The first monastery was built on this site in 482 by St. Sabas (439-532 A.D.) after having inhabited a cave in the wadi for five years. Over the years the buildings expanded and reached their highpoint in the eighth and ninth centuries. One of its most famous residents was St. John Damascen, c. A.D. 750, who defended the legitimacy of images in Christian art. It is the only remaining monastery of the many that existed in the Judaean desert which is still in use and can claim continuous occupation since its foundation. However, the number of monks is rapidly decreasing.

Image size: 32 x 48cm
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