| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
A Holy Land
Lebanon is a land with strong biblical associations: the authors of the Old Testament often wrote about the lofty heights of Mount Lebanon and Mount Hermon, which they could see in the distance. The Cedars of Lebanon, the beauty of its mountains, its aromatic scents, orchards, waterfalls, and eternal snows were all immortalized by the biblical books of Psalms and the Song of Solomon. Truly, this is the "Land of Milk and Honey" sung about by ancient writers.
Lebanon was one of the first regions to receive the news of Christianity, and it was Jesus, in person, who was its first evangelist. The Gospels teach us that Jesus preached beyond the borders of the Decapolis, notably in Tyre and Sidon, where he performed miracles. Thus Lebanon is part of the "Holy Land" where the feet of Christ once trod.
Some of the first Christian communities were set up here during the time of the apostles and were visited by Saint Paul. In fact, the Acts of the Apostles records that Saint Paul came to Tyre before his last visit to Jerusalem and his arrest (Acts 21). For a country of ancient spiritual and cultural traditions, could there be a more extraordinary privilege?
At the dawn of the third millennium
Lebanon is a holy land where the feet of Christ once trod, where he founded the Church, announced his Passion and where he was transfigured. This is a young nation in a land of ancient tradition, a nation that welcomes you at the dawn of the third millennium.
A biblical country, Lebanon, with its mountains and seacoasts also possesses great natural beauty. Jesus was certainly aware of this. His parables about the lilies of the fields and birds of the sky echo this beauty, which is celebrated in the holy books and entrusted to Lebanon as a gift and a token.
One Day In this Holy Land
Qadisha, one of the deepest and most beautiful valleys in Lebanon, is indeed a world apart. At the bottom of this wild steep sided gorge runs the Qadisha River whose source is in the Qadisha Grotto at the foot of the Cedars. And above the famous Cedar grove stands Qornet es Sawda, Lebanon's highest peak.
The word “Qadisha” comes from a Semitic root meaning "holy" and Wadi Qadisha is the "Holy Valley". Filled with caves and rock shelters inhabited from the third millennium B.C. to the Roman period the valley is scattered with cave chapels, hermitages and monasteries cut from rock. Since the Early Middle Ages generations of monks. Hermits, ascetics and anchorites found asylum here. These religious men, who belonged to the various confessions that grew out of medieval controversies over the nature of Christ, included the Nestorians, Monophysites. Chalcedonians and Monothelites, even Moslem Sufis were found in this valley. They prayed in many languages: Greek, Arabic, Syriac and Ethiopian.
At the town of Tourza the valley divides into two branches, each named for a monastery there: Wadi Qozhaya leading to Ehden and Wadi Qannoubin leading to the Cedars. A path goes along the bottom of the valley through an area called "Bain an Nahrain" (Between the Two Rivers) where Wadi Qannoubin meets Wadi Qadisha. From here trails lead to the various sites. You can also start from the top of the valley and take one of the numerous paths to the bottom.
This site invites you to visit the major sites in the Qadisha valley and its immediate surroundings. Note that some destinations in the valley are not easy to reach by car and may require a long walk on steep trails.
Message of Friendship
Lebanon today is a young nation developed by many centuries of civilization and adversity. (Recent archaeological excavations show that urban life along its coast goes back more than 6,000 years.) After the year 640 the new religion of Islam arrived in Lebanon. Islam, in its turn, encouraged the spread of culture, and along with Christianity, produced an original style of life founded on mutual, tolerance and friendship. It was this fact that led Pope John Paul II to declare that "Lebanon is more than a country, it is a message" for both the East and the West.
"At this exceptional gathering," said Pope Jean Paul II during his pastoral visit to Lebanon in 1997, we want to tell the world about the importance of Lebanon and its historic mission over the long centuries. A country of many religious confessions, it has shown that these different religions can live together in peace, brotherhood and cooperation; it has shown that it can respect the right of man to religious liberty, that all can live united in love for this country which safeguards the spiritual heritage of its fathers." (Quotation from the open air mass at Beirut port, May 11, 1997).
A Natural Gateway
Since antiquity, Phoenicia's geographical location has made it a natural gateway for conquering armies, merchants and travellers. Later the first missionaries who accompanied the apostles used the same route. This north south strip of coastal land, narrow in some places and wider in others, is enclosed between the foothills of Mount Lebanon and the Mediterranean. Today it still serves as an essential land corridor.
The Gospels tell us that Jesus used this passage to make his way to Tyre and Sidon, as well as to Caesarea Philippi, a new town built by Herod Philippe in honour of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. In the time of Christ this town was part of the "Trachonitide", a region in what is today the southern part of Lebanon.
The personal presence of Jesus in north Galilee, in Phoenicia and in the Trachonitide, can be dated to the years 28 and 29 of the Christian era according to the astronomer, Denis the Small.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
TRAVEL LEBANON > A HOLY LAND 
