Church of St. Anne (Jerusalem, Israel)
City:
Jerusalem
State, Province, Region, or District:
Jerusalem District
Country:
Israel
Overview
The Church of St. Anne is a Roman Catholic church located in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel. It is situated near the Lions' Gate (Stephen's Gate), which is one of the entrances to the Old City. It it is also adjacent to the site of the pools of Bethesda. (The Pools of Bethesda are reviewed separately.)
The church is dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. According to tradition, St. Anne was born in Jerusalem and lived there with her husband, Joachim, and their daughter Mary.
The current church building dates back to the 12th century, and it is considered one of the best examples of Crusader architecture in Jerusalem. It is one of the few surviving large structures from the 12th century Crusaders period.
The church features a Gothic nave, a Romanesque crypt, and a bell tower that was added in the 19th century. Inside the church, visitors can see beautiful stained glass windows and frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Anne and the Virgin Mary. There is also a small museum that displays artifacts from the Crusader period.
The church is also known for its excellent acoustics, and it is a popular site for choral performances and concerts. It is open to visitors of all faiths, and it is an important pilgrimage site for Catholics who wish to honor St. Anne and the Virgin Mary.
Pools of Bethesda
The ruins of the twin pools of Bethesda are located in the north side of the old city, close to the Lions' Gate (St. Stephen's Gate) located on the property of the Church of St. Anne. These pools supplied water to the temple during the times of the first and second temple (until Herod). There are references in the Old Testament to the “upper pool,” which may have been the name of the northern pool (2 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 7:3).
Adjacent to the pools were baths and a healing center. These baths are the site of the healing miracle of Jesus in the pools of the sheep market (John 5:1-18). This was the healing of the paralyzed man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the water is stirred” — an event believed to have curative powers.
Bethesda means “House of Mercy” and has been associated with a place of healing for many years. According to the Gospel of John, Bethesda was a bathing pool with five porticoes or porches. The ruins of some of these porticoes can still be seen today. Later, a Byzantine basilica was built over parts of the pools only to be be destroyed about 150 years later. The Crusaders built a small chapel over its ruins, and later a larger Basilica nearby, the Church of St. Anne.
It should be noted that the pool that can be seen today is the corner of the southern pool. You will also note that it is significantly below the city level today because Jerusalem is really a large tel. A tel is something that develops and grows in height as one civilization builds upon another. Therefore, since the time of Christ, the city has been destroyed and rebuilt many times which explains why the pool is below the surface of the city today.
Alternate Names
St. Anna Church, al-Madrasa as-Salahiyya (Saladin's madrasa)
Geography & Location
The Church of St. Anne is located just inside the Lions’ Gate (Stephen's Gate) at the eastern entrance of the Old City, near the start of the Via Dolorosa.
Biblical, Historical, & Archaeological Background Information
Timeline Highlights
Architecture
Built between 1131 and 1138 to replace a previous Byzantine church, and shortly thereafter enlarged by several meters, the church is an excellent example of Romanesque architecture. The three-aisled basilica incorporates cross-vaulted ceilings and pillars, clear clean lines and a somewhat unadorned interior. The nave is separated from the lower lateral aisles by arcades of arches. The high altar, designed by the French sculptor Philippe Kaeppelin incorporates many different scenes. On the front of the altar are depicted the Nativity (left), the Descent from the Cross (center) and the Annunciation (right); on the left-hand end is the teaching of Mary by her mother, on the right-hand end her presentation in the Temple. In the south aisle is a flight of steps leading down to the crypt, in a grotto believed by the Crusaders to be Mary's birthplace. An altar dedicated to Mary is located there. The Byzantine basilica was partly stretched over two water basins, collectively known as the Pools of Bethesda, and built upon a series of piers, one of which still stands today in its entirety.
Biblical & Historical References
The Pools of Bethesda is the site where Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years (John 5:1-18). This was the healing of the paralyzed man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the water is stirred” — an event believed to have curative powers.
Spiritual Lessons and Application
The “stirring of the water” (John 5:7) was attributed to “an angel of the Lord,” and was a sign to the people that it was their opportunity to be healed.
Etymology
Bethesda – From Hebrew: Beth (house) and Hesda (kindness, charity, excellent, excel). The name may have been based on the quality of the waters in these pools, which their top-class quality granted favors to those who bathed in it. Perhaps, the quality attributed to these waters came from their use in the temple.
Site Visit
The Church of St. Anne is located near the excavations of Bethesda, which date to a period starting from the 2nd century BC (Hasmonean Kings) through the 12-13th century AD (Crusaders period). The photo below shows a section of the excavations of the baths and the Byzantine basilica, and the large church of St. Anna behind it.
Places of Interest
Pools of Bethesda (also used as water storage and as mikvahs)