
At Tyre, Sidon (Saida) and Sarepta
Archaeological evidence and Phoenician inscriptions show that at the time of Jesus, Tyre was a cosmopolitan port at the peak of its economic prosperity. Less affluent, the port town of Sidon nevertheless retained the memory of its period as "Sidon the Great." In both cities, Jewish communities pursued their industrious activities up until the modern era.
Jesus brought the new religion to the Jewish communities who lived among the many pagan populations in these areas. Biblical commentators note that he often came to the region of Tyre and Sidon in order to escape the provocations and trick questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees. There, he could rest and enjoy a moment of peace. It was probably for this reason that he asked his Jewish hosts and his disciples not to reveal where he was.
The
Gospels of Saint Mark and Saint Matthew, however, include a local tradition,
which puts Jesus in the presence of a Canaanite or Syro Phoenician woman.
Learning that Jesus was in the area, this woman asked him to cure her daughter,
who was seriously troubled. She did this despite Jesus' wish for peace and
quiet. Christ publicly praised the words of faith and the persistence of
this woman, and her prayer was answered.It was in the same spirit that Jesus showed his personal sympathy for the people of Tyre and Sidon. He praised their readiness to confess their sins even though they had not seen the signs and miracles of Jesus that had taken place in Jewish towns such as Chorazein or Bethsaida (Mark 8 and Matthew 15).
Jesus also visited Sarepta, modern Sarafand. Located between Tyre and Sidon, this town was a natural stop for a traveller between the two cities. Speaking to the Jews in Nazareth, Jesus referred to an episode in the life of Elias that took place in Sarepta: "I say unto you, there were surely many widows in Israel in the days of Elias ... when great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow."
In Traehonitide (August, September, the year 29 A.D.)
The Roman province of Trachonitide was located in a sandy region north of Palestine near the anti¬ Lebanon mountains. This was the site of Caesarea Philippi, a Roman city built at the foot of Mount Hermon. Not far away was the Lebanese town of marjeyoun, or "Plain of springs," which was a geographical extension of Caesarea Philippi.
Caesarea Philippi, built by Herod Philippe in honour of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus Octavian, was also called the "City of God" because of its splendid temples and buildings, its springs and lush orchards. Of its former magnificence, however, only a few abandoned stones remain today.
The region of Caesarea Philippi played an important role in the public life of Jesus. It was here that he sought refuge after John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas, although he did not enter the village of Caesarea itself.
This region was to be the scene of three important events:
| 1- | Peter's profession of faith. It was in the area of Caesarea Philippi
that Jesus founded the Church and gave the apostle Simon, son of Jonas,
the name Peter (in Aramaic "Kepha.," rock and in Greek "Petros").
Here too, he conferred upon Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus made his apostle the rock of his future church and pronounced
the words that would have so much resonance for the future: "You
are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church." (Aramaic
"kneset," in Greek "ekklesia," the word means
"assembly".) (Matthew 16). The Church of St. Peter of the Promise in Marjeyoun is testimony to the importance of this region in the life of Jesus. |
| 2- | The first announcement of the Passion. At a crucial moment, when he had just obtained from Peter the first profession of faith in his messianic role, Jesus announced his Passion for the first time. He revealed to the apostles that the hour of supreme sacrifice was near, and that he would have to go to Jerusalem to be arrested, judged and condemned, and then to rise the third day. Not understanding these words, the apostles remained dumbfounded at what they had heard. Peter's reaction earned him a severe reprimand. (Mark 8). |
| 3- | The Transfiguration. According to most modem exegeses, it was high
on Mount Hermon in the Anti Lebanon range (the sacred mountain of
the pagans, and a venerable place in biblical tradition) that Jesus
was transfigured. The Transfiguration took place before the apostles
Peter, James and John six days after the first announcement of the
Passion. During the Transfiguration, which was to prepare their faith
for the coming crucifixion, the apostles saw Jesus talking with Moses
and the prophet Elias. This mystery was so new and so profound, that
as with the announcement of the Passion, the disciples did not understand
its significance. Am important miracle, the cure of an epileptic, took place immediately after Jesus descended from the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17). |
At the dawn of the third millennium
Lebanon is a holy land where the feet of Christ once trod, where he founded the Church, announced his Passion and where he was transfigured. This is a young nation in a land of ancient tradition, a nation that welcomes you at the dawn of the third millennium.
A biblical country, Lebanon, with its mountains and seacoasts also possesses great natural beauty. Jesus was certainly aware of this. His parables about the lilies of the fields and birds of the sky echo this beauty, which is celebrated in the holy books and entrusted to Lebanon as a gift and a token.
One Day In this Holy Land
Qadisha, one of the deepest and most beautiful valleys in Lebanon, is indeed a world apart. At the bottom of this wild steep sided gorge runs the Qadisha River whose source is in the Qadisha Grotto at the foot of the Cedars. And above the famous Cedar grove stands Qornet es Sawda, Lebanon's highest peak.
The
word “Qadisha” comes from a Semitic root meaning "holy"
and Wadi Qadisha is the "Holy Valley". Filled with caves and rock
shelters inhabited from the third millennium B.C. to the Roman period the
valley is scattered with cave chapels, hermitages and monasteries cut from
rock. Since the Early Middle Ages generations of monks. Hermits, ascetics
and anchorites found asylum here. These religious men, who belonged to the
various confes¬sions that grew out of medieval controversies over the
nature of Christ, included the Nestorians, Monophysites. Chalcedonians and
Monothelites, even Moslem Sufis were found in this valley. They prayed in
many languages: Greek, Arabic, Syriac and Ethiopian.At the town of Tourza the valley divides into two branches, each named for a monastery there: Wadi Qozhaya leading to Ehden and Wadi Qannoubin leading to the Cedars. A path goes along the bottom of the valley through an area called "Bain an ¬Nahrain" (Between the Two Rivers) where Wadi Qannoubin meets Wadi Qadisha. From here trails lead to the various sites. You can also start from the top of the valley and take one of the numerous paths to the bottom.
This site invites you to visit the major sites in the Qadisha valley and its immediate surroundings.
Note that some destinations in the valley are not easy to reach by car and may require a long walk on steep trails.
Chapel Of Mar Chmouni (Saint Chmouni)
Built under a rocky ledge in the middle Ages, this chapel has three naves, two of which were man¬made while the third was set within a natural rocky crevice. A few years ago its walls were still entire¬ly covered with paintings in the Syro Byzantine style of the first half of the 13th century. Unfortunately, a zealous donor hid these paintings under a layer of plaster.
How to get there: Located at the point where Wadi Houla and Wadi Qannouhin meet, this chapel near Deir es¬ Salib can he reached by a difficult 30 minute walk from Hadcbit or by path from the bottom of the valley.
Deir Marantonios Qozhaya (Monastery of St. Anthony Qozhaya)
This
popular hermitage is one of the largest in the valley. Continuously in use
since the Early Middle Ages, according to accounts, monastic life there
had already been established by the mid 12th century. The structure was
most recently renovated in 1926 and the church, partly carved from living
rock, was last repaired in 1864. A new museum, completed in 1995, houses
a collection of sacred and ethnographic objects, as well as an old printing
press. The printing press, purchased in 1871, replaced the original older
one imported from Rome by the Maronite monks in the last quarter of the
18th century and installed in the monastery in 1815. Even earlier, the monastery
had portable presses imported from Europe, which were used to print the
Book of Psalms in 1585 and 1610. Near the entrance of the monastery is the
grotto of Saint Anthony, known locally as the "Cave of the Mad."
Here one can see the chains that were used to constrain the insane or the
possessed who were left at the monastery in the care of the Saint.How to get there: By car starting at Aarbet Qozhaya, or on foot by a path from the bottom of the valley.
Chapel of Saydet Hawqa (Our Lady of Hawqa)
This little monastery, consisting of a chapel and a few monks’ cells, was constructed within a shallow cave. Chroniclers date it to around the end of the 13th century. They also associate the monastery with an attack by armed Mamlukes against the natural fortress of Aassi Hawqa, located in a cave above the monastery. In this fortress, accessible only by experienced rock climbers, there are some paintings and a long Christian inscription in Arabic dating to 1193. Deserted most of the year, the monastery itself becomes the site of pilgrimage during the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin and a high mass is celebrated at the site on the evening of August 14.
How to get there: By car from Blawza to Hawqa then a 30-minute walk from Hawqa over a steep path, or, by a path from the bottom of the valley.
Deir es Salib (Monastery of the Cross)
Built
beneath a huge natural ledge, this monastery has a double chapel and a number
of caves in the Cliffside, which were used as hermits' cells. Now completely
deserted and falling into ruin, some of its structures are still visible,
including wall foundations, a large arcade and some sections of the mud
walls of the cells that were built around it. In the 12th and 13th centuries
the chapel walls were covered with frescoes in the Byzantine style. Still
visible are fragments representing the Apostles, the Church Fathers, and
scenes inspired by the New Testament including the Annunciation and the
Crucifixion. Inscriptions in Arabic, not to be confused with modern graffiti,
preserve the memory of a hermit who lived here. How to get there: A difficult path descends from Hadchit (about 3 0 minutes), or you can take the path from the bottom of the valley.
Deir Mar Elishaa (Monastery of Saint Eliseus)
Built into a shallow cave where the hermits' cells were fashioned, this hermitage was known to travellers in the 17th and 18th centuries. The church is set in the cliff, and includes four small chapels fitted into the rock. Beneath the church is the tomb of a local Capuchin, Father Francis de Chasteuil, who died in 1644. While the monastery cannot be dated precisely, it is known that a Maronite bishop lived here in the 14th century and that it was here that the Lebanese Maronite Order was founded in 1695.
How to get there: a steep winding road leads to the monastery.
Deir Qannoubin
This
is the monastery that gave its name to this part of the valley. Qannoubin,
from Kenobion, means “monastery” in Greek. A model of simplicity
and austerity, according to local tradition this is a very ancient site.
As the Maronite patriarchal seat from the 15th to the 19th centuries, it
has long been an integral part of the valley. The monastery's church, half
built into the rock, is decorated with frescos dated from the beginning
of the 18th century. Near the entrance lies a vault with a naturally mummified
body, allegedly that of Patriarch Yousef Tyan. Not far from there is the
chapel cave of St. Marina, celebrated saint of the valley, where the remains
of 17 Maronite patriarchs are buried.How to get there: A path goes from Blawza to the bottom of the valley and up to Qannoahin. The walk takes about an hour.
Diman
In the 19th century Diman succeeded Deir Qannoubin as the residence of the Maronite Patriarch.
Today it is the patriarchal summer residence. The church is famous for its frescoes by the Lebanese painter Saliba Doueihy.
Ehden
This village, which goes back to the middle Ages, is known for its old souk and picturesque main square, or "Midan," where the entire village gathers on long summer evenings. The village church preserves the mummified body of Yousef Karam, national hero of the 19th century. A little further on, Deir Mar Sarkis has several small chapels, the oldest dating to the 13th and 14th centuries. There is also the chapel of Mar Mema, (Saint Mamas) built in 749. The village is dominated by Saydet el Hosn (Our Lady of the Citadel), which was probably built upon the remains of an ancient building. From its terrace is a magnificent view of the cedar grove and the valley extending all the way to Tripoli and the sea.
Horsh Ehden, one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Lebanon, protects rare species of trees, plants, flowers and animals.
Deir Mar Semaan (Saint Simon Hermitage)
According to local tradition, Takla, daughter of a Bsharreh?born priest named Basil, founded this hermitage in 1112. The site has four rooms, set into natur¬al caves in the side of the cliff. With its vestiges of cisterns and traces of frescoes, this is an excellent exam¬ple of a typical rock?cut hermitage, and shows something of the daily life of the hermits of Qadisha valley.
How to get there: A path from the road leads to the hermitage. The walk takes about 15 minutes.
Qadisha Grotto
Not far from the top of the old road between Bshatreh and the Cedars, a long path on the side of the cliff leads to this cave and waterfall. Here one can admire the small grotto with rushing waters, stalactites and stalagmites.
Hasroun
Hasroun is one of the last villages in Lebanon to preserve its traditional red roofed houses. From here a path leads to the valley of Qadisha, past the old church of Mar Mikhail (Saint Michael) and the Monastery of Mar Yaaqoub (Saint Jacob).
Bqaa Kafra
The Highest village of Lebanon, Bqaa Kafra is 1750 meters high. With its rustic old houses and narrow streets, this village is famous as the birthplace of Lebanon's Saint Charbel, whose father's house was trans¬formed into a church. St. Charbel's feast is celebrated on the third Sunday of July.
Qornet es Sawda
At 3088 meters, this is the highest peak in Lebanon. The view from the summit stretches west to the sea and East to the Beqaa valley and Anti? Lebanon Mountains
How to get there: A road suitable for walking (two hours) or for four wheel drive vehicles starts from Dahr el Qadih on the highest point of the road between the Cedars and Yammouneh.
Chapel of Saydet Eddarr
(Our Lady of Abundant Milk) Midway between Bsharreh and Hadchit a path leads to a small rock cut sanctuary venerated by nursing women. Its rock walls are covered with painted murals of the 14th century, the best preserved of which depicts the Baptism of Christ.
... Amenities If you don't want to return from Qadisha empty handed, you can bring back at least one of the numerous souvenirs made of cedar wood or some of the area's delicious fruits and vegetables especially during the summer season. There are many restaurants in the Qadisha area, even in the heart of the valley. At the Cedars and around the edge of the valley, restaurants can be found at every turn. The most famous, however, are those of the Nahaa Mar Sarkis at Ebden known for their local specialties and their mezzé, an assortment of hors d'oeuvre.