St. John's Church (Jerusalem)

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Courtyard view of the Johanneskirche
The Johanneskirche in Muristan

The Johanneskirche (actually Church of St. John the Baptist ) is a church building in the center of the old town of Jerusalem , in the southern part of Muristan . It was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century and is now used by the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem . In the church, part of the skull bone of John the Baptist is venerated as a relic .

history

The church was built as one of the first Christian places of worship in Jerusalem. The wife of Emperor Theodosius II , who was exiled to the Holy Land , Empress Aelia Eudocia , founded several churches and places of worship in the 5th century, including the Church of St. John. This was consecrated to John the Merciful , Patriarch of Alexandria , and forms the current crypt .

The current church was built in 1170 by the crusaders over the Byzantine ruins, whereby the previous church - today's crypt - was rebuilt, and was part of the pilgrims' hospice founded by southern Italian merchants in 1073. Here, the 1113 was from . Pope Paschal II recognized spiritual Johanniter - military orders , which deals with nursing. The patronage of the church changed in this time John the Baptist . It is believed that after the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, some knights continued to provide medical services.

description

Access to the church from the street

Due to its simple facade, in which Roman spoilage was used, the church is only inconspicuous and therefore difficult to find. The three-cone system does not have a nave . The level of the church is two meters below today's street level, the crypt is three meters lower.

crypt

The lower crypt can only be reached from outside the church. This dates from the 5th century and is a stone vault. On the wall hangs a portrait of the founder Empress Eudocia, who is sometimes referred to as the "second St. Helena " due to her numerous churches . She is said to have died in 460 at the age of 59.

meaning

The church is regarded as the mother church of the English Hospitallers and is used by the Greek Orthodox Church . The richly decorated interior with its green and gold iconostasis is one of the most decorated church works of art in Jerusalem. Under the silver dome of the church a symbol of Jerusalem can be seen, a symbolic image of the Holy Spirit. Eight stained glass windows adorn the lower part of the dome.

relic

In the cruciform church, symbols of St. John can be found everywhere. The most valuable property is just beyond the entrance on the right. It is a relic of the base of the skull of John the Baptist, framed with gold and jewels, which is venerated here by churchgoers.

literature

Web links

Commons : St. John's Church (Jerusalem)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ [1] Hospitaler Brothers Regensburg
  2. ^ [2] Eckart Otto: The ancient Jerusalem on www.google-books

Coordinates: 31 ° 46 ′ 37.1 ″  N , 35 ° 13 ′ 46.3 ″  E