Saint Mark Church

This is the center of the Syrian-Orthodox community known as the “Syrian” community, founded by the apostle Peter, and organized during the 6^th century under the leadership of Bishop Jacob Brados. His community was therefore known as the “Jacobites”. During the first millennium AD the Syrians were known in their connections to the Muslim rulers, and therefore managed to base their presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, purchase plots and establish monasteries & churches in the places that are sacred for Christianity. The Syrian priests speak a dialect of the ancient Syrian language- Aramaic. The spoken language in the community’s daily life is Arabic, but the church rites are conducted in their ancient texts and include prayers in Syrian Aramaic. The Syrian Church is one of the four churches that left the Orthodox Church (the others were the Armenian Church, the Ethiopian Church and the Coptic Church), following the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and the dispute regarding the unity of Jesus’ nature. The church is subject to the authority of the Syrian patriarch whose abode is in Damascus. The Bishop’s abode is here in this monastery. One may enter via the gate into the interior courtyard, which is the entrance of the Syrian church. According to the Syrians’ faith, this site was the home of Saint Mark, where Jesus washed the feel of the apostles, and this is the location of the Last Supper (this belief is contrary to the belief of the other Christian communities, who believe that Mount Zion is the real location of the Last Supper). On one of the pillars the following 6^th century Syrian inscription appears: “This is the house of Miriam, mother of Yohanan, who is known as ‘Mark’”. The church presents the baptism basin of Miriam and her portrait drawn by the apostle Luke.