The greatest of the ancient monasteries dotting the wilderness of the Judaean Desert, Mar Saba hangs dramatically down the cliff edge of a deep ravine. The grey-domed Greek Orthodox complex was established in the 5th century by St Sabas (Mar Saba in Arabic), a monk from central Turkey, and was largely rebuilt following a major...Read More

king david’s wells A few streets from the Church of the Nativity, near the Catholic Action Center, are King David’s Wells. In eastern Bethlehem, three enormous cisterns that are still in use today were discovered. King David’s troops allegedly broke past the Philistine defenses here to bring him water, but despite risking their lives to...Read More