Page 48 - Holyland Magazine - 2009 Edition

The Monastery of the Cross dominates the valley in the
midst of Jerusalem, hiding in its midst ancient secrets.
Itamar Grinberg
CONTNhe GEeoCrgiaTn ION
The former Soviet republic of Georgia,
recently in the headlines because of its
ongoing conflict with Russia, has been
closely connected to Jerusalem throughout
long periods in its history. Located in the
Caucasus between the Black and Caspian
Seas – quite a distance from the Holy Land
– Georgia is one of the most ancient
Christian countries partly as a result of
these ties.
In Jerusalem, the site of the Georgian
church often passes unnoticed by tourists
on their way to visit the many treasures at
the Israel Museum. If they were to look
down in the valley just below the museum,
they wouldn’t be able to miss this massive
fortress-like structure called the Monastery
of the Cross.
48 “The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead - whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree” (Acts 5:30)
What wood was the True Cross made
of? According to some traditions,
the answer may be tucked away in
a valley in Jerusalem, at the ancient a triplet seedling made up of olive, cypress
Monastery of the Cross.
The monastery takes its name from an
ancient legend and tradition depicted in a
painting found behind its main altar. The
painting shows Lot receiving from Abraham
and cedar and planting it at this site.
Nurtured with water Lot fetched from the
Jordan River, the three species germinated
and grew together to form the unusual tree
from whose various woods Jesus’ cross
was made.
The early history of the monastery is unclear.
According to Greek Orthodox tradition, it
was founded by the Empress Helen, mother
of the Roman Emperor Constantine the
Great, during her visit to Jerusalem in 324
CE. According to another tradition,
Constantine gave the site to the first