Taybeh has a claim to fame found nowhere else in Palestine (or Israel, if you use that term, and it isn’t used here). It’s the only Christian town left anywhere. In the center of town is a very surprising statue of Jesus Christ, a bit unexpected in a land surrounded by Muslims. The 1,250 faithful citizens of the community belong to the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic (Latin), and Greek Catholic (Melkite) churches. All of the churches hold fast to the memory that it was Taybeh, then called Ephriam, where Jesus and his disciples sought refuge after the resurrection of Lazarus and before the crucifixion. The patron saint of the village is St. George, of dragon fame, who happens to have been born not far from the Tel Aviv airport in Lov. I had no idea.
Placed high atop a hill (920 meters), Taybeh overlooks a wilderness of rocks and olive trees, the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea. During my visit, it was cloudy and I didn’t see so far. But as I said, it’s on a hilltop. Wherever you go in Taybeh, you are walking uphill or downhill. There are no flat surfaces, and it really felt like I was always going uphill.
2,500 years before Jesus sought refuge in Taybeh, it was a Canaanite settlement. At that time, it was called Ophrah (or Ofrah), and it became part of the possession of the tribe of Benjamin. The name of the town was changed to Taybeh in 1187 by the Muslim Sultan Saladin when he passed through the town on his way to fight the Crusaders. He found the people dwelling there to be hospitable and friendly. And, if you knew Arabic, you’d know that Taybeh means “good and kind”. Don’t worry, I don’t know Arabic either.
I stayed on the compound of the Latin Catholic Church with wonderful facilities including their place of worship, a guesthouse, a clinic, and a very lovely school in need of a mural. In the courtyard, in front of the church, was a mysterious doorway that invited me to explore. The building, called the Parable House, is 250 years old but it looks like you could add another zero to the number once inside. It was a home prepared from an existing cave! There are a large variety of old artifacts all about as well as areas for family and flocks to sleep. There is no guarantee that is smelled very good. There is a guarantee that is smelled. Unbelievably, the place was still inhabited until 1974!
Inside the Parable House
Now, I’m only guessing about the name Parable House. But, according to tradition, Jesus told the villagers a parable about the pomegranate fruit. If you’ve ever eaten one, you know the outer membrane covering of the fruit is bitter, but the inner seeds are so very sweet. It was an illustration to explain the bitterness of his coming crucifixion as compared to the sweetness of His resurrection.
Contents in the Parable House included items that Jesus used in his parables, including a plow and what I think was a huge water container. If that’s what Jesus used when he turned water into wine, the people would have been very happy because it was shoulder high. And, if you use your imagination, you can perhaps have a glimpse of what a manger scene might have once looked like in Bethlehem.
Views from the Al-Khidr (or Church of St. George, if you must)
Now, if you are looking for honest to goodness landmarks to see in Taybeh, you don’t have to look very far. Just outside of town, behind the Greek Catholic Church, are the ruins of The Al-Khidr Church, or St George's Church. If you don’t know Arabic, and I assume that’s the case, Al-Khidr s translated as “the Green One” which often refers to St. George. According to oral tradition, the Byzantine church was built in the 4th century by Saint Constance and Saint Helen. (Sorry, I have no clue who they are.) Then, when the Crusaders rolled around in the 12th century, the church was rebuilt.
There are little alters and statues of Mary for those who go exploring. And, they are still visited by faithful believers. I know approached the complex, she kissed the gatepost before entering. I didn’t know I was supposed to do that. I still didn’t do it, but I left right away to give her the privacy and quiet that she needed.