The Church of Visitation: A Tower in the Judean Hills
The Church of Visitation has a multi-layered history that spans hundreds of years. Construction of the original church is attributed to Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Helena identified this site as the home of the prophet Zecharia and the place where he and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, hid from King Herod’s soldiers. Beneath the church are the cisterns from which they reportedly drank, as well as the stone that they hid behind.
During the Crusader period, the church gained the reputation of being the meeting place of Mary and Elizabeth.
In the 7th century, the church fell into the hands of the Muslim conquerors and fell into disrepair. It was only in the nineteenth century that the building was finally restored, and was finally completed by Italian architect Antonio Berluzzi in 1955. The architect took care to preserve the remains of the ancient church and integrate them into the finished structure.
Now visitors can climb the hill to the Church of Visitation, watching as the tower looms ever higher as it draws near. A lush mosaic façade gives colorful life to Mary’s Visitation. From the top of the hill spreads the panorama of Ein Kerem, with its ancient stone houses interspersed among pear, pomegranate and olive trees, with grapevines entangled throughout.
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