Bethlehem Governorate, Palestine
Mar Saba
A fifth-century lavra hung on the cliffs of the Kidron gorge, still lit by oil lamps and still refusing women at the gate.
Biblical significance
Founded by Sabbas the Sanctified in 483, Mar Saba once held several hundred monks in the caves along the wadi. John of Damascus wrote here in the eighth century and is buried in the courtyard. The Judean desert around it is stark and silent. The monastery keeps the old hours and the old rule; women may view it from the tower opposite.
Scripture
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Best time to go
Winter and spring; the wadi is an oven in summer.
Visitor notes
Men only inside. Reachable by taxi from Bethlehem. No fee; a donation is expected.
Coordinates
31.7050, 35.3308
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