St. George’s Monastery

 

 

St. George’s Monastery is located in the area that is described in the famous tale of the Good Samaritan (in Luke).

Located close to Jericho, at the foot of the cliffs surrounding the Wadi Qelt river bed, St George is the most impressive of all the desert monasteries in Israel. The breathtaking view of St. George monastery from the top of the mountain is considered as one of the most beautiful sights in the entire Middle East, according to experts. The isolated Greek Orthodox monastery is carved into a cliff in the northeastern corner of the narrow canyon.

 

Drive to the view of St. George Monastery

 

Although we didn’t visit the monastery itself, our guide Tova took us to a view point with incredible views of the Monastery. To drive there, you need someone to guide you to get there, otherwise it will be hard to find, because it is in the middle of no where literally.

After watching the unexpected waterfalls of Judean desert and having a yum pomegranate juice, we took an off road from the main highway to this beautiful place. The road was super narrow but it is hard to resist taking photographs. So we stopped the car to get some stunning views of the terrain.

 

 

 

 

 

Since we reached this place by around 6:30 pm, there was no one except us. It felt super quiet and from distance, we saw just one jeep. Not sure, if the bus tours takes you here because the roads are narrow.  The monastery receives direct sunlight  for only one hour per day because of its spot in between the mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Significance in Bible

This region is synonymous with the Jericho Road Jesus wrote about in the parable of the Good Samaritan

 

 

Luke 10:30-35
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

 

It is also believed to be the cave where Elijah the prophet was fed by the ravens (in Kings I)

1 Kings 17:5-6

So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

 

Entire Holy Land Trip Index

Israel is a country every Christian dreams to visit in their lifetime. We are not an exception to that. To see the holy sites and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus is an experience every Christian must have. We did our 10 day Holyland trip to both Israel and Jordan in April 2018. Israel was awesome and we all had a wonderful time in Israel. If you plan right, Israel has so much to offer and will give you best experience as a family.

Trip to Israel as family was amazing. Getting to see the Holy Land which we have read and heard about since our childhood Bible story days is truly special indeed. We have put forth 50 detailed post on our DIY trip to Israel & Jordan.

Check out our entire 10 Day Trip Index of Holy Land. We would love to hear your feedback.