MONASTERY OF TEMPTATION

The first monastery was built by the Byzantines in the 6th century, above the caves where Jesus is said to have spent 40 days and 40 nights praying and meditating in the desert. It was on this mountain that he is said to have been tempted by the Devil during the "temptation of Satan". This Greek Orthodox troglodyte monastery overlooks Jericho and the green Jordan Valley from its 350-metre height. Built into the cliffside of ochre stone, it blends so well into the landscape that you can only see the building as you approach it. The exterior façade was built in 1895 around a grotto that was converted into a chapel marking the stone where Jesus would have prayed. Today three orthodox monks guard the building. Although the monastery falls under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, it is the property of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. You can admire ancient paintings of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus as well as Byzantine chapels all decorated with brightly coloured biblical representations. The sacred caves are impressive, even for non-believers. One of them is only accessible by ladder. Hundreds of small papers bearing the wishes of people who have passed through here, sometimes accompanied by photos, have been left for God to see. Also on the site are the remains of a fortress called Doq, built by the Seleucids. It was here that Simon Maccabaeus was murdered by his son-in-law Ptolemy.