About St. George Church
Late Roman period (2nd -4th Century AD)
St George was born and lived in the 3rd century AD in the city of Lod (Lydda). George, an early Christian, served as a Roman tribune and died in Asia Minor in 303. He is the most important soldier-saint in Christian tradition since the Byzantine period.
According to one of the legends, George was a victim of the last and most severe of persecutions of the Christians in the Roman empire. Diocletian ( Caesar 284-305) issued an edict in 303 AD, instructing that all Christians should be purged from the Roman Army. During the army’s roll call in the city he was stationed, Nikomedia, the edict was announced, and George – who until then secretly practiced Christian faith – tore up the letter. This revealed his secret, and the court sentenced him to a gruesome death: George was placed in a barrel, head down, and he drowned from the spit of the 6000 soldiers.
George is regarded as a martyr, a great Holy warrior saint, and is also illustrated in all Greek Orthodox Churches as the “dragon slayer”. The dragon slaying is based on a tradition, probably told during the Crusaders period, of an event that happened in Lebanon many years after the martyr’s death. According to this legend a princess was threatened by a dragon, and George appeared and with great heroism attacked and killed the dragon with a spike. In these illustrations, the princess is seen hiding in a fortress (see example below) and George spikes the dragon.
This church was dedicated to St George in the Byzantine times. A stone coffin is located in the crypt of the modern church, where according to the tradition his bones are located.
Byzantine period (4th-7th C A.D.)
In the Byzantine period the city witnessed a commercial prosperity, thanks to the Christian pilgrims who came to see the city where Peter cured the sick man, and the birth and resting place of St. George.
George was venerated (honored as a saint) at the end of the 5th Century. During the 6th Century, a large Church was built over the traditional site of his burial site. Remains of this church can be seen in sections of the adjacent mosque.
An ancient map of the Holy Land from the 6th century AD was discovered in 1884 in a Byzantine church in Madaba, Jordan. The map shows the the Holy Land, with dozens of illustrated sites.
Lod is illustrated with great details, implying its Christian importance. The Greek inscription above the icon reads “Lod (ΛωΔ) also Lydea (ΛΥΔΕΑ), called also Diospolis (ΔΙΟСΠΟΛΙС). The city is not walled according to this map.
The Byzantine church of St. George is shown as a large structure with a red roof. A semicircular roofed colonnaded plaza appears in front of the church. Three houses are adjacent to the south side of St. George.
Another roofed colonnaded east-west street appears to the north of the church. Adjacent to it is a second northern church, also illustrated as a a red roof with a cross. Near it is a white structure, or another colonnaded street.
The Sasanian-Persians defeated the Byzantines in the battle of Antioch (613) and conquered the land (614). They damaged the Church.
Arab period (7th – 11th century A.D.)
After the conquest of Jerusalem and the Holy Land by the Arabs (638AD), Lod became a regional government city and was renamed Lydda. In 716 the Umayyad Caliph Sulayman ibn Abu al-Malik founded a new city nearby, naming it Ramla. This moved the center of power to the new city, while Lod/Lydda was partially destroyed.
The church was initially unharmed, as it was honored by the new rulers, who respected St. George and his burial place, as well as other Christian sites. However, the Byzantine church was later leveled by the Arab rulers when their faith became more extreme. The church was destroyed, as suggested by scholars, in 1010 by the Fatimid ruler Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985-1021). This ruler was known as the “Mad Caliph”, as he destroyed the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (1009) and all the convents and churches of the Holy Land in the following years.
Crusaders (12th C – 13th century A.D.)
The Crusaders rebuilt the Church in years 1150-1170, fortifying it in order to protect the road to Jerusalem. They renamed it St. Jorge de Lidde. The location of the Crusader church were above the ruins of the Byzantine church. Remains of the Crusader structure can be seen in the 19th Century church and in the adjacent mosque, which reused some of the Crusader structure.
Ayyubid conquest: The church was destroyed by Saladin’s armies in 1191.
A third Crusade, headed by Richard the Lionheart, recaptured the coast line including Lod (1192). St. George became a popular “warrior” saint for the third Crusade. According to legends, the warrior saint helped the Crusaders in their battles.
After the Crusaders returned back to Europe, the soldier-saint became popular in many countries in Europe. Richard adapted the emblem of the Cross of St. George – a red cross on white background – and brought this symbol back to England. During the 13th Century the cross of St. George became the national flag of England, and in the late 14th Century St. George became England’s patron saint. About 200 English medieval churches were dedicated to St. George.
A peace treaty of 1198 gave the Crusaders the right to hold the coast line cities. The Crusaders held this region until 1263.
Mamelukes – (1263-1516 A.D.)
Mosque: In 1268 the Mamelukes built a mosque on the ruins of the Church. It was named El-Omari, as other mosques that were built on top of ruined Churches. Omari (Omar Ibn El-Khattab) was the conqueror of the Holy Land in 638 AD.
Ottoman Period – (1516-1918 A.D.)
The area of was examined in the Palestine Exploration Foundation (PEF) survey (1866-1877) by Wilson, Conder and Kitchener. The map below is a section of their survey results. The sites of Lod are described in their report (Vol 2, Sheet XIII, p 252):
“Ludd – A small town, standing among enclosures of prickly pear, and having fine olive groves round it, especially to the south. The minaret of the mosque is a very conspicuous object over the whole of the plain. The inhabitants are principally Moslem, though the place is the seat of a Greek bishop resident in Jerusalem. The Crusading church has lately been restored, and is used by the Greeks. Wells are found in the gardens. Ludd is the Old Testament Lod, the New Testament Lydda. The church appears to date about 1150 A.D. The mosque and minaret are noticed by Mejr ed Din, 1495 A.D. The houses are principally of mud. There Is a palm-tree near the church, and figs are also cultivated”.
Modern times
The church is open to the public. Memorial celebrations are held in St. George annually in April (birth date of George) and in November 15, commemorating the arrival of his bones.
كنيسة القديس جاورجيوس في مدينة اللد
كنيسة القديس جاورجيوس في مدينة اللد ( فلسطين ) حيث تحوي قبر القديس جاورجيوس أقيمت في القرن الرابع ميلادي. أما الكنيسة الحالية فشيدت في عام 1870 وتقع بجوار الجامع الكبير.
تاريخها
في نهايات القرن التاسع عشر، حصلت بطريركية القدس للروم الأرثوذكس على إذن من السلطات العثمانية لبناء كنيسة على موقع كنيسة سابقة. الكنيسة مبنية فوق بناء سابق من القرن الخامس عشر الميلادي على الجزء الشمالي من الصحن والجانب الأيسر من الكنيسة السابقة، والتي بقي منها محرابان يتجهان نحو الشمال بدلا من الشرق، كما هو معتاد. اشترطت السلطات العثمانية على أن يخصص جزء من الأرض لبناء مسجد. لذا تغطي كنيسة القديس جاورجيوس الحالية الركن الشمالي الشرقي من الكنيسة البيزنطية فقط. أما قاعة الصلاة في المسجد المجاور، فتحتوي على عمود كان جزءا من صحن الكنيسة. يقع تابوت القديس جاورجيوس في داخل الكنيسة، كما يوجد على أحد أعمدة الجامع كتابة يونانية يعود تاريخها إلى أيام الدولة البيزنطية.
مدينة اللد
تعد مدينة اللد من أكبر وأقدم مدن فلسطين التاريخية والواقعة في جانب الاحتلال الإسرائيلي الأوسط، وتحديداً على بعد ما يقارب 38كم إلى الشمال الغربي من مدينة القدس، والتي يعود تأسيسها إلى الألف الخامس قبل الميلاد على يد الكنعانيين، كانت تُسمَّى في عصر تحتمس الثالث الفرعوني بـِ "رتن" وفي عهد الرومان دُعيَّت بإسم: "ديوسبوليس"، ويشار إلى أنّها من المدن التي ذكرت في العديد من المصادر التاريخية، ويفصلها عن مدينة يافا حوالي 16كم، وحوالي 5كم عن مدينة الرملة، وقد كان لهذه المدينة أهمية كبيرة في الماضي؛ بسبب سيطرتها على الطريق الرئيسية وكذلك خط سكك الحديد بين يافا والقدس، ويسكنها اليوم خليط من اليهود والعرب.
ملاحظة:
بعضٌ من رفات القديس جاورجيوس المقدسة موزّعة على كنائس وأديرة مختلفة منها:
- - رفات من يده اليمنى، وتوجد في دير كسينوفوندوس بالجبل المقدس آثوس - اليونان.
- - رفات من صدره، وتوجد في الاسقيط الجديد (Nέα Σκήτη) بالجبل المقدس آثوس
- - أجزاء من رفاته المكرّمة، وتوجد في كنيسة اللّد بفلسطين حيث ضريحه المقدس.