Armenian St. James
A Basilica, monastery, library and structures belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate, located on the western side of the old city. According to tradition, James the apostle was killed here by Herod.
Acts 12:2: "And he killed James the brother of John with the sword"
Home > Sites > Jerusalem > Armenian Church, St. James
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Contents:
* Street * Entrance * Atrium * Library
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Overview:
St James church in the Armenian sector is dedicated to the two James: James "the Great", one of the apostles of Jesus and the brother of John, and James "the Less", the brother of Jesus and the first bishop of the Christian community in Jerusalem.
According to Armenian tradition, their church was built at the site where James the great was killed by King Herod Agrippa I in 44AD (Acts 12:2): "And he killed James the brother of John with the sword".
History :
- Roman/Byzantine
At the times of Jesus the area was part of the "upper city", located on the western side of Jerusalem.
During the 6th C a Byzantine church was built here. It was destroyed after the Persian and Arab conquest in the 7th C.
- Crusaders
The church, dated to the 11th C, was built over the ruins of the Byzantine church. After the Crusaders' departure in the 13th C the church was first controlled by the Georgian monks, and later by the Armenians. It became the base of the Armenian leadership in the Holy Land - the Patriarchate.
During the 17th C the entrance of the church was blocked on the south side, and was changed to the western side as it is to date.
The site is open to the public in limited hours. |
Location:
The site is located inside the old city walls and 100M north-west to Zion gate, along the external wall.
Photos:
Street:
The photo below shows a view of the Armenian orthodox Patriarchate road, in the section known as the Armenian Quarter in the western side of the old city.
Click on the photos to view in higher resolution...
A view of the street, where the Armenian museum is located.
Entrance:
The entrance to the church is located along the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate road, between the Zion gate and the Jaffa gate.
On top of the entrance is an Arabic inscription dated to 1488, guaranteeing safety to the St. James Armenian Convent in Jerusalem.
Church entrance:
The entrance to the church is seen below. This is the western side, which was opened in the 17th C.
A detail of the paintings, ceramics and art works around the entrance.
One of the decorated windows are seen below. The Armenian art is based on a mix of metal, stone and glazed ceramics.
A detail of the icons above the entrance is seen below.
The Cathedral:
A call to the Friday prayer is seen below, using a wooden hammer and a plate of wood.
The interior of the church is seen below.
Church Atrium:
The Atrium, the open court before the church, is decorated with stone crosses and inscriptions seen embedded in the wall facing the entrance to the church. These are called "Katshkerim"
A detail of one of the inscribed stones is seen below.
Another stone cross is seen below.
On the side of the court is a tombstone and a ceramics painting.
The traditional Armenian art is based on stone and metal, as seen in the design of one of the doors below.
Library:
The Armenians keep a large number of illuminated manuscripts in the library. Over 4,000 rare manuscripts, some of them from the 13th C.
The photo below shows the entrance to the library. Below the ancient painting are decorations of blue ceramics, which are produced in Jerusalem by Armenian craftsmen. See more information on Armenian blue Ceramics.
Inside the library is the beautiful Church of St Toros, seen below, also decorated by these beautiful glazed ceramics.
Old Entrance:
The photos below show the central courtyard.
The original facade of the church during the Crusaders period was through these three arches, located on the southern side. It was closed in the 17th C. The church, seen behind the center arch, is built from a single dome and is dated to the Crusaders period - the end of the 11th C.
Below - a view of the western side of the court, where the Armenian health center is located (on the right side).
Another view of the western side of the court yard. The style is typical Armenian: the design is a combination of geometric forms of metal, and stone.
Small Court yard:
Inside an inner court is an old grape vine branch, as seen below. Although there is no a special interest in this location, it was worthy to add the photo in this collection.
Biblical:
Acts 12:1-2:
According to Armenian tradition, their church was built at the site where James "the Great" was killed by King Herod Agrippa I in 44AD (Acts 12:2):
"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword".
Links:
External links:
Other Armenian sites in BibleWalks:
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