Saint George and the Holy Land

The city of Lod, also known by its Arabic name, Led, located a short distance from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, may seem like an odd place to visit while on pilgrimage, as it has little to offer even local visitors, with one notable exception. In a run-down part of the city, the church of Saint George, built and added upon throughout the centuries, is visited by multitudes of pilgrims and local Christians alike throughout the year, as the crypt is the final resting place of Saint George the Great Martyr, a Roman soldier of Greek parents, born in Palestine in the late 3rd century. Saint George became one of the most trusted officers of the pagan Emperor Diocletian, and ultimately gave himself up to martyrdom rather than persecute his fellow Christians or renounce his faith. In the end, he became one of the first as well as one of the most beloved saints of the early centuries of the Christian faith. From England to India, from Scandinavia to Ethiopia, Saint George was venerated with great reverence and continues to be until this very day.

Though the legends of Saint George slaying the dragon and rescuing the maiden in the tower may be symbolic or allegorical additions to the true story, there is no shortage of miracles attributed to the Palestinian soldier by his devout followers in the Holy Land. So great is the love and veneration of Saint George across the Christians of the Holy Land, that the name George, and its variants Khader and Jiries, is one of the most common, if not the most popular, names given to boys at birth. Above the entryways of homes and businesses of Christians, a stone relief image of Saint George slaying the dragon on horseback is even more commonly found than a cross or image of Christ or the Virgin Mary. Most Christian families, be them Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Catholic or Syriac, will keep at least one icon or image of Saint George in their homes, and even the more lax church-goers will often attend services for Saint George on his two feast days: one held in the spring (April 23rd/May 6th on the two Christian calendars), and the other on November 23rd in the Orthodox Church.

There is far more than one church dedicated to Saint George in the Holy Land. In the village of Al Khader, near Bethlehem, a local tradition holds that Saint George was born in a stretch of land that belonged to his family, and a monastery dedicated to him is well-visited as a local shrine to those seeking his aid. Even the Muslim villagers who live around the monastery show great reverence to Saint George, who is considered a local protector of the people. The village of Taybeh, near Ramallah, also holds Saint George as their community patron, and the three Christian churches all share the ruins of an ancient church dedicated to him for the benefit of all Christians to pray and light candles at any time, day or night.

The Anglican Cathedral of Jerusalem is dedicated to Saint George – a nod to the great historic connection between Saint George and the United Kingdom, and specifically, England and the English people. The horizontal-verticle red cross-component within the design of the Union Jack is, in fact, the flag of England, which is also the flag of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Cathedral, located a short distance north of Damascus Gate in Jerusalem near the Garden Tomb, is a beautiful example of 19th-century Anglican church architecture merged with local Holy Land building materials and techniques.

In the Holy Land, it is said that the Christian people are the "living stones” that keep the memory of the Christian faith alive in the land from which it was born. To know and understand Saint George is to understand these ”stones” – so on your next trip to the Holy Land, don’t forget to look for images of Saint George, and to consider stopping to see one of the many churches and shrines dedicated to him, and to remember to ask Mar Jiries – Saint George in Arabic – for his intercession as you journey through his home country.

Be Not Afraid!

Good Shepherd Travel offers pilgrimages to the churches of Saint George across the Holy Land as part of their Holy Land tours. Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, Ireland, and many other destinations are among our most popular programs. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2020 or in 2021, contact Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com. We will return to pilgrimage – and we hope to see you with us!