Saint Gerasimos of Jordan helps. Saint Gerasim and his lion
About a mile from the holy Jordan River there is a monastery called the monastery of St. Gerasim, who is famous not only for having founded the monastery and laid many of the foundations of monastic life, but also for his amazing friendship with a wild lion.
During Lent, the Monk Gerasim often went to live in the Jordanian desert. One day he was praying and suddenly heard a terrible roar and saw a lion.
The lion, limping, walked to the Monk Gerasim and, approaching, held out his sick, festering paw. The saint saw that a large thorn had stuck into his paw.
The lion looked at the elder with suffering eyes, he cried in his own way and asked the elder for help.
- What, friend, is it very painful? - asked the old man. – Be patient, now I will help you.
The elder, seeing the lion in such trouble, sat down on the ground, took his paw and, cutting it, pulled out the splinter and squeezed out a lot of pus, then thoroughly washed the wound and tied it with a rag.
After affectionately stroking the beast’s shaggy mane, the elder released him. But the lion did not leave.
From then on, he began to follow the monk everywhere, like a student following a teacher, and obeyed him in everything.
To the monastery where the Monk Gerasim lived, water was brought from the Jordan River on a donkey. The elder instructed the lion to guard the donkey while it grazed on the shore. Leo diligently fulfilled this obedience.
But one day he fell asleep in the shade under a palm tree. And at this time a caravan of camels passed by. The owner of the caravan saw that no one was guarding the donkey, and, thinking that the donkey had gotten lost, he took him away.
When the lion returned to the monastery without the donkey, Gerasim said to him:
- Did you eat the donkey? If so, you'll have to do all his work!
Lev lowered his head guiltily.
From that time on, the lion began to diligently fulfill his new obedience - to carry water to the monastery.
After some time, the same caravan returned back. From a high bank the lion saw his donkey and joyfully rushed towards him.
The merchant, frightened by the lion, ran away, leaving his caravan. And the lion took the bridle with his lips - as he had done before - and brought the donkey to the monastery, grabbing the caravan abandoned by the merchant.
The lion brought the donkey to the old man. Gerasim stroked the lion and, smiling, said:
- I scolded you in vain. You are an honest beast, and I give you a name - Jordan.
Together with the elder, the lion lived in the monastery for five years, always being inseparable from him.
When the Monk Gerasim went to the Lord and was buried by the fathers, according to God’s dispensation, the lion was not in the monastery that time.
Soon he returned and began to look for the elder. The elder’s disciple and Abba Savvaty, seeing the lion, said to him:
- Jordan, our elder left us orphans and went to the Lord, so eat .
The lion did not want to eat, but constantly turned his eyes first in one direction, then in the other to find his elder, screamed loudly and could not come to terms with his death.
Abba Savvaty and the other fathers, looking at the lion and patting him on the back, said to him:
- The elder went to the Lord and left us .
Saying this, they could not quiet his cries and lamentations, but the more, as it seemed to them, they healed and encouraged him with words, the stronger and stronger the lion continued to cry, the louder his funeral sob became, and with his voice, appearance and eyes he showed his sadness that he does not see the elder.
Then Abba Savvaty tells him:
- Well, come with me if you don’t believe us, and I’ll show you where our elder lies .
And, taking the lion, he brought it to where they buried the old man. The grave was half a mile from the church.
When they stopped over the grave of St. Gerasim, Abba Savvaty said to the lion:
- Here is our old man.
And Abba Savvaty bowed his knees.
Leo, seeing how the Abba expressed his sadness, began, groaning, to beat his head heavily on the ground and gave up the ghost right there at the elder’s grave.
The sculpture of the Lion of Jordan now guards the entrance to the monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan.
Tribute to the memory of the Holy Venerable Gerasim of Jordan is celebrated on March 17 (March 4, s.st.).
Not every story can become a legend, but those that do survive the centuries. And amazing images appear before us: dazzling sands, sun-scorched monastery walls, jugs of water thrown in the palm shade... And a proud lion, bowing his huge head to the old man, who affectionately ruffles his mane. This old man's name was Gerasim, he lived in the fifth century AD on the banks of the Jordan, and the entire Christian world revered him as a saint.
The monk was born in Lycia, an ancient country that was once located on the territory of modern Turkey, off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. His family was wealthy, but the boy, who received the name Gregory at birth, from an early age craved not material, but spiritual benefits. The idea of accepting monasticism also came to him early. First, the young man retired to the Egyptian desert, and later went to worship holy places in Palestine, where he settled on the banks of the Jordan.
By that time, the ascetic had long since accepted monasticism and bore the name Gerasim. Like anyone who embarks on the path of seeking God, he experienced many sorrows. Gerasim strove to surrender to God with all his heart and mind, and therefore was in constant spiritual tension. Having gone through a painful path of doubts, trials and victories over himself, he founded a monastery in the desert, which was distinguished by the severity of the rules.
1st caravaner:
Do you know what kind of place we are passing through?
2nd caravaneer:
This is some kind of monastery, I heard about it. (With a chuckle) They say that people there are locked up there for five days, eating grass and dry bread, praying and weaving baskets. I wouldn't want to spend a day here.
1st caravaner:
Wouldn't you like to? Why do you think they do this?
2nd caravaneer:
How should I know... Maybe they are afraid of something?
1st caravaner:
Are they afraid?.. Believe me, we never dreamed of those enemies whom they defeat every moment of their lives. Are you afraid... of death?
2nd caravaneer:
Why mention this here?
1st caravaner:
Is it even scary to say your name? And they say they conquer death...
The Gerasim Monastery really demanded continuous feat from the brethren. The monks practically never left their cells; their main rules were poverty, non-covetousness and self-sacrifice. But those who humbled themselves and diligently bore the burden of deprivation discovered in themselves a hitherto unknown freedom and clarity of spirit.
Gerasim himself set an example for the brethren, striking even the monks with his modesty and asceticism. One day, when the monk was praying alone in the desert, a limping lion approached him. The animal had a large thorn sticking out of its paw. Not at all frightened, the elder pulled out the splinter, washed the wound from pus and affectionately patted the animal’s mane. Since then, the lion did not go far from the monastery. Even after being completely healed, he approached the monks like a tame animal, willingly took bread from their hands and never once rushed at people or livestock. Gerasim gave the beast the name Jordan.
The elder trusted the lion so much that he allowed the donkey, who carried water from the river for the inhabitants of the monastery, to graze carefree not far from the beast. One day, a merchant passing by with a caravan saw a donkey left unattended, decided that it was lost in the desert, and took it with him. Gerasim, not finding the right water-carrier, thought that the lion had changed his habits and ate him. The predator stood with his eyes downcast, and the old man sternly reprimanded him...
Gerasim:
Oh, you scoundrel! Have you really eaten a donkey? Who will help the monks carry water?
Gerasim:
You are ashamed! But blessed be the Lord, you will not leave here, but will do for the monastery everything that the donkey did.
After this, the elder ordered that barrels of water, which had previously been carried by a donkey, be loaded onto the lion. And the lion did this job without complaint. After some time, the merchant who had taken the donkey was returning with his caravan along the same road. Seeing the monastery donkey, the lion joyfully rushed towards him. The frightened merchant ran away, and the lion took the donkey by the bridle with his teeth and took him to Gerasim, thereby proving his innocence. The elder praised the intelligent and obedient predator a lot, and he, even freed from his duty, continued to come to the monastery all the time.
When Gerasim, having lived a difficult life, died, the lion came to his grave and lay on it for a long time, expressing his grief with a roar. The beast did not take any food or water and soon died too. To this day, on icons next to the great ascetic, Saint Gerasim of Jordan, a faithful lion is depicted. That faith and love that once conquered even the heart of an animal continues to warm and support believers at all times.
Once upon a time I lived near the Jordan
Wonderful Saint,
Suddenly one morning early
He heard a terrible howl.
The whole desert was resounding
The roar of a young lion,
The paw was filled with pus,
The beast could barely endure
From a stuck thorn
The pain that shot through him.
It's hot, there's not a cloud in the sky,
And there's no one in the area...
Here a lion approaches the Saint
And bows before him,
And Gerasim brings evil,
Cleans the wound, unharmed.
Tears off clothes
Without regret, shred,
Covers the left paw
With a cloth, knits a knot,
The sufferer strokes his mane,
How can you not feel sorry for him?!
Leo, contented and happy,
I'm ready to endure everything now!
Follows the Saint obediently:
The lion wants to serve him,
Persevere with humility
He begins to live meekly.
Monastic monastery
He takes Leo under his protection,
Each of its monks is a resident
Ready to please the beast!
But you can't sit idle
Just like that in the monastery,
The monks give it to the lion boldly
Errand. In the courtyard
There is a donkey carrying water,
This is what we need to protect
Gave it to the lion and away to nature
He began to kick him out
And graze nearby
From that monastery.
The lion watched with both eyes
For the pet, but it
Once I got so tired,
Why did the guard suddenly fall asleep?
Sleep is an unknown force
Pounced, gray friend,
Donkey, without the lion's protection
Became the prey of a merchant:
Long trade caravan
Walked without edge and end,
Through the hot desert,
If it’s bad, grab it!
Leo woke up surprised:
“Where is the donkey?” - out of sight...
He looked for him around
I just picked up some thorns,
I have no news about my friend
The donkey has completely disappeared...
The day is approaching sunset
It's time to go to the monastery
Dejectedly shaggy lion
Coming back. Paths
There is no other way. Sadness eats up -
There's nothing to be done
And Gerasim attacks,
Reproaching him for that
It's like a lion ate a donkey,
Showing his predatory nature,
The Holy Beast listened quietly,
At least Gerasim was wrong.
Brothers left in punishment,
To atone for your sin,
They invented obedience:
Carry water to the monastery.
Leo has humbled himself and is doing well
Followed orders
Smoothly drink water on your back
He delivered to the monastery.
So he carried the burden calmly,
Sparing no effort,
Time flew by quickly
And from the gray mirages
Floats out majestically
Trading caravan again
In the splendor and radiance of glory.
Suddenly the blood boils in the lion:
He sees among those walking
Donkey, what a friend he was!
God! God Almighty
I returned what was lost to Leo!
The predator grabs the bridle
Unlucky Donkey
And returns to the monastery.
Wonderful things, Lord.
All your! Gerasim glances
Sees two friends
That go side by side side by side
And all his brethren
Points to animals
And the monks are happy about them!
Justice triumphs
Glory to God! And then
Paradise has an incarnation
Everyone lives together again
Brothers at the lion's forgiveness
They asked for happiness here.
Monastery lion humble
I forgave them in my heart a long time ago
And a penetrating river
Tears shed in emotion.
And Gerasim is delighted
Hugged dear lion
And he stroked it without embarrassment.
The predator taught the brothers
An example for everyone to follow -
You have to know how to love
And forgive without hesitation,
Live with God in your heart!
The lion was nicknamed Jordan
Brothers in the monastery.
The years have passed quickly,
The time has come for a hard time,
And Gerasim souls to God
At the appointed hour he gave,
To the blue sky
The Angel pointed it out to him.
And the Lord took me into his arms
Spiritual father,
Awarding him with a seal
Radiant crown.
Well, the lion suffered immensely,
He lay down on the elder’s grave,
Without Gerasim, probably
The predator could no longer live!
And the last breath of farewell
The humble beast released...
His breathing was interrupted
And now with Gerasim
Nearby is a lion, his eyelids closed,
Buried by the brothers.
And now forever
Be on most icons
Lev with Gerasim. The Saints!
These are the miracles
Presented with gold
By the will of Heaven above!
The Holy Monk Gerasim of Jordan was born at the beginning of the 5th century, into a wealthy family in the Lycia region of southern Asia Minor. Even in his youth, he accepted monastic orders and retired deep into the Egyptian Thebaid desert. After spending some time there, he went to Palestine and settled as a hermit in the Jordan Desert.
At one time, the saint was seduced by the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus and shared their views, which recognized in Jesus Christ only the Divine nature. However, the Monk Euthymius the Great helped him return to the right faith. During the death of Saint Euthymius the Great, it was revealed to the Monk Gerasim how the soul of the deceased was carried to heaven by angels.
Around 455, the Monk Gerasim founded a monastery, the rules of which were distinguished by great severity. The abbot himself showed the brethren an exceptional example of perfect asceticism and abstinence.
With his ascetic life, meekness and humility, Saint Gerasim acquired such grace from God that even a dumb beast served him like a reasonable man. There is a story that once the saint met a lion suffering from a splinter in its paw. The elder took out the splinter, cleaned the wound of pus, bandaged it, and the lion, called Jordan, did not run away, but remained with the hermit and from then on followed him everywhere, like a disciple, so that the monk was amazed at his prudence.
There was only one donkey in the monastery, which carried water. Saint Gerasim instructed the lion to accompany the donkey and protect it when it grazed on the banks of the Jordan. It happened that the lion moved a considerable distance away from the grazing donkey and fell asleep in the sun. At this time, a merchant was driving by with a caravan of camels and, seeing that the donkey was grazing alone, he took him away. Having woken up, the lion began to look for the donkey and, not finding the donkey, with a sad look went to the monastery to Father Gerasim. The elder thought that the lion had eaten the donkey and asked:
-Where is the donkey?
The lion stood with his head down, like a man.
The elder then said:
- You ate him! Then you will do for the monastery everything that the donkey did.
By order of the elder, from then on they began to load a barrel on the lion, as before on a donkey, and send it to the river for water. One day a warrior came to the elder to pray and, seeing a lion carrying water, took pity on him. To buy a new donkey and free the lion from work, the warrior gave the monks three gold coins. After some time, the merchant who had taken the donkey returned. Near the Jordan, a lion accidentally met a caravan and, recognizing its donkey, roared and rushed towards it. The merchant and his companions ran away in horror, and the lion, grabbing the bridle with his teeth, as he had done before, led the donkey with three camels tied one after the other, laden with wheat. Roaring his joy at having found the lost donkey, the lion led him to the elder. The Monk Gerasim smiled quietly and said to the brethren:
“We shouldn’t have scolded the lion, thinking that he ate the donkey.”
When in 475 the venerable father Gerasim died. At this time the lion was not in the monastery. Soon he came and began to look for his elder.
- Jordan, our elder left us orphans - he went to the Lord.
The lion began to run and look for the old man everywhere, did not take food from anyone, but roared mournfully. But they could do nothing to console the lion. Jordan was led to the saint’s tomb near the church.
“Our elder is buried here,” said one of the brothers and, kneeling over the coffin, began to cry.
The lion, with a loud roar, began to beat his head on the ground and, roaring terribly, gave up his ghost on the saint’s tomb. The lion was buried near the saint's grave. On the icons of St. Gerasim a lion is depicted at his feet.
The Lord glorified the venerable elder Gerasim with this miracle and showed us how the animals obeyed Adam in paradise.
A particle of the relics of St. Gerasim is located:
– in the Assumption Church of the Nikolo-Solbinsky Convent.
Prayer to St. Gerasim of Jordan
O sacred head, reverend father, most blessed Abvo Gerasim! Do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in your holy and auspicious prayers to God. Remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children. Pray for us, holy father, for your spiritual children, as if you have boldness towards the Heavenly King: do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love. Remember us, unworthy, at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God: for grace has been given to you to pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead: even though you passed away from us in body, you remain alive even after death. Do not give up on us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the devil and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd. Even though your relics were hidden on earth, your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the Heavenly Powers, standing at the Throne of the Almighty, worthily rejoices. Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we fall down to you and we pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint, from bitter ordeals, demons, air princes and from eternal torment may we be delivered, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and ever. Amen.
General view of the monastery from the northeast
One of the important visiting places for modern Russian pilgrims in the Jordan Valley is the monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan. The convenient location of the monastery to the southeast of Jericho and not far from the original site of the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan River makes this place desirable for modern pilgrims of the Holy Land and numerous tourists. The shady courtyard of the unique monastery building, the special architecture of the ancient walls of the monastery, the beautiful monastic grounds in the form of a tropical monastery garden, immersed in the shade of oleanders, date palms and other trees make this place a true pearl and a spiritual oasis in the middle of the arid desert of the Jordan Valley.
In the eastern lowlands of the monastery, on sandy steep hills, caves have been preserved in which, according to legend, the Venerable Mary of Egypt and Saint Photinia lived.
Two names of the monastery
The modern Greek name of the monastery is the Monastery of St. Gerasim.
Residents of Jericho and its environs call the monastery Der-Hajla, which means in Arabic the monastery of the partridge, apparently in connection with the habitat of these birds in the vicinity of the monastery. The image of partridges appears in the mosaic floors of the upper and lower churches of the modern monastery, as well as in sculptural images in the courtyard of the monastery. A little north of the monastery, there is the source of Ein-Hajla (the source of partridge in the translation from Arabic).
We also find mention of the partridge in the Bible. In the Old Testament, in chapter 15 of the book of Joshua, the village of Beth Hogla (בֵית-חָגְלָה - Beit Hagla, translated from Hebrew as the house of the partridge) is mentioned; this mention (approximately 1406 BC) in the Bible is the oldest local history reference to this place:
“And as far as the east goes [the whole] Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan; and the border on the north side begins from the gulf of the sea, from the mouth of the Jordan; from here the border goes up to Beth Hoglah and runs on the north side to Beth-arabah, and the border goes up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben...”
Also in chapter 18 of the book of Joshua it is emphasized that after Beth-Hoglah was divided into tribes, the Promised Land went to the tribe of Benjamin:
“This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, with its borders on all sides, according to their families. The cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, according to their tribes, belonged to these: Jericho, Beth Hoglah and Emek Ketzitz, Beth Arava, Zemaraim and Bethel."
A place lost through the ages
The traditions of the monastery go back with their amazing depth of history to the heyday of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) in the Holy Land - at the end of the 5th century. According to legend, the approximate date of the foundation of the monastery dates back to 455.
Holy River Jordan. Bethavara is the original site of the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan River. December 17, 2013
In historical sources, the geographical location of the modern monastery of St. Gerasimos of Jordan is often correlated with the location of the ancient Kalamon Lavra (translated from Greek (Greek: καλάμια reed). It is known that reeds and reeds grow abundantly on the banks of the sacred Jordan River.
Miraculous image of the Mother of God "Mammal"
There is also a fairly ancient legend that Kalamon means “good abode” (Greek καλή μονή) in memory of the fact that the holy family is right. Joseph the Betrothed and the Most Holy Theotokos with the Child Christ, during the flight to Egypt, found here in a cave a night refuge from the pursuers of King Herod, and the Mother of God fed here with milk the newborn Infant Jesus Christ. In memory of this event, in the modern monastery the northern wall of the lower church has a painting with the image of the Mother of God “Mammal” (Greek - Galaktotrafusa - in iconography - the Mother of God depicted nursing the Baby Jesus).
This legend is partially mentioned in the oldest description of the Holy Land by Abbot Daniel in 1106:
“And from the monastery of St. John to the Garasimov monastery there is one mile, and from the Garasimov monastery to Kalamonia, to the monastery of the Holy Mother of God, there is one mile.
And in that place the Holy Mother of God with Jesus Christ, and with Joseph, and with Jacob, when I fled to Egypt, then in that place they slept; Then the holy Mother of God will call the name of that place Kalamonia, and she will interpret it as “The Good Abode.” There now the Holy Spirit descends on the icon of the Holy Mother of God. And there is a monastery at the mouth where the Jordan enters the Sea of Sodom, and there is hail all around the monastery; there are 20 monks in it. And from there it is two miles to the monastery of John Chrysostom, and that monastery is also covered with hail and is rich in great things.”
Photocopy of the manuscript "The Life and Walks of Daniel, Abbot of the Russian Land"
Later, the famous Byzantine pilgrim and traveler of Armenian origin, John Phocas, visited the monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan and leaves an interesting description of the monastery of that time:
“Three monasteries were erected near the Jordan, namely: the Forerunner, Chrysostom (and Kalamon). Of these, the Monastery of the Forerunner, destroyed to the ground by an earthquake, has now been rebuilt by the generous right hand of our divinely crowned autocrat, Porfirodny and Komnenos Manuel, through the abbot of the monastery, who had the boldness to restore it. Farther away from it, approximately at a distance of two shots from a bow, flows the most holy Jordan between the rivers, in which my Jesus, having become impoverished, performed the great sacrament of my re-creation through baptism; and near the shore, at a distance of about a stone's throw, there is a quadrangular building with a round roof, in which, after returning back, the Jordan, which had resumed its flow, received (into its waves) the naked one covering the sky with clouds, and the right hand of the Forerunner, bending down, touched His crown, and The spirit in the form of a dove descended on the Word, which was akin to itself, and the voice of the Father testified to the sonship of the Liberator. In the middle between the Monastery of the Forerunner and the Jordan there is a tiny Mount Hermonim, on which the Savior stood, John, pointing his finger, proclaimed to the crowds of people: behold, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world.
In the interval between the monasteries of the Forerunner and Kalamon, there is the monastery of St. Gerasim, destroyed to the ground by the flow of the Jordan, - almost nothing is visible in it, except for the insignificant remains of a temple, two caves and a closed pillar in which the great elder Ivir, very handsome and amazing, was imprisoned. Having visited him, we gained a lot of benefit from meeting him, for a certain divine grace is inherent in the elder. But we consider it necessary to tell here for the delight of those who love to enjoy the divine, a miracle performed by him a few days before our arrival. On the winding and knotty course of the Jordan, as on other rivers, there are places densely overgrown with reeds. A tribe of lions is accustomed to living in these places. Two of them every week came to the elder’s retreat, and, placing their heads on the pillar, with the expression of their eyes, asked for food. Having received it without difficulty, they happily went to their usual places near the river. His food was small oysters in the river, or maybe pieces of spelled or barley bread. Once, when they (the lions) came and with the movement of their eyes asked for ordinary food, the old man, not being abundant with what he usually satisfied the demands of the animals, for it happened that for twenty days he had not stocked up with anything edible, this sacred man said to the animals: since we do not only we don’t have anything edible that could console the weakness of your nature, but we ourselves don’t have enough of what we need according to the custom that God has arranged for us for reasons that are well known to Him, then you need to go to the bed of the Jordan and bring to us what - a small tree. Having prepared crosses from it, we will distribute them to visitors as a blessing, and having received from them in return, at the will of each, some crumbs for food for mine and yours, we will become rich with them. He said, the animals listened, and, as if with reasonable movement and gait, they went to the bed of the Jordan. And, lo and behold! Not much later, they brought two trees on their shoulders and, placing them at the base of the pillar, willingly retired into the thicket of the Jordan.”
Seven centuries later, at the end of the 19th century, the Holy Land was visited several times by the famous English traveler, explorer and local historian John Cunningame Geikie, who made several personal trips to Palestine, and also studied the works of the famous English traveler Claude Rainier Conder, his vivid impressions of the ruins of the monastery of St. He leaves Gerasim of Jordan in his global work under the general title “The Holy Land and the Bible”:
“Almost three miles from the “living water” until recently stood the ruins of the so-called “Kuzr-Khogla”, i.e. the house or tower of “Hogla”, one of the ancient monasteries, in which those who fled from the bustle of the world once took refuge. Several inscriptions, images of Greek saints and wall decorations can be seen on the uncovered and destroyed walls. In 1882, these ruins were destroyed to make way for a new monastery. It is difficult to say how much time has passed since the first Matins and Vespers were served there, but it is very likely that it was at least 15 centuries ago; from then until the reign of Henry VIII, the monks of the Order of St. Vasily gave refuge here to pilgrims heading to the banks of the Jordan."
Andrey Nikolaevich Muravyov
Continuing the theme of local history research of this place, the famous Russian writer and traveler of the 19th century, Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov, in his “Journey to the Holy Places of 1830” describes the monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan in its location near the authentic site of the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan River and has some local lore doubts about the location of both the ancient Byzantine monasteries and the true site of the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan River:
“The next day, even before the sun, we hurried to the Jordan, two hours away from Jericho, for we planned to walk another nine hours that same day on the way back from the river to spend the night in the Lavra of St. Sava. We soon descended into a vast river bed, the clay layer of which was completely washed away by the runaway waves, and in some places was settling under the blows of the hooves. Only in spring does the Jordan fill it with its waters to the crumbling banks, but the usual width of the river does not exceed ten fathoms. Judging by the volume of the channel, which extends for two miles on the right side, it can be assumed that the river changed its original course and retreated to the mountains of Arabia, where the banks are much steeper and the channel is tighter. On the coastal steepness, to the left of the road, the monastery of St. Gerasimos is visible in the distance, still fairly preserved and abandoned by the Greeks due to Bedouin robberies. Before, fans flocked to him going to the Jordan; but now only the Christian Arabs of Bethlehem come there once a year on the eve of Epiphany and, having served mass on a throne of stones in the middle of the Jordan itself, return to Bethlehem in triumph, having fulfilled a sacred duty long forgotten by the Christians of Jerusalem. Some suggest that near this monastery (although it stands on the edge of a wide riverbed) the baptism of the Savior took place; but I tried in vain to verify this in Jerusalem. Traveling to the Jordan attracts few because of its danger, and therefore no one can indicate the place of the Epiphany, knowing about it only by hearsay. Others say that it is located opposite the Monastery of the Forerunner, of which barely noticeable traces remained to our right, so that the road chosen by the Arabs as the shortest and most convenient descent to the river lay between two monasteries. But the monastery of the Forerunner seems to me too distant not only from the river, but also from its bed, for it to be founded in memory of baptism, although legends say that Helen ordered the construction of a temple over the place of this event. Perhaps these ruins belong to one of the monasteries with which the desert flourished in memory of John’s preaching. The Latins claim that this monastery was destroyed after a long siege, sustained against the infidels by its monks, and perhaps also by the knights of St. John of Jerusalem, which is why the Arabs were afraid to leave such a fortress in the desert. These fragments are considered Latin, although for many centuries they have been owned by the desert alone.”
Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin)
Clarity in the exact location of the monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan in 1857 was introduced by the future head of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem, the famous collector of Russian Palestine, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) in his bright and colorful notes of an admirer in 1857:
“A black dot appeared ahead of us, which, gradually growing, turned into a pile of buildings as we approached it. We were told that this was the former monastery of St. Gerasimos of Jordan, whose name brings to mind the lion that served him. Now lions in the Jordan are unheard of. You can sometimes still hear about tigers. There are many hyenas and jackals. Firearms drove the king of the deserts from his domain. It seems that in our time it alone can drive out its current king, the Bedouin, from the same deserts. It is believed that if Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt had retained Palestine for at least 20 years, the Bedouins would have turned into peaceful fellahs, at least similar to the Jerichoites. Monastery Ave. Gerasima (or rather Kalamonsky, for Gerasimov lay, according to the testimony of ancient pilgrims, near the Jordan itself) is located five miles from the Jordan and occupies a relatively high place. It could easily be restored and serve as a haven for fans.
Another similar, but even more destroyed monastery of the Holy Forerunner was barely separated by its yellowish ruins on the sandy soil of the plain to the left of our road. It is only a mile away from the Jordan and could serve even more conveniently as a worship shelter.
Russian Orthodox pilgrims on the Jordan River. Photo from the end of the 19th century.
From the last hill, the coast of the Jordan finally opened up. For half a mile in width, its right bank is fringed quite densely with trees, currently leafless. The place to which we were heading could be distinguished from a distance by bluish smoke and two white tents. At the very entrance to the bushes, we were met by an Arab priest in a black turban. Having greeted the head of the Mission, he quickly rushed forward. A few seconds later, a deafening shot was heard behind the bushes, alarming our horses, followed by another, a third... and incessant firing began. A dense crowd of Arabs came towards us, all with guns. Having said hello to us, they went forward, filling the air with shouts and gunfire and some special kind of shrill trill, of which only the language of the local Arabs is capable. At the tent itself, the squires stood in two rows and stood on the shoulder as best they could, saluting our archimandrite. This whole unexpected meeting was made by the inhabitants of Bethlehem, who came here on purpose for the holiday along with their priest and sheikh. It must be admitted that, despite her wild character, she had her solemnity and was useful.
Our Rus' also joyfully, although silently, greeted us. Bunches of reeds were seen in almost every hand, carried from here throughout Russia. It was clear that the hard workers did not sit idle, but just came here and got to work. In addition to cutting sticks and pipes, they collected stones in the Jordan, washed sheets, scarves, etc. in it and dried them in the sun. The entire worship camp occupied a place of about half a mile square. On the cliff of a low (one and a half fathom) bank, the Savvinsky monks built the smallest church from stakes and rods, or, more precisely, the eastern wall of the supposed church with a throne and an altar, decently decorated with icons on canvas and on wood. In front of the church, on a raised platform, there was a Mission tent with three tops. Another tent, not far from the first, with two tops, served as a storage place for provisions and at the same time a shelter for honorable or sick women.”
Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin)
In 1858-1859, the famous Russian spiritual writer and head of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin), in his work “The Desert of the Holy City of Jerusalem,” as if summing up the historical outcome of all versions of possible legends, explains:
“The Lavra Kalomon or Kalomonskaya, according to some, means reed, and according to others, it is a good refuge, because it was built on the place where the Holy Family stayed during the flight to Egypt (the road from Galilee to Gaza runs through the field of Jericho). Blessed John Moschus clearly distinguishes this monastery from the monastery of St. Gerasim even by the very definition of its place, speaking about the Lavra of Gerasim: “near the Jordan,” and about the Lavra of Kalomon: “near the Jordan,” that is, on the very bank of the sacred river. But later writers, starting with Phocas, constantly confuse these two monasteries, on the grounds that the Monk Gerasim was also called Kalomonita. It is more than likely that this name was adopted by the Monk Gerasim because he laid the foundation of the Kalomon Lavra, or simply lived in it temporarily until the founding of his own monastery, just as the Monk Euthymius lived in the Faran Lavra before the founding of his monastery, or finally because Lavra Kalomonskaya joined the Lavra Ave. Gerasim after one of the devastations of the desert of the Holy City, and from then on this monastery began to be called indifferently by one name or another. This last assumption seems unlikely to us. Our pilgrim Abbot Daniel says that the Lavra of Kalomon was located at the very mouth of the Jordan, i.e. when it flows into the Dead Sea. In my opinion, its place is indicated quite definitely by a high hill located not far from the mouth of the Jordan, on the very bank of it, and, apparently, covering some ruins. In any case, the testimony of the blessed one. John Moschus, who clearly distinguishes between these two monasteries (the Lavra of Kalomon and the Lavra of St. Gerasimos), cannot be ignored.”
An interesting description of a visit to the monastery is left by the teacher of the Kyiv Theological Seminary P. Petrushevsky in his pilgrimage diary from 1899:
“After 1 hour we arrived at the monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan. They let us in immediately. This monastery stands completely alone and is surrounded by a great wall, although, however, not one that could protect the monks in the event of an attack by robbers. We entered the church, which is on the 2nd floor. It was morning. There were 3-4 people in the church. There is little decoration, but the cleanliness is noticeable. In the altar we were shown the remains of ancient fresco images. Some of these images were scratched and distorted. Faces with gouged out eyes. Having donated to the monastery and church, we went down. There is a small church here in a rock-cut cave called “kalamonia” (which means a good shelter). Here it is as if the Mother of God with the Child of God and Joseph the Betrothed were hiding on their way back from Egypt to Galilee. In the corridor, the initial work on painting the walls was noticeable. In a word, the efforts in the decoration and arrangement of the St. were visible. monastery. We attributed this to the honor of the patriarchy, which takes care of maintaining the ancient monastery."
Avva Gerasim
About the reverend himself. Gerasima of Jordan knows that he was a native of the city of Myra in the Asia Minor province of Lycia, and was also a student and associate of St. Euthymius the Great.
A wonderful and touching description of the life of the holy elder Gerasim is given by the wonderful Byzantine spiritual writer of the 6th century, John Moschus, in the book “The Spiritual Meadow,” who, together with his disciple Sophronius (the future Patriarch of Jerusalem), made a great journey through the monasteries of the Middle East and described, among other things, the life of Abba Gerasim in the context of finding the animal world and the Forefather Adam. It is interesting to see the direct account of the life of St. Gerasim by John Moschus, who, in particular, wrote:
"At a distance of almost one mile from St. River Jordan there is a monastery called St. Abba Gerasim. Upon our arrival at this monastery, the fathers who lived there told us about this elder.
Sculptural image of a lion in the monastery of St. Gerasima
While walking along the hilly banks of the Jordan, he encountered a lion. The lion let out a terrible roar from the pain in his paw. The tip of a reed stuck into his paw, causing his paw to swell and fester. Seeing the old man, the lion approached him and showed his paw, wounded by a knitting needle, and, as if crying, asked him for help. The elder, seeing the lion in such trouble, sat down, took him by the paw and, opening the wound, removed the splinter and squeezed out the pus, then washed the wound and tied it with linen. The lion, having received help, no longer lagged behind the elder, but, like a grateful student, followed him everywhere, so that the elder was extremely surprised at the lion’s gratitude. From then on, the elder began to feed him, throwing him bread and fresh beans.
At the monastery there was a donkey on which they brought water for the needs of the elders, and they took water from St. Jordan. The Lavra, as it is said, was one mile from St. rivers. It became a custom among the elders to entrust a donkey to the lion to guard it on the banks of the Jordan. One day the donkey walked a long distance away from the lion, and at that time camel drivers were passing through from Arabia. Having caught him, they left. Leo, having lost his donkey, returned gloomy and as if ashamed to Abba Gerasim. Abba believed that he had torn the donkey to pieces. “Where is the donkey?” - asked the lion. He, like a man, stood silently and lowered his eyes. “Did you eat the donkey? Blessed be the Lord! From now on you must do his work!” So from then on, at the command of the elder, the lion took a vessel that could hold four buckets and brought water.
One day a warrior came to pray to the elder. Seeing a lion carrying water and learning the reason, he took pity on him. Taking out three nomismas, he handed them to the elders so that they could buy a donkey to carry water, and free the lion from this duty. Some time passed after the lion was released from work. The camel driver, who stole the donkey, was returning to sell bread in St. city and the donkey was with him. Having crossed the Jordan, he accidentally encountered a lion. Seeing the lion, the driver abandoned the camels and ran away. But the lion, recognizing the donkey, ran up to him and, according to custom, grabbed him by the halter and led him away along with three camels. Roaring with joy that he had found the lost donkey, he returned to the elder. And the old man was sure all the time that the lion had torn the donkey to pieces, and only now did he learn that a false accusation had been made against the lion. The elder called the lion Jordan. Since then, the lion lived in the monastery for about five years, never retreating from the elder.
Abba Gerasim went to the Lord, and the fathers buried him. According to God's dispensation, the lion was not in the monastery that time. Soon the lion returned and began to look for the old man. The disciple of the elder and Abba Savvaty, seeing him, said to him: “Jordan, our elder left us orphans and went to the Lord, but come and eat!” The lion did not want to eat, but every now and then looking around, he looked for the old man. He began to roar, not seeing him... Abba Savvaty and the other fathers stroked him on the back and said: “The old man has gone to the Lord, leaving us!” But saying this, he could not stop the roar and groans of the lion; on the contrary, the more they looked after him and tried to console him with words, the more the roar increased and his grief increased. And his voice, his muzzle, and his eyes clearly expressed his longing for the old man. Then Abba Savvaty says to him: “Well, come with me, if you don’t believe us! I will show you where our elder lies.” And, taking the lion, he went with him to the grave. She was located half a mile from the temple. Standing over the grave of Abba Gerasim, Abba Savvaty said to the lion: “This is where our elder is!” And Abba Savvaty knelt down. Seeing him prostrate on the ground, the lion hit his head on the ground with extraordinary force and, roaring, died over the elder’s grave.
This is what happened - not because the lion had a rational soul, but by the will of God, who glorifies those who glorify Him not only during life, but also after their death, and who showed us in what obedience the animals were under Adam before he transgressed the commandment of God and was expelled from the paradise of sweets."
The famous Christian writer-monk of the 6th century, Cyril of Scythopolis, whose hagiographic works were translated into Slavic by the monks of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra in the early years of the existence of this monastery, who left in history descriptions of the lives of seven Palestinian ascetics, including the Monks Theodosius the Great, Savva the Sanctified and Euthymius Great, writes about St. Gerasime:
“The Great Gerasim, a resident and patron of the Jordanian desert, who built a great monastery there for no less than 70 hermits, built a monastery in the middle of it and established that those who entered monasticism should live in the monastery, and those who had reached degrees of perfection would be placed in cells with such a rule that five days For weeks, everyone stayed in the cell, eating nothing but bread, water and dates; On Saturday and Sunday he decided to gather in church and, after communion of the Holy Mysteries, eat boiled food and a little wine. They cared so little about worldly things that they had nothing but clothes, not even other clothes. When leaving, they did not close the cells, so that if anyone did not wish, he could find and take whatever he wanted without any obstacle. Gerasim was so abstinent that he spent the entire Great Lent without food, content only with the communion of the Holy Mysteries.”
Also in the continuation of the description of the life of the monks of the Palestinian Lavra, Ven. Gerasim of Jordan, Cyril of Scythopolis describes the strict rules of the monastic life of the Lavra:
“Those who entered monasticism lived (in the beginning) in a monastery and performed monastic duties in it; and those who accustomed themselves to frequent and prolonged labor and achieved certain degrees of perfection in the ascetic life were placed in cells. The hermits cared so little about worldly things that they had nothing but clothes, and did not even have other clothes. Matting served as their bed. In the cell there was also a vessel with water, which they drank and palm twigs were moistened in it. When they left the cell, they did not close it, so that anyone could enter the cell and take what they needed from the unimportant things located there: they were so little attached to earthly things! No one was allowed to light a fire in the cell or eat boiled food. When some of the hermits came one day to St. Gerasim asked permission to light a fire in his cells, heat water, eat boiled food and read by lamps, the great elder told them in response: “If you want to live like this, then it is much more profitable for you to be in a monastery. But throughout my entire life I will never allow the hermits to have this.” The inhabitants of Jericho, having heard that the life of the elders of Abba Gerasim was so strict and joyless, made it a rule to come to them on Saturday and Sunday and bring some kind of consolation. Many of the ascetics, having learned that the inhabitants of Jericho were coming to them with such an intention, ran and avoided them. »
Always reborn
During the Byzantine period (455-637), the monastery flourished thanks to the visits of pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world. In 614, like all other Christian monasteries, the monastery was attacked by the Zoroastrian Persians led by Shah Khozroe. Many monks were killed as a result of their attack and became Christian martyrs; their holy relics are still preserved in the upper church of the monastery.
In 637, Muslims invaded the Holy Land, and the decline of the monastery began, however, the monks managed to restore the monastery in the 7th century.
Ancient surviving mosaics from the 5th century in the upper temple
From 1143 to 1180, during the period of the conquest of the Holy Land by the Crusaders, the forces of the Jerusalem Orthodox Greek Patriarchate during the period of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos and under the Patriarch of Jerusalem John IX, the fortress walls and other structures of the monastery were restored, while partially preserving the ruins of the Byzantine period.
The monastery was destroyed several times as a result of earthquakes, since it is located in the active seismic zone of the Syro-African Rift, which stretches throughout the Jordan Valley. The last powerful earthquake was recorded in 2003.
Mosaic floor depicting the Byzantine symbol of the double-headed eagle.
Modern reconstruction. January 28, 2014
Photo by Vladimir Shelgunov
In the 19th century, the monastery received significant assistance from Orthodox believers in Imperial Russia and Russian Orthodox pilgrims.
As the famous church scientist of the 19th century and secretary of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society A.A. noted in one of his works. Dmitrievsky, “at the end of the eighties of the last century (XIXV. Note auto) Jordanian monasteries of St. Gerasimos, John the Baptist and George Chozebite, thanks to the energetic and persistent efforts of His Beatitude Patriarch Nicodemus I, who is now retired on Chalki near Constantinople, with the material assistance of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, were restored and brought into splendid form, thanks to which the Jordanian deserts were revived and populated , hitherto seemingly uninhabited."
Russian icon painters worked on its revival. The upper temple was consecrated in 1882. The Russian row of icons of the iconostasis contains scenes of Old Testament events in the bottom row, and the top row contains icons of the Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos, St. John the Baptist, Annunciation, Rev. Gerasim, icon of the Holy Communion of St. Mary of Egypt, Elder Zosima and others.
Lower church with the image of the Mother of God "Mammal" icon
Venerated image of the Mother of God "Mammal"
The lower church of the modern monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan
The lower, more ancient temple, is dedicated to the event of the stay of the Holy Family - St. Joseph the Betrothed and the Blessed Virgin Mary during their flight to Egypt. The northern wall is painted with the “Mammal” icon of the Mother of God, the western wall with the Russian icon of St. Gerasim with a lion, donkey and camel. The iconostasis of the lower church was built in 1875.
In the 20th century, as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict, from 1948 to 1967 the monastery was completely abandoned, because ended up on the territory of Jordan and was not visited by pilgrims.
The monastery received a new impetus for the revival of monastic life in 1976, when the then young deacon from the Lavra, Ven. Savva the Consecrated is the future abbot of the monastery, a native of the Peloponnese Peninsula in southern Greece, Archimandrite Chrysostomos (Tavulareas), who has been asceticizing in the Holy Land for more than 40 years.
The monastery at that time was in a state of ruin, there was no road to the monastery at all, there was no water or electricity in the monastery, and the temperature in the summer reached about 50 degrees Celsius. For the first 12 years, it was necessary to use rainwater from a cistern in the central courtyard, until electricity and water were supplied at a distance of 3 kilometers from the monastery. There was still not enough water and arch. Chrysostomos, with Arab workers, manually dug his own well of water 25 meters deep on the territory of the monastery, which turned out to be clean and sweet. While usually in these places the water, due to its proximity to the Dead Sea, is brackish and undrinkable.
Parrots of the Jaco and Amazon breeds live in the hospitable courtyard of the monastery
and can “speak” Greek, English, Arabic and Russian.
After finding drinking water, the territory of the monastery, which spread out as a fertile oasis on the territory of 18 hectares of land, blossomed with a shady park of various trees and agricultural lands, in which birds sing beautifully. There is a fish pond, camels, goats, horses, rabbits, partridges, chickens, ducks. There is also a pilgrimage hotel on the territory of the monastery.
made in mosaic workshop of the monastery
As a result of the earthquake in 2003, the monastery floors were damaged, nevertheless, through the efforts of the abbot, a mosaic workshop was created in the monastery and new mosaics were laid in the churches in the ancient Byzantine style.
The monastery has workshops where candles, icons and mosaics are made. More than 30 inhabitants of the monastery from Greece, Germany, Romania and Cyprus work in various obediences, including in the laurels of St. John and George the Chosebite and on the Mount of Temptations.
Today, the monastery of St. Gerasimos of Jordan in the Jordan Desert is the most hospitable and friendly Greek monastery in the entire Holy Land. Pilgrims from all over the world strive to visit this holy and blessed place, consecrated by the feat and prayer of the elder Abba Gerasim himself.