Convent of the Benedictine Nuns of Emmanuel
Located a short distance from the separation wall in northern Bethlehem, the Greek Catholic Monastery represents a bridge between East and West. This holy sanctuary belongs to the Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is home to a community of Benedictine nuns. The monastery is located on a plot of land with a stunning view of the Jordan Mountains and the Moab Mountain Range, and its design and architecture draw inspiration from the Byzantine era. Each room is decorated with religious icons, including an image of Saint Paula, who lived in a nearby cave with Saint Jerome during the fourth century.
In 1954, the Melkite Archbishop of Galilee, Monsignor George Salim Hakim, who became Patriarch Maximus V in 1967, visited Midia and raised the issue of Arab Christianity in the Holy Land and his desire to establish a Byzantine-style monastery there, to meet the spiritual needs of a large community of Melkite faithful. At that time, Melkite monastic life, which was very present in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, was almost absent from the Holy Land. Indeed, the Monsignor’s request was granted and three Palestinian nuns trained in Lebanon. After a Bethlehem family offered a plot of land, the monastery was established on a large plot of land on the slope of one of the hills surrounding the Grotto of the Nativity, with an endless panorama of the Jordan Valley and the Moab Mountains… The monastery was named “Emmanuel”, “God with us”.
In addition to their spiritual worship, the sisters participate in various creative activities within the monastery. They have a workshop where they produce handmade religious icons from scratch, in addition to practicing embroidery and making crosses. Through these artistic endeavors, the nuns seek to honor their Eastern Christian heritage and share their faith with the world.