2564 - Jerusalem (Old city) - New Church of the Theotokos (Nea Church)

(1) Such were the works of the Emperor Justinian in Cilicia. And in Jerusalem he dedicated to the Mother of God a shrine with which no other can be compared. (2) The local people call this shrine the ‘New Church’; and I shall explain of what sort it is, first noting that this city is for the most part set upon hills; and the hills are not coated with soil but rise rough and steep, stretching the streets from uphill to downhill like ladders. (3) Now all the other buildings of the city happen to be located in one area, either built upon a hill or upon the low level where the ground spreads out flat, and only this shrine is not made this way. (4) For the Emperor Justinian gave orders that it be built on the highest of the hills, specifying what the length and breadth of the building should be, as well as his other requests. (5) However, the hill did not satisfy the requirements of the project, according to the Emperor’s orders, but a fourth part of the church was left out, towards the south and the rising sun, (the part needed) for the priests to perform their rites according to custom. (6) Consequently, those in charge of this work thought of the following solution. They extended the foundations to the farthest limits of the even ground and then erected a structure which rose as high as the cliff. (7) And when they were as high as the top of the hill, they set vaults upon the (supporting) walls and joined this structure to the other foundation of the precinct. (8) Thus the church is partly established upon strong rock and partly lifted in the air by a great extension artificially added to the hill by the Emperor’s power. (9) The stones of this structure are not of a size such as we are familiar with, (10) for the builders of this project, in struggling against the nature of the site and labouring to attain a height to match (that of) the cliff, had to abandon all common methods and turn to practices altogether unknown. (11) So they cut out blocks of enormous size from the hills which rise to the sky in the region (that is) before the city, and, after dressing them skilfully, they brought them here in the following manner. (12) They built wagons equal in size to the stones, placed a single block on each of them, and oxen chosen for their excellence by the Emperor drew the stone with the wagon, forty for each (wagon). (13) But since it was impossible for the roads leading to the city to accommodate these wagons, they cut into the hills for a very great distance and made them passable for the incoming wagons, and thus they completed the great length of the church in accordance with the Emperor’s wish. (14) However, when they made the width in due proportion, they found themselves quite unable to set a roof upon the shrine. (15) So they searched through all the woods and forests and every place where they had heard that trees grew sky-high, and they found a certain dense forest which produced cedars that reached nearly infinite height, and by means of these they put the roof upon the church, making its height proportional to the width and length to which it extends. (16) These things the Emperor Justinian accomplished by human strength and skill. But also the faith (born) from piety contributed (to the enterprise), rewarding him with honour and aiding this zealous pursuit. (17) For the church required columns on all sides whose appearance would not fall short of the beauty around the precinct, and of such a size that they could resist the weight of the (beams) that would rest upon them. (18) But the location itself, being inland, very far from the sea and fenced off on all sides by steep mountains, as I have said, made it impossible for those who were preparing the foundations to bring columns from elsewhere. (19) But while the Emperor was vexed by the impossibility of this task, God revealed a natural supply of stone perfectly suited to this purpose in the nearby hills, which either had lain there previously in concealment, or was created at that moment. (20) Either explanation is credible to those who refer the cause of it to God; (21) for while we, in weighing all things by the scale of human power, believe many things to be marked as impossible, for God nothing in the whole world can be difficult or impossible. (22) And so a great number of columns from that place support the church on all sides, huge and resembling in colour flames of fire, some standing below and some above and others around the stoas which surround the whole church except on the side facing the east. Two of these columns stand before the door of the church; (they are) exceptionally large and probably second to no column in the whole world. (23) Here follows another gallery named after a fennel stalk <narthex>, I suppose because it is not broad. (24) Beyond this is an atrium supported by similar columns on the four sides. The inner doors <leading from the atrium to the narthex> (are) so majestic that they proclaim to those walking outside what kind of sight they will meet within. Hence <out of the atrium> is a wonderful gateway and an arch, carried on two columns, which rises to an indescribable height. (25) Then, as one advances forward, there are two semi-circles which stand facing each other on both sides of the road (leading) to the church, while facing each other on both sides of the other (road) are two hospices, built by the Emperor Justinian. One of these is a shelter for visiting strangers, while the other is a resting place for poor persons suffering from diseases. (26) And the Emperor Justinian also endowed this church of the Mother of God with an income of large sums of money. Such were the works of the Emperor Justinian in Jerusalem.

(transl. Di Segni)

Enrolled among the clergy of the Church, I renounced the world in the holy monastery of Your Sanctity in the sixteenth year of the present divinely protected reign. As you yourself know, George, as the best of fathers and most loving of parents, after receiving the monastic habit from your hands I departed to Jerusalem with your prayer and blessing, in the month of November. The pretext for my departure was the consecration in Jerusalem of the new church of the all-glorious Mary mother of God, but my real reason was the desire to take up my abode in the desert.

(transl. Price)

A few days later the emperor summoned the sanctified Sabas and said to him, ‘I have heard, father, that you have founded many monasteries in the desert. For whichever of them you wish, ask for a revenue for the needs of the inmates and we shall provide it, so that they may pray for the state entrusted to our care.’ Sabas replied, ‘ - - - We also beg you to found a hospital in the holy city for the care of sick strangers, and to build and appoint the church of the Mother of God whose foundations were laid some time ago by our archbishop Elias, for this is specially appropriate for Your Piety - - - .’

(transl. Price)

All these requests of our father Sabas were fulfilled without delay by our most pious emperor, and all his prophecies were accomplished by the benevolent God, as we shall discover clearly in what follows. - - - He displayed much zeal in fulfilling the fourth request of the old man, and sent an architect called Theodore to Jerusalem to build the new church of the holy mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, ordering the treasury officials of Palestine to provide money for the building; while assigning the overall authority to Archbishop Peter, he charged Bishop Barachus of Bacatha with the supervision of the building works. And so through the zealous use of a large work force the new church of the mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, worthy of all praise, was in twelve years built, richly appointed and consecrated. It is superfluous to describe the size, dazzling splendor and rich decoration of this venerable edifice, since it stands exposed to our eyes and surpasses all the ancient sights and accounts that men marvel at and the Greeks have recorded in their histories. This was the fruit of the fourth request of the godly Sabas.

(transl. Price)

Then Ascidas forced Archbishop Peter, who had gone up to Constantinople, to take as chancellors Peter of Alexandria and John Strongulus, while he made John the eunuch, who ruled the monastery of Martyrius, superior of the New Church.

(transl. Price)

In the ninetieth year of the life of this holy elder, in the month of November of the sixth indiction, I left the metropolis of Scythopolis, as I have already mentioned in my account of the holy Euthymius. - - - Accordingly, after coming to Jerusalem and celebrating the consecration of the New Church of the mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, worthy of all praise, I came to the laura of blessed Sabas - - - - .

(transl. Price)

From Sion we went to the basilica of Saint Mary, with its great congregation of monks, and its guest houses for men and women. In catering for travellers they have a vast number of tables, and more than three thousand beds for the sick. 

(transl. Wilkinson)

In St. Mary Nea, which Emperor Justinian built, 12 (priests and clerics).

(transl. McCormick)

The church of St. Mary, which the earthquake ruined and sank into the earth, measures on both sides 34 dexters in length, on one extremity 3<5>; through the middle, across, 32; in length, through the middle, 50.

(transl. McCormick)