The monastery of Saint Gerasimos
The Monastery of St Gerasimos is a few kilometers west of the Jordan River and 6 kilometers north of the Dead Sea. The decorations and iconography of its church are typical of the Greek Orthodox tradition. It is a place of hospitality and refreshment for pilgrims and has exceptional beauty with fruit trees and flowers. The monastery also provides an excellent opportunity for understanding the important topic of the monastic tradition in the Judean Desert in early Christianity.
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​Directions: Enter into Waze “Laura of Gerasimus.”
Admission: The site is open from 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM. There is no admission charge. There is a café and garden area that visitors can use. Also, a gift ship. Their phone number is 972 2 9943038. This is a website
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The origins of Christian monasticism
Christian monasticism developed in Egypt during the late third and early fourth centuries. Two forms of monasticism developed. One was hermetic monasticism, in which the monks withdrew from ordinary society to live in isolation in caves or shelters. The other was where monks lived together in an organized community under an abbot. Monasticism in the Judean Desert developed a distinct form, which was a combination of these two approaches. This system was called the laura. Monks would live separately in caves and gather periodically for communal worship and meals.
A number of factors made the Judean Desert attractive to Christian ascetics. The desert in general was associated with Moses, Elijah and the Israelites wandering. John the Baptist’s ministry and Jesus’ forty days of temptation also provided powerful models. The Judean Desert was close to Jerusalem with its holy sites, and its wadis and cliffs provided natural locations for solitary living. Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Jordan River also attracted pilgrims, and some may have stayed on as monks.
The principal founders of Judean Desert monasticism were St. Chariton, who established monastic settlements in Pharan near Ein Prat, Douka near Jericho, and Souka. Also, St Euthymius. Both individuals established monasteries in the laura style. Monks lived separately in caves or individual cells and gathered periodically for communal prayer and meals. Euthymius developed a system in which the monks first received training in an organized community before adopting a more solitary form of ascetic life.
Gerasimos came from Asia Minor to the Holy Land in the fifth century and became associated with the monastic community of St Euthymius. He subsequently established his own monastic community in the Jordan Valley. His innovation was to combine the two forms of monasticism, with individual hermitages and a central communal monastery. Approximately 70 monks lived in solitude for five days a week and then gathered at the monastery on Saturday and Sunday for communal worship, meals and religious instruction. The monastery had a church, dining facilities, storage facilities, and accommodation for senior monks.
Touring the monastery
The present monastery is not the original fifth-century monastery, as this was destroyed during the Persian invasion of 614 CE. There have been later reconstructions. The present monastery dates from 1885.
The main church is dedicated to St Gerasimos and contains icons and religious paintings associated with this saint and other important figures of monasticism in the Holy Land, dating back to the 12th century.
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A feature of the monastery is its many depictions of a lion. According to the traditional story, Gerasimos encountered a lion near the Jordan River suffering from a thorn embedded in its paw. Gerasimos removed the thorn and treated the animal's injury. The lion subsequently became devoted to the saint and joined the monastic community.
Below the main church is a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Family's flight to Egypt. According to Christian tradition, Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus found temporary refuge here while fleeing from King Herod, following the events described in Matthew 2:13–15.
Interior of the church which is in the Greek Orthodox style