Bethany then and now

St. Lazarus Church

Bethany, were Jesus visited Mary and Martha and raised Lazarus from the dead, is just east of Jerusalem, on the other side of Israel's separation barrier. Both events are commemorated at the Church of St. Lazarus, with is situated in lovely gardens.

Facade of church

Lazarus image on facade

Inside the church one mural depicts the story of Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha, when Martha complained that Mary was not helping her, and Jesus said that Mary was right to sit and listen to him. Another mural recalls Jesus' raising of their brother Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus, Mary, and Martha

Detail of Lazarus coming forth from the grave

Entrance to Lazarus' tomb

Just up the hill behind the church is the site reputed to be the actual tomb of Lazarus. For a small fee, we descended a dozen large and uneven stone steps to the tomb.

Sister Alicia's apartment; wall and convent at left

Bethany is home to Sister Alicia Vacas, the nun of the Comboni Sisters who works with the Bedouin communities. She and another sister live in an apartment on the West Bank side of the separation barrier, but the convent with the other sisters is on the Jerusalem side. Although it is only a few yards away, it takes her an hour to drive around the wall to visit them.

Separation barrier with sealed houses down the street

A block down the street from her  building, Sister Alicia showed us a section of the separation barrier that was charred from burning tires at protest demonstrations. Below it houses located on the line of the wall were allowed to remain there if their doors and windows were  sealed.