Two churches – Visitation Church where Mary learned that she’s bearing child, and St. John Ba Harim Church where the immerser, John the Baptist was born – two churches that comemorate two events that gave Christianity two of the most ancient hymns – The Magnificat and Benedictus.
And in between these two churches we will learn about the obsession of purity of that time, of unique individuals that came to live in Ein Kerem at the western part of Jerusalem following the carisma of John. These include Major General Charles Gordon, the Ratisbonne brothers, two Jews who converted to Christianity and formed the Sisters of Zion Order, Eliszabeth, sister in law of the last Russian Zar, all followed the forerunner’s place of birth and where he grew as a child, some learning about him and others setting up convents and churches.
We will walk through the picturesque alleys of the village that has not changed much during the last 2000 years and attempt to better understand John’s childhood.
