More than 200 people, in addition to the performers, gathered beneath the abbey church's distinctive red dome, filling the main floor and upper gallery. The programme featured music in Arabic, German, Coptic, Ge’ez, Greek, Latin and English, reflecting the linguistic and liturgical diversity of Jerusalem's Christian communities.

The setting carried particular significance. Dormition Abbey stands a short distance from the Cenacle, traditionally associated with the Last Supper and the first Pentecost, when, according to the Acts of the Apostles, people from different nations heard the apostles speaking in their own languages. On Sunday evening, that diversity of languages found a contemporary expression through music.

The concert was organized for the second consecutive year by the Ecumenical Commission of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, with the participation of staff members from Tantur Ecumenical Institute, who serve on the commission. The Benedictine community of Dormition Abbey hosted the event, with the support of the Pontifical Mission.

Fr. Nikodemus, Abbot of Dormition Abbey, welcomed the gathering, followed by an address from Msgr. Ephrem of the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate. Maral Kiryakos served as moderator, introducing the choirs and guiding the audience through the evening's programme.

Among those attending were Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, Apostolic Nuncio and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, and Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, alongside representatives of several of Jerusalem's Churches, including the Coptic Orthodox, Maronite and Ethiopian communities.

From the Rahbani Brothers to Byzantine Chant

The evening opened with the Schmidt Girls’ Choir, conducted by Mirjam Younan, performing Omen (I Believe) by the Rahbani Brothers and Unadika Rabi Istajeb by Joseph Fakhouri.

The Ecumenical Choir of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, directed by Micha Seifried, followed with a repertoire spanning several centuries of European sacred music. The choir performed Heiligung by Louis Lewandowski, Verleih uns Frieden by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Lobe den Herrn by Hugo Distler, and the medieval Venite a Laudare from the Laudario di Cortona.

The Coptic Choir introduced the audience to the liturgical music of the Coptic Church, whose chant tradition has been transmitted through generations and remains central to its worship today.

The Salesian-Ratisbonne Choir, made up of young Salesians of Don Bosco from different countries studying theology in Jerusalem, presented three pieces tracing the development of Western Christian music. Their programme moved from the Gregorian antiphon Ubi Caritas et Amor to the traditional English-language hymn Jerusalem, My Happy Home, before concluding with a contemporary Salesian liturgical song that invited the audience to sing along.

The Ethiopian Women’s Choir brought the distinctive musical tradition of the Ethiopian Church, adding another dimension to the evening's range of Christian liturgical expressions.

The programme concluded with the St. Jacob’s Greek Orthodox Choir, presenting Byzantine chant, a tradition deeply rooted in the worship and religious history of Jerusalem.

Together, the six performances offered an overview of Christian musical traditions that have developed across different regions, languages and historical periods, yet continue to coexist in the Holy City.

An Evening of Encounter

Beyond the performances, the concert provided an opportunity for members of Jerusalem's Christian communities to meet outside their usual ecclesiastical settings. Following the final performance, singers, clergy and guests gathered for a reception, continuing conversations that the evening's music had helped initiate.

Although Jerusalem is home to a remarkable concentration of Christian denominations, opportunities for their members to gather across ecclesiastical boundaries remain particularly meaningful. Differences in language, liturgy and historical experience are visible throughout the city's Christian life, making events such as this concert an occasion to recognize both the distinctions and the connections among its Churches.

Now in its second year, the concert is becoming a recurring initiative of the Ecumenical Commission, bringing together communities whose musical traditions are often heard primarily within their own places of worship.

For Tantur Ecumenical Institute, participation in the organization of the concert forms part of its ongoing commitment to Christian unity and dialogue. Through its staff's involvement in the Ecumenical Commission, the Institute contributes to initiatives that encourage cooperation, mutual understanding and personal relationships among Jerusalem's Churches.

The organizers expressed their sincere appreciation to the Pontifical Mission for its generous support and valuable contribution to the event, and thanked the Benedictine community of Dormition Abbey for its hospitality, as well as the participating choirs, volunteers and all those involved in bringing the concert together.

The Evening in Pictures

A glimpse into an evening of sacred music, shared traditions, and Christian fellowship at Dormition Abbey, bringing together six choirs from Jerusalem’s diverse Christian communities.

Fr. Anatolios is the John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology at Notre Dame and a priest of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He joins a body of 30 theologians from around the world who advise the Pope and the Holy See on doctrinal questions of great importance.

For the Tantur community, the news carries a particular joy. The scholar chosen to bring an Eastern Christian voice to the Church's highest theological advisory body is the same scholar who leads Tantur's work of bringing Christian traditions into dialogue.

A new term for the Church's theological advisers

The International Theological Commission begins its eleventh five-year term (2026–2031) with 30 members. On 19 October 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed 24 new members and confirmed six from the previous term, including Msgr. Piero Coda as Secretary General.

St. Paul VI established the Commission in 1969, at the request of the 1967 Synod of Bishops. St. John Paul II gave it definitive statutes in 1982. Its task is to study doctrinal questions of major importance and to assist the Holy See, especially the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose Prefect serves as its president. Members are chosen from different theological schools and nations, and they meet in plenary session at least once a year. Over its history the Commission has published 33 documents.

The new membership is more global than before. Asia and Africa now have four members each, South America five, Europe 13, North America three and Australia one. Women on the Commission rose from five to eight, and lay members doubled to eight. The first plenary session of the new term is scheduled for 23–27 November 2026.

According to sources at the Dicastery quoted by EWTN News, the Commission will work in two subcommissions over the coming five years. The first will study Tradition: what it is, where it is found, and how the Church discerns what belongs to it, drawing on biblical, patristic and historical sources. The second will examine how the living Tradition is expressed and handed on through different cultures, including inculturation and popular piety. Both themes touch directly on the patristic scholarship and Eastern Christian perspective that Fr. Anatolios brings.

A theologian formed across three continents

Fr. Khaled Emmanuel Anatolios was born in India and grew up in Egypt and Canada. He is a married priest of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church rooted in the Arabic-speaking Middle East and in full communion with Rome. He serves in the Melkite Eparchy of Newton, in North America.

He studied at the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto (B.A. 1990, M.A. 1992) and earned his doctorate in theology at Boston College in 1996. He taught at Boston College for many years, including in its School of Theology and Ministry, and was a Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology in 2011–2012.

In 2015 he joined the University of Notre Dame as John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology. He chaired the Department of Theology from 2023 to 2026 and is a faculty fellow of the Medieval Institute.

He is the third Notre Dame theologian named to the Commission, after John Cavadini (appointed 2009) and Fr. Yury Avvakumov (appointed 2021).

Reacting to the appointment, Fr. Anatolios said he was humbled by the trust of Pope Leo and the Dicastery. He described it as an opportunity to serve the global Church alongside a diverse group of eminent theologians. Speaking to EWTN News, he praised the Pope's Christocentric vision for engaging the sufferings of today's world, and said he looks forward to entering more deeply into that vision with his fellow members.

Retrieving the Fathers for today's Church

Fr. Anatolios's scholarship centres on the theology of the early Church: the Trinitarian, Christological and soteriological teaching of the Greek Fathers and Augustine, and early Christian biblical interpretation. He has written on Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa. A constant thread is how early Christian reflection can speak to contemporary theological questions.

His major books include:

• Athanasius: The Coherence of His Thought (Routledge, 1998) and Athanasius in the Early Church Fathers series (Routledge, 2004).
• Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine (Baker Academic, 2011). The book traces fourth-century Trinitarian debates through Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine. It argues that the doctrine's meaning is grasped by following how it developed, not by repeating formulas. The Bryn Mawr Classical Review judged it useful to students and advanced scholars alike.
• Deification through the Cross: An Eastern Christian Theology of Salvation (Eerdmans, 2020). Here he proposes "doxological contrition" as a unifying key to salvation: Christ's perfect glorification of the Father joined to his representative repentance on behalf of humanity.
• Feasts for the Kingdom: Sermons for the Liturgical Year (Eerdmans, 2023), a collection of homilies for the Church's feasts.

Deification through the Cross is itself an ecumenical work. Reviewers in First Things and Direction noted how it challenges the old caricature of a "legal" Western soteriology set against an Eastern theology of glory. Drawing on the Byzantine Paschal liturgy alongside Anselm and Aquinas, it shows Greek and Latin traditions bearing a common witness. In 2021, Notre Dame held an ecumenical symposium on the book.

Breathing with both lungs

The appointment brings an Eastern Catholic voice into the Church's doctrinal reflection at a time of intense ecumenical attention to the shared heritage of the early councils. William Mattison, chair of Notre Dame's Department of Theology, recalled St. John Paul II's call for the Church to "breathe with both lungs," East and West. By choosing a Melkite priest, he said, Pope Leo has continued to help the Church do so.

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church carries that vocation in its history. It traces its roots to the ancient See of Antioch and restored full communion with Rome in 1724; its Patriarch, resident in Damascus, also bears the titles of Alexandria and Jerusalem. The Church marked the 300th anniversary in 2024 with a Jubilee titled "an ecumenical journey." Its Holy Synod has stated that, should Catholics and Orthodox be reconciled, the Melkites should be reintegrated into the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch.

Fr. Anatolios's work also sits at the heart of a moment the whole Christian world has shared. 2025 marked the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, whose Creed is professed by Orthodox, Catholics and most Protestants alike. His Retrieving Nicaea and his recent writing on the normative role of Nicene theology speak directly to that common ground. So does the Commission's new focus on Tradition and its transmission across cultures, a question Eastern and Western Christians answer with distinct but complementary emphases.

A shared vision from St. Paul VI

There is a fitting symmetry in this appointment. St. Paul VI created the International Theological Commission in 1969 and, in the same years, conceived Tantur. The Institute opened in 1972 on the hill between Jerusalem and Bethlehem as a place for theological research across denominational boundaries. Both were born of the Second Vatican Council, and both were meant to bring the best theological minds into the service of the Church.

As Senior Ecumenical Fellow, Fr. Anatolios links Notre Dame's Department of Theology with Tantur. He sponsors academic initiatives at both that contribute to the quest for Christian unity. These include:

• The Florovsky Tantur Symposium, a biennial gathering that continues the Florovsky Symposia once held at Princeton. It invites scholars of different traditions to explore core theological themes in light of the Fathers of the undivided Church.
• The Ecumenical Encounters in Systematic Theology Workshop.
• The Righteousness Conference.

During the Nicaea anniversary, he carried that ecumenical work to Anglican, Protestant and academic audiences, speaking at the Receiving Nicaea conference at Pusey House, Oxford, at the Anglican Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, New York, and at an ecumenical dialogue at Alaska Pacific University.

The Tantur Ecumenical Institute warmly congratulates Fr. Khaled on this appointment. We give thanks for his scholarship and his friendship, and we pray that his service on the Commission will bear fruit for the unity of all Christians, for whom, in Tantur's motto, the Light of Christ shines.

During his visit, Fr. Haake met with Tantur Ecumenical Institute's staff and the leadership of the University of Notre Dame in Jerusalem, as well as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, Apostolic Nuncio. He also had the opportunity to visit sacred sites in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Ein Kerem, and celebrated Mass at the Edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Christ's burial and resurrection.

The visit offered an opportunity to deepen his understanding of Tantur's ecumenical mission and the University of Notre Dame's wider engagement with the local community. We are grateful for Fr. Haake's visit and look forward to welcoming more members of the Notre Dame community to experience the spirit of encounter, dialogue, and hospitality that lies at the heart of Tantur.

For our community, this is news from next door. The excavation lies only a short way across the valley from our hill on the Hebron Road.

Jerusalem was fed by two parallel aqueducts from Solomon's Pools. The higher of the two, the Upper Aqueduct, passed Rachel's Tomb and followed the old Jerusalem–Bethlehem road northward, running by the Mar Elias Monastery, just across the Hebron Road from Tantur, before continuing west of Ramat Rachel. The Lower Aqueduct, whose newly exposed stretch made the news this week, wound through Bethlehem and around the hills to the east. The ancient water supply of the Holy City, in other words, flowed on both sides of our hill.

A water line between Bethlehem and Jerusalem

The Lower Aqueduct is thought to have been built around 100 BCE. Jerusalem has always struggled for water: rainfall and the Gihon Spring (also known as the Virgin's Fountain, or ʿAin Umm ed-Daraj in Arabic) could not sustain the city alone, least of all when its population swelled with pilgrims at the great festivals. The solution was to bring water some 21 kilometres from the springs at Solomon's Pools, south of Bethlehem, to the Holy Sanctuary.

Its course therefore ran through the very terrain around us, linking the two cities that frame our life here. Generations of pilgrims travelling between Bethlehem and Jerusalem would have passed close to this channel, and drunk from the water it carried.

Background: a water system 68 kilometres long

The Lower Aqueduct was only one part of a much larger network. Feeder channels brought water to Solomon's Pools from springs in Wadi al-'Arrub, north of Hebron, along an aqueduct of about 45 kilometres, and from Wadi el-Biyar, through a tunnel some three kilometres long pierced by dozens of vertical shafts. The three great pools in the Artas valley, stepped down the slope one below another, hold roughly 288,000 cubic metres between them and served as the system's regulating reservoir. From there three conduits set out: the Lower and Upper Aqueducts to Jerusalem, and a third to Herod's palace-fortress at the Herodion, on the horizon south-east of Bethlehem.

The Lower Aqueduct is a feat of patience rather than force. Solomon's Pools lie only about ten kilometres from the Holy Sanctuary as the crow flies, yet the channel winds for more than 21 kilometres, hugging the contour lines to keep its gentle fall. Where a ridge could not be skirted, it went through it: a tunnel of some 360 metres under Bethlehem, and another of about 420 metres beneath today's Governor's Hill promenade, dug with the help of vertical shafts up to about 45 metres deep. Its destination was the network of more than thirty cisterns beneath the Holy Sanctuary.

Two aqueducts, two destinies

The Upper Aqueduct, about 13 kilometres long, was the more ambitious work. It supplied the higher, western part of the city and used refined techniques, including a stretch of interlocking perforated stone pipes forming an inverted siphon that carried water across a valley under pressure. Excavations at al-Tabaliya, today's Givat HaMatos settlement, a little further north, exposed about 300 metres of it in 2023, including repairs carried out by soldiers of Rome's Tenth Legion after the destruction of the city in 70 CE. Yet it fell out of use by late antiquity, while the humbler Lower Aqueduct kept flowing for another millennium and more.

Who built the system is still debated. The IAA attributes the Lower Aqueduct to the Hasmonean kings, around 100 BCE; other scholars, among them the authors of a recent UNESCO dossier, place its earliest phase in the late first century BCE, during the building programme of Herod the Great. The first-century historian Flavius Josephus also records that the Roman governor Pontius Pilate provoked an uproar by paying for an aqueduct to Jerusalem out of the Temple treasury, a project many scholars connect with one of these lines.

Simple engineering, remarkable precision

This was not an aqueduct of soaring arches like those at Caesarea or in Italy. According to excavation director Benyamin Storchan, it is a modest structure: two parallel rows of stone enclosing a plastered, U-shaped channel, probably once roofed with stone slabs.

What makes it extraordinary is its precision. From start to finish the total drop in height is only about 30 metres, and along most of the route the channel falls roughly one metre per kilometre, with the water moving by gravity alone. Where hills stood in the way, engineers cut tunnels rather than lose their gradient by going around. Access points along the route allowed workers to clear blockages. At the newly exposed section, the builders also plastered the outer face and pressed small stones into it while it was still wet, giving the wall a distinctive finish.

The IAA's Jerusalem District Archaeologist, Amit Re'em, described it as "an engineering marvel."

Two thousand years of service

Remarkably, the Lower Aqueduct remained in use, on and off, until about a century ago, maintained in turn by Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Mamluk and Ottoman rulers. In the early 14th century the Mamluks rebuilt the channel's final stretch near the Old City along the ancient route, and the Ottomans repaired the pools and set up a dedicated endowment (waqf) to pay for the system's upkeep; the name "Solomon's Pools" is often linked to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. To protect the water, ceramic pipes were later laid inside the open channel (the IAA dates this to roughly 500 years ago, while other sources cite Ottoman works in 1786), and iron pipes followed on the Bethlehem–Jerusalem stretch in 1889. Only under the British Mandate did pumps and steel pipelines make the gravity-fed line redundant. In Arabic, the Lower Aqueduct is known as Qanat es-Sabeel, after the public fountains (sabeels) it once fed in the Old City.

Although the Upper Aqueduct was the more sophisticated of the two, it was the simpler Lower Aqueduct that outlasted it by roughly a thousand years. Excavation director Benyamin Storchan credits this to the skill of its original surveyors, who worked with simple calculations but chose their route with great care.

The excavators, Storchan together with Gil Freid and Rotem Cohen, are now studying how the system was maintained, repaired and adapted across the centuries. Freid is also using high-precision satellite positioning to reconstruct the aqueduct's exact path through southern Jerusalem, which will help researchers trace the route where modern building has erased it. Only about two of its 21 kilometres have been excavated so far.

Sources: Israel Antiquities Authority announcement of 11 October 2026, as reported by Haaretz, The Times of Israel, Ynet, Srugim, Kipa, JNS and TPS; earlier IAA reports on aqueduct finds at Givat HaMatos, Armon HaNatziv and Umm Tuba; UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tentative List entry "Jerusalem water system: Qanat es-Sabeel" (2026).

Less than 10 km from Jerusalem, as the crow flies, lies the site of the first monastic settlement in the Judean Desert, one of the major centers of monasticism in Palestine, alongside the monastic movement of Gaza.

Saint Chariton was a young man who traveled from Iconium (in modern-day Turkey) to pray at the holy sites at the end of the 3rd century.

Before even reaching Jerusalem, he was kidnapped by bandits and held captive in a cave overlooking Wadi Qelt, which descends toward the Dead Sea. It was in this cave, in an oasis at the heart of the desert (Ein Fara, also known as Ein Prat), that he founded the first monastery in the Judean Desert. Many others would subsequently be established throughout this vast wilderness, stretching from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. At certain times, the desert was home to more than 10,000 monks.

Seeking solitude away from his growing number of disciples, Chariton withdrew and founded a second monastery near Jericho, on the Mount of Temptation, and eventually a third south of Bethlehem, in the Tekoa Valley, where he spent his final years and passed away.

His feast day is celebrated on September 28 according to the Gregorian calendar and October 11 according to the Julian calendar. On this occasion, once a year, the monastery—now under the care of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission—opens its doors to the faithful.

Two liturgies are celebrated simultaneously. One takes place inside the original cave where the bandits had held Chariton captive, which was later transformed into a church consecrated by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, in the 4th century. The other is celebrated further down, at the foot of the cliff, in a more recently built church designed to accommodate a larger gathering of worshippers. Nearby stands the cenotaph of Saint Chariton.

At the end of the morning, the faithful gather to receive holy water, generously sprinkled over their faces. Just as the life-giving waters of the spring bring life to the desert, the Russian nuns draw us into prayer with their heavenly voices:

“By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
Our Father Chariton, pray to Christ God to save our souls!”

— Troparion for the Feast of Saint Chariton

The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842 in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a premier American research university. As a Catholic institution, it uniquely blends faith with intellectual inquiry, striving for excellence in teaching, research, and serving the common good. Notre Dame offers a dynamic and rewarding environment for its diverse community of students, faculty, and staff, who are all dedicated to fostering an inclusive campus and being a force for good in the world. With world-class facilities, acclaimed academic programs, and a strong commitment to innovation and ethical leadership, Notre Dame is an ideal place to make a meaningful impact.

Job Description

About the Tantur Ecumenical Institute

The Tantur Ecumenical Institute envisions a world-wide Christian community that is focused on Jesus, attentive to the poor, and thirsting for unity, responding to Jesus’s prayer that all may be one. Founded by Pope Paul VI and entrusted to the stewardship of the University of Notre Dame, the Tantur Ecumenical Institute works to contribute to the healing of divisions among Christians. Anchored in Jerusalem and at Notre Dame in the United States, the Institute today is a catalyst for scholarship, pilgrimage, prayer, and encounter among Christians and other religious believers. The Institute derives special meaning from its opportunity to elevate the global Christian community’s attention to the needs and lived realities of the Christian community in the Holy Land. In line with its mission, the Institute has become a global hub for the formation of clergy, pastoral leaders, and pilgrims from a wide array of Christian traditions.

About the Position

The Rector of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute is responsible for the leadership of the Institute’s initiatives in the Holy Land, represents Tantur throughout the world, and is a leader within the global ecumenical movement. The Rector supervises a host of pastoral education programs and pilgrimage experiences for clergy, pastoral leaders, and other visitors to the Holy Land, and is empowered to work creatively to build, within available resources, additional pastoral, scholarly, and spiritual initiatives aligned with the Institute’s ecumenical mission. Special opportunities exist to develop – in a manner appropriate for an academic institution – the Tantur Ecumenical Institute’s service to the Christian community in the Holy Land. The Rector animates the prayer and spiritual life at Tantur and the Institute’s global contributions to spiritual ecumenism.

The Rector represents the Tantur Ecumenical Institute to the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel / the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, and other ecclesial institutions. In representing the Tantur Ecumenical Institute to local Church authorities, the Rector collaborates with the Director of Notre Dame Jerusalem (D-NDJ) when matters relate to property, tax, and other similar administrative matters. The Rector collaborates closely with the D-NDJ to ensure operational and administrative support for the Ecumenical Institute’s programming. The Rector and the D-NDJ are equal partners who communicate regularly. The two leaders work collaboratively and in support of each other, representing the values of the University of Notre Dame.

The Rector resides at Tantur, located in Jerusalem near Bethlehem. The Rector is an employee of the University of Notre Dame and will report to the Executive Director of the University’s Office of Mission Engagement and Church Affairs (OMECA). The Rector collaborates with the D-NDJ, the Senior Ecumenical Fellow (a Notre Dame faculty member charged with leading ecumenically-relevant scholarly activities), the leadership of Notre Dame Global, and other faculty and administrators of the University of Notre Dame.

The anticipated start date for the next Rector is early summer 2027.

Delineation to Notre Dame Jerusalem

The Ecumenical Institute shares the Tantur campus with Notre Dame Jerusalem (NDJ). NDJ is an academic center that administers research, education, and outreach initiatives and collaborates with various local universities, research institutes, and religious organizations. Among other activities, it administers various study abroad programs for Notre Dame students and an academic forum that is sponsored by the Catholic Church. NDJ is also responsible for the stewardship of the University's physical, financial, and legal resources in Jerusalem. This includes stewarding the Tantur campus (hospitality, operations, security, etc.) and representing the Tantur Ecumenical Institute as a legal entity to all relevant secular authorities (finance, legal, etc.), including when relations to secular authorities are mediated by Church officials. Notre Dame Jerusalem is led by the D-NDJ, who is the authorized signatory of the legal entity. The D-NDJ and the Rector of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute are expected to collaborate and consult with each other on a consistent, regular and collegial basis on all relevant financial, legal, planning or programmatic engagements as appropriate. By respecting each other's expertise and designated responsibilities in this way, Notre Dame's mission, vision, and values for engaging in the Holy Land can be fully realized for the common good.

Key responsibilities of the Rector include:

• In collaboration with the leadership of the University of Notre Dame, provide vision for the Tantur Ecumenical Institute and the pursuit of its mission.
• Provide administrative, pastoral, and educational leadership to the Tantur Ecumenical Institute and its initiatives.
• Hire, supervise, and collaborate with the Institute’s staff (including the Program Director, Program Coordinator, and any future positions) in such a way that ensures the excellent quality of all of the Institute’s initiatives.
• Participate in the leadership of pastoral education programs, including introducing pilgrims to various communities and holy sites, lecturing on various relevant themes, and assisting pilgrims in processing their experiences in the Holy Land.
• Undertake measures to ensure that the Institute’s pastoral education programs are sufficiently enrolled.
• Within available resources, conceive, plan, and implement additional pastoral, scholarly, and spiritual initiatives aligned with the Institute’s ecumenical mission.
• Cultivate a rhythm of prayer and worship at the Institute, attending to the spiritual lives and needs of the community at Tantur. Work with Notre Dame Jerusalem colleagues to ensure visiting students (especially undergraduate students) and faculty have access to the same pastoral services.
• In collaboration with the Executive Director of OMECA, attend to the Institute’s budget and administration, and implement sustainable management of financial resources.
• Represent the Tantur Ecumenical Institute to the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel / the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, and other ecclesial institutions. Communicate and collaborate with the D-NDJ when relations with the Apostolic Nuncio relate to tax and legal issues.
• Strengthen relationships that are important to the Institute. Key constituents include the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel / the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine; international leaders and scholars of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue, including global ecumenical institutions and communities; local, regional, and global religious leaders, including the leaders of the churches and communities of the Holy Land; and benefactors of the Institute.
• Represent the Tantur Ecumenical Institute at appropriate meetings and conferences that align with the Institute’s mission and objectives.
• Communicate and collaborate with the Executive Director of OMECA, the D-NDJ, and the Senior Ecumenical Fellow, as well as other Notre Dame officials.

Qualifications

• An advanced degree in divinity, theology, or a related field; sensitivity to research and scholarly activities.
• Demonstrated interest in ecumenism and the formation of clergy and pastoral leaders; sensitivity to inter-religious dialogue and ability to succeed in an inter-faith and multi-cultural environment.
• Familiarity with and appreciation of numerous traditions within Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
• Commitment to the Catholic Church’s teachings on ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue.
• A robust track record of leadership and at least 10 years of work experience in pastoral, administrative, or academic settings.
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills.
• Strong sense of character, integrity, work ethic, and commitment to developing and sustaining collaborative relationships with a diverse constituency.
• Language proficiency in English. Proficiency in other languages is a plus.
• Experience in the Holy Land is preferred.
• Must be eligible to reside and work in Israel/Palestine.

Apply Now

Additional Information

The Rector holds a full-time position with benefits. Salary will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience.

RESUME & COVER LETTER ARE REQUIRED to be considered for this position. Please add in the attachments section of your application.

Applications will be accepted through October 1, 2026 and considered highly confidential.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.

Creator of the Tantur “Biblical / Scriptural Gardens”

21 April 2026

Fr. John Paul, S.J, Rector, Tantur Ecumenical Institute

I had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Fleming , who now lives in Florida, regarding his past work in creating a Biblical Garden at Tantur in the 1990s. He has a deep and lasting memory of his time here—the memory of a truly special place.

Rector: Dr. Fleming, the remnants of your work at Tantur–the Biblical Garden and Pond, are still rather visible. What brought you to Tantur and what inspired you to create this “garden”?

Dr. Fleming: In the late 1980s, as a biblical archaeologist, I was invited, with others, to come to “take a look at Tantur” and especially to investigate some mosaics that had been found there. We discovered that there were many mosaic tiles in the area around what became the “biblical garden”—which supported evidence of a Byzantine-era church or pilgrimage center that existed between the present day “Vineyard Tower” (which I built as part of the Biblical Garden) and the Hermitage. That whole area appeared to be a quarry, where the stones were removed to build this byzantine era structure. My colleague, Dr. Hananiah Pinto, decided that we would like to do more around this site and we were welcomed by the administration of Tantur to come to Tantur.

We discovered a fair amount of pottery and a “Turning” wheel —for making pottery— that dated sometime between 2100-1900 BC—thus showing evidence of habitation in this area at that time. We also found evidence of a cluster of “Mediterranean cypress,” near the “entry gate”—which would have been near the old house at the bottom of the Tantur hill and on the Tantur property.

R: Where was this pottery shard area?

DF: The pottery wheel area was near the remnants of “water pools”. These were actually reservoirs and several other reservoirs existed at the time that we first arrived. They were quite muddy and needed to be cleaned out due to many years of being uncovered and with moss and other “crud” growing in that area. In “biblical days”, these pools/cisterns would have been covered over to “preserve” the purity of the water. Whatever happened to the stone coverings is unknown, but left uncovered, with the sun hitting upon those pools, moss and other stuff would have grown and overtaken the practical use of the water—and would have evaporated the water, leaving the dry pools to the “elements of nature.”

R: It looks like there is a “theater ” in that quarry area. Is that something you created as part of the “garden”?

DF: What presently looks like an “theater” was already there—part of the quarry. I simply cleaned up the area around these pools and quarry and planted many “native” flora and shrubs, including grapevines. I then built the Vineyard Tower to look down upon that pool area. Hopefully the grapevines are still growing on that tower??

R: So those water reservoirs and large cut-outs were there when you arrived?

DF: These water pools below where the Vineyard Tower was built were most likely established around the time of the “quarry” for the Byzantine era church. However, several of these deep water pools had steps going down into them. While others thought that they may have been replicas of “mikvehs”(Jewish ritual baths), I was indefinite about this. I think that as a chapel or pilgrimage site, they were more of a “baptismal” pool since there are steps leading into several of these pools that would have been part of the baptismal ceremony at that time.

There was also a “hoisting” device that was next to a water trough so that it could provide water to other areas around this quarry and church structure. The water came from an intermittent “siphon” spring that flowed there at times. There were several of those springs on the larger Tantur property.

R: Was this quarry area itself the location for this Byzantine era chapel or pilgrimage site?

DF: The small cliff by the pools (and below the Vineyard Tower) would have led up to the Eastern part of the octagonal church built between that cliff and another cliff to the west—quarried out to provide the stone for that structure. There was also evidence of an atrium being in that area of the church as well. The entry would have been near the cliff by the Hermitage (thus allowing everything facing the “east”). The “apse” of this church would have been in that flattened area between where the Vineyard Tower is and the hermitage. This is where mosaics were found as well as further down the hill to the east of the pools, below the “church”.

R: How did it happen that this structure would have been built here?

DF: In that Byzantine era, there were actually 6 of these “pilgrimage sites” established. This one located on the Tantur property was #5 of those 6. Near Mar Elias Monastery, nearby to Tantur, was another structure called “Mary’s Rest” (Kathisma)—which was #4. It was most likely a larger structure than that located at Tantur. #3 was in the area of Ramat Rachel, #2 was in the “Arnona area” and #1 was on the hillside next to St. Andrews Scottish Church. #6 (as yet, not located) was somewhere between Tantur and Bethlehem.

This series of pilgrimage sites would have followed the main route (“the Kings’ Road”) from Jerusalem to Bethlehem (and continuing to Hebron and beyond). It would have somewhat followed the remnants of the “Herod Aqueduct”—which supplied water to Jerusalem from “Solomon’s Pools” just to the south of Bethlehem. While called “Solomon’s Pools”, they were built in Herod’s time. Across the (Hebron) road (to the east) from our Biblical Garden and the Pond areas were the ruins of a Herodian-era Roman “guard house” –adjacent to the “Herod Aqueduct”. While I was there, a modern Checkpoint was established in that area. I don’t know if the ruins of that former “guard station” or the aqueduct are still there.

R: What inspired you to put a Biblical Garden into that area?

DF: As an archaeologist, I’m also interested in scripture and letting archaeology help to inform scripture. I have been interested in creating these ‘scriptural’ gardens to help people today understand what life would have been like ‘way back when’, since there is a connection between the land, living on the land, and scripture. Given the pool areas, the quarry area, and the evidence of a Byzantine era faith structure at this site, I wanted to create something that would attract interest and inform their faith experience. That area of Tantur was perfect for ‘recreating’ something.

Once we cleaned up this area, we planted local flora. We then continued to expand the “Garden” beyond that pool area. Wrapping around that hillside to the south, the garden ‘walk’ led to yet another pool area where a square structure was carved out, in imitation of a “tomb” being carved into the rock–to give an idea of “tomb areas” within a garden. Past that second pool area, we continued the path around a short distance leading to an open area. There we created the “Pond/Lake”. It was just below what is now the Student Center. The pond included an island in the middle, with shrubs, irises, and a tree, so that the ducks I brought could have a “refuge of safety” from predators like the cats, foxes or jackals. Dr. Hananiah Pinto and I would lead tours through the garden and Dr. Pinto’s family (living quite near Gilo, to the immediate west of Tantur) would frequently play there. I also created a “rock-lined stream” that pumped water up from the Pond to the Student Center and which then flowed back down into the Pond, giving the impression of a spring that would feed the pond. Along the stream and the pond, I also planted many “dark purple—almost black—irises”—are they still there?? In addition, I planted cacti, rosemary, lavender, and other flowering shrubs. The larger area was (and I presume still is) surrounded by many olive trees, thus allowing a reflective, quiet, park-like atmosphere.

R: When you came to Tantur, did you live in the main building, one of the apartments, or in the Hermitage?

DF: At the beginning I lived for a year or two in the building beneath the Chapel. It was an easy walk down the hill to that larger quarry area. I then moved into the “Hermitage” (on the hillside below the Tantur Tower) so I could be closer to our work in the “Biblical Garden”. Interestingly, behind the Hermitage, there was a small “house-cave”. I kept tools there along with my donkey, my “beast of burden” in helping to move materials in creating the Garden and the Pond. Many children who came with families to visit that Garden area enjoyed the donkey as well–since we provided “donkey rides”!

The grass in the area between the Biblical Garden and the Pond and Student Center was kept low due to a small flock of sheep I had who would eat the grass and help “fertilize” the area with their “droppings”. Again, the sheep in this biblical garden would be a reminder of the biblical and scriptural nature of the place and that whole area.

Just above that “pond/lake” area was a building, which I understand is now called the Student Center. While I was there, it was empty and so we established a kitchen and dining room area for visitors and workers. What I most enjoyed about that building was the view from the rooftop, so I built a spiral staircase going to the roof. Is it still there and used??

R: It is, indeed! I’m sure that the people in that time you were here enjoyed the tours and the quiet space–as well as picnicking by the Pond. Other local families have mentioned how much they enjoyed that area.

DF: We still have photos, brochures, and a “walking path” guide of the “Scriptural Garden”. We can send them if you wish.

R: Please send!! It is important that we have things like this as part of the history of this Tantur location. Thank you for taking the time to share all of this with me. It is so important to know of your experience, your findings, and your work here at Tantur.

DF: I truly loved being at Tantur, even though I would also be away for 2-3 months teaching or giving lectures abroad (or within Israel) on biblical archaeology. Thank you for letting me share this experience with you.

Various photos follow—of “cisterns”, vinetower, Salameh family enjoying picnic at Lake, flat areas in front of Vineyard Tower

On 23 and 24 January 2026, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land publicly confirmed the imminent start of works, undertaken with the cooperation of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate. In their joint communiqué, the Churches say the project will be carried out “under the auspices of the Presidency of the State of Palestine,” in accordance with a 2024 presidential decree and “the historical Status Quo governing the Holy Places.”

In Bethlehem, that language is not ceremonial. The Status Quo is the legal and liturgical framework that governs shared sanctuaries and blocks unilateral action. In that context, the fact that the custodial Churches are speaking in one voice is itself a concrete ecumenical outcome.

A history layered in stone

The structure above the Grotto reads like a palimpsest. A first basilica was commissioned in the fourth century under Constantine and Helena and dedicated in 339. After its destruction in 529, the complex was rebuilt under Emperor Justinian in 565, giving the church much of its present form. Later centuries, particularly during the Crusader period, added mosaics and decorative elements. The site ultimately became one of the Holy Places regulated by the Status Quo, a system that still governs rights, spaces, and daily practice.

That continuity matters. This restoration is not a stand-alone technical episode. It is an intervention inside a building that has carried nearly seventeen centuries of worship, repair, and cumulative strain.

Scope, governance, and method

The communiqué is measured in tone but specific in scope. It states that the project concerns restoration “in the Grotto of the Nativity” and also includes “technical reinforcement measures in adjacent sections.” In other words, the works are not confined to the devotional focal point alone. They extend to the surrounding structural and circulation zones that support the sanctuary as a whole.

The statement also stresses governance and continuity. The project is anchored in “the historical Status Quo governing the Holy Places” and will proceed “under the auspices of the Presidency of the State of Palestine.” For execution, the Churches point to the Italian firm Piacenti, chosen to ensure “continuity of method, craftsmanship, and artistic sensitivity.” Preparations, they add, are complete and the works are now “on the threshold of commencement.”

Before restoration, removal

Before visitors see equipment or any obvious intervention, the first visible change is subtraction. Terresainte.net reports that textiles and decorative elements are being removed by each community according to its established rights and liturgical practice. The effect is a Grotto that looks less staged and more honest: a worked, fragile interior that will now be treated as such.

What the site work is likely to prioritize

On-site reporting points to several practical priorities that the communiqué itself leaves deliberately spare:

• Ceiling and rock structure: centuries of soot from oil lamps have darkened surfaces, compounded by traces of past incidents. Cleaning, documentation, and stability assessment are expected to be central, especially where cracks or stress marks appear.

• Marble floor: worn, patched, and interrupted in places, with devotional pressure concentrated around the star marking the place of Jesus’ birth. In a space this tight, repeated gestures over centuries become measurable erosion.

• Access staircases: entry and exit routes are not only a crowd-management problem, but also a conservation and safety concern. This aligns with the communiqué’s reference to “technical reinforcement measures in adjacent sections.”

• Liturgical points and fittings: cleaning and consolidation around key devotional loci where use is constant and space is limited.

• Documentation: beyond repair, the project is expected to record the site’s morphology and historical layers, sharpening understanding of earlier configurations and later rearrangements.

Keeping the Grotto open

The pastoral dilemma is obvious: the Grotto is both a place of prayer and a site of relentless movement. Reporting indicates an effort to maintain access as much as possible by working in phases, isolating successive zones, and using night work when feasible, drawing on practices used during earlier interventions in the upper basilica. Earlier reporting suggested a multi-year timeline; more recent indications point to a shorter process, though no public calendar has been issued.

The communiqué frames the restoration as a shared responsibility: a unified commitment to preserve the Grotto’s spiritual, historical, and cultural patrimony for future generations.

No restoration can add holiness to the place. What it can do is slow the damage that devotion, over time, inevitably inflicts. The aim, as the Churches present it, is straightforward: to ensure that the faithful of all traditions can continue to venerate the birthplace of Christ with reverence, within the Status Quo and through a method trusted by all three communities.

JERUSALEM, JANUARY 24 – FEBRUARY 1

Theme: “There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called
to the one hope of your calling.”
(Ephesians 4:4)

For this year, 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic, and Evangelical Churches. (Jointly published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches).

As the Apostle Paul asserts in his letter to the Ephesians, “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the o ne hope of your calling” (4:4). This Bible verse, chosen for this year, encapsulates the theological depth of Christian unity. The concept of “one body” also reflects the nature of the Church. Christianity transcends cultural and national boundaries, uniting believers worldwide in faith and hope.

Let us embrace this divine calling to unity, not as an abstract deal but as a vital expression of our faith. In a world where the Body of Christ is wounded by divisions within and between traditions and confessions, the Apostle’s call to unity is addressed to each of us, not only as separated church communities, but also as individuals within our communities. By living in unity, we not only witness to the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ but also embody the essence of His teachings. As we support one another and celebrate our diverse gifts and talents, let us reflect the heart of Christ and further His work on earth.

PROGRAMME

• Saturday, Jan. 24 — Anastasis (Holy Sepulchre), Calvary — 5:30 p.m.
  Greek Orthodox Office of “Apodeipnon” (Compline)
• Sunday, Jan. 25 — Anglican Cathedral of St George — 5:00 p.m.
  East Jerusalem, Nablus Road
• Monday, Jan. 26 — Lutheran Church of the Redeemer — 5:00 p.m.
  Old City, Muristan
• Tuesday, Jan. 27 — Armenian Cathedral of St James — 5:00 p.m.
  Old City, Armenian Quarter
• Wednesday, Jan. 28 — St Saviour’s Latin Parish Church — 5:00 p.m.
  Old City, near New Gate
• Thursday, Jan. 29 — Upper Room (Cenacle) — 4:00 p.m.
  Mount Zion
• Friday, Jan. 30 — St Anthony’s Coptic Orthodox Church — 5.00 p.m.
  Old City, near Holy Sepulchre
• Saturday, Jan. 31 — Ethiopian Orthodox Church — 5:00 p.m.
  West Jerusalem, Ethiopia Street
• Sunday, Feb. 1 — Greek Catholic Church of Annunciation — 5:00 p.m.
  Old City, near Jaffa Gate

Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026, the theme for the week: ““There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4) 

At the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris, the exhibition Saved Treasures of Gaza: 5000 Years of History turns archaeology into front-page news. It presents ancient objects, but its story is sharply current: a small strip of land, under bombardment, fighting to keep its memory alive.

Running from 3 April to 7 December 2025, the show gathers around 130 artefacts that track Gaza’s history from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period. Most works come from the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Geneva, in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the IMA.

Gaza at the crossroads

Gaza sits on one of the region’s classic fault lines. It links Africa and Asia, the desert and the Mediterranean Sea. Caravans once arrived from Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. Ships sailed from its port toward Cyprus, Greece and beyond. Canaanites, Egyptians, Philistines, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslim dynasties and the Ottomans all passed through or ruled here.

That succession of powers is visible in the gallery. Excavations since the 1990s at sites such as Tell es Sakan, Tell el Ajjul, Anthedon and the Byzantine church at Jabalia revealed a dense field of towns, ports and religious sites. Finds from those digs form the backbone of the exhibition and show Gaza as a full player in regional trade and culture, not a footnote.

How the objects were saved

The title is literal. These works survived because they left Gaza years ago.

In the late 1990s, Palestinian and French archaeologists built an exhibition called Mediterranean Gaza. It brought 221 artefacts to the IMA and other venues in France. While the show was travelling, the Second Intifada broke out. Returning fragile objects to a besieged and unstable Gaza became too risky. The collection stayed in France, then moved to Geneva for safekeeping.

Many of the pieces come from the collection of Jawdat Khoudary, a businessman from Gaza who bought or rescued artefacts from building sites and informal digs. He donated his collection to the Palestinian Authority in 2018. Objects that remained inside the Strip are now damaged, missing or presumed destroyed.

Those that were already abroad escaped that fate. Geneva highlighted them in 2024 in a show on threatened heritage. From that starting point, the IMA and its partners developed Saved Treasures of Gaza.

Inside the galleries

Curator Elodie Bouffard, curator and the Head of Exhibitions at the IMA, working with Palestinian architects Elias and Youssef Anastas, from AAU Anastas, structures the exhibition in two movements.

The first section is historical, guiding visitors through Bronze and Iron Age artefacts that highlight Gaza’s early role in regional trade, followed by Hellenistic and Roman coins, figurines and everyday ceramics that reveal its strong Mediterranean connections. It then turns to Byzantine works, including a striking sixth-century mosaic from the Deir el Balah area with intricate geometric and vegetal patterns and hints of Christian imagery, before concluding with Islamic and Ottoman steles and inscriptions that trace Gaza’s story into the early modern period.

Wine amphorae, glass vessels, oil lamps and sculpted heads of deities anchor the narrative in concrete objects. They point to a city that traded, produced and exported goods on a large scale.

The second movement shifts the register. Historic photographs from the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem are paired with recent images from Gaza. Visitors see churches, mosques, historic houses and archaeological sites in their earlier state, then in rubble.

Large wall maps, based on recent research, plot cultural sites by category and level of destruction. The result is blunt: in little more than a year, a significant slice of Gaza’s built heritage has been hit.

Heritage in the line of fire

Since October 2023, international organisations have recorded extensive damage to religious sites, museums, archaeological zones and old quarters across the Strip. Some of the very locations that produced the objects now shown in Paris, such as the Byzantine church at Jabalia or the Mamluk-era Qasr al Basha, have been heavily damaged.

French and Palestinian researchers responded by compiling an online inventory of bombed heritage using satellite images and archival records. The exhibition incorporates this work. The museum becomes a temporary data room and memory bank for sites that are now inaccessible or destroyed.

Cultural diplomacy, quiet resistance

The show also speaks to politics and diplomacy. IMA president Jack Lang describes it as an act of public service and a tribute to “young and vibrant” Gaza. French president Emmanuel Macron visited soon after the opening and used the occasion to restate his support for recognition of a Palestinian state.

Beyond official statements, the exhibition works on a different register. It offers clear labels, timelines and maps. It introduces Gaza as a historic port city, not only as a scene of war. It invites visitors to look at names on the map — Deir el Balah, Jabalia, Gaza City — and connect them with mosaics, amphorae and carved stone, not only with breaking news alerts.

Reframing Gaza

Saved Treasures of Gaza achieves three clear aims. It restores Gaza to its place as a centre of cultural production, with objects that testify to a city that once exported wine, laid refined mosaics and minted its own coins. It also documents the scale of cultural loss, using photo pairings and maps to show which churches, mosques, museums and historic homes have already been destroyed or severely damaged. And it offers a setting for informed solidarity: rather than scrolling past anonymous images of ruins, visitors encounter context, timelines and names, supported by a catalogue and essays on archaeology in Palestine, the history of the collection and the ethical questions raised by safeguarding displaced heritage in Europe.

A fragile safeguard

The show does not rebuild homes or stop airstrikes. Its work is different. It holds part of Gaza’s past in public view at a moment when that past is at risk of vanishing from the ground.

In the galleries of the IMA, Gaza appears not only as rubble and crisis, but as a place where people have lived, traded, worshipped and created for five thousand years. That is the core message of Saved Treasures of Gaza: the Strip is not only a battlefield. It is also an ancient city of the Mediterranean, and its story is not easily erased.

This designation not only highlights the site's historical and cultural significance but also grants it immediate access to emergency funding and technical support from UNESCO for preservation efforts.

Situated south of Gaza City, Tell Umm Amer dates back to the fourth century and features the remains of the monastery of Saint Hilarion. The site includes two churches, a burial area, a baptismal hall, a public cemetery, an audience hall, and dining facilities.

In its 2012 application to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List—an inventory of sites considered for inclusion—the Permanent Delegation of Palestine to UNESCO emphasized Tell Umm Amer’s importance in the early history of Christianity in Palestine.

“The monastery of Saint Hilarion is a unique site due to its exceptional architectural elements and its significant historical, religious, and cultural value. It was a key location at the crossroads of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia,” the application noted.

The site is notably linked to the growth of monastic desert centers in Palestine during the Byzantine period. Saint Hilarion’s monastery may have served as a hub for missionary activity in the Gaza region, positioned at a critical crossroads despite its seemingly isolated desert location.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict, over 200 of Palestine’s historical and archaeological sites have been damaged or destroyed, according to a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. This includes the 1,400-year-old Al Omari Mosque, Gaza’s oldest, which suffered significant damage during an Israeli military offensive, and the Hamam Al Sumara, Gaza’s last functioning bathhouse dating back to 1320.

Palestine now has four sites on the World Heritage List: the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, completed in 339; the village of Battir, known for its ancient olive groves and vineyards; and Tell es-Sultan (Ancient Jericho), which features archaeological deposits from as far back as 10,500 BC.

In addition to Gaza’s Tell Umm Amer, the World Heritage Committee is reviewing three other sites from a list of 28. These include Umm Al Jimal in Jordan, a city with Nabataean origins; the Al Faw archaeological area in Saudi Arabia, a once-thriving city from the fourth century BC to the fourth century AD; and Hegmataneh in Iran, one of the country's oldest inhabited cities with a history reaching back to the first millennium BC.

The wreck, located nearly two kilometers (1.2 miles) deep and 90 kilometers off the Palestinian-Israeli coast, was found about a year ago. This unprecedented discovery raises questions about the navigational capabilities of ancient civilizations, suggesting either an accidental journey far from the coast or advanced seafaring skills previously unrecognized.

While many shipwrecks have been found on the seafloor, this is the earliest one from such a depth. Until now, it was uncertain whether ancient Mediterranean peoples deliberately ventured into the open sea or stayed close to the coastlines.

Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA Marine Unit, noted that the ship seemed to have sunk suddenly, as evidenced by the intact arrangement of hundreds of pottery jars. The ship likely went down intact, descending to a depth of 1.8 kilometers (5,900 feet), where it remained undisturbed until Energean's sonar survey detected the anomaly.

A robot submersible confirmed the presence of ancient jars peeking through the sediment. The sudden sinking could have been caused by pirates or a structural failure, such as a leak in the bitumen sealing the wooden planks. "Whatever happened, it seems to have happened fast," Sharvit said, noting the absence of any attempts by the crew to lighten the vessel.

Initial identification of the ship as Canaanite was based on robot photographs. After months of planning, Energean deployed an ROV to recover two of the ancient pots about two weeks ago.

British company Energean is developing several Israeli fields, including Tanin ("crocodile") and Karish ("shark"), and fields for Egypt and other regions. The Orca field, off the Haifa coast, was being surveyed when the discovery was made.

Energean public affairs officer Eliana Fischler explained that their advanced submersible robot conducts thorough seabed surveys as part of their natural gas extraction activities. Dr. Karnit Bahartan, head of Energean's environmental unit, noted that they reported the anomaly to the Environment Ministry, Energy Ministry, and IAA as required by Israeli regulations.

Energean forwarded photos of the jars to Jacob Sharvit, who recognized their significance as Bronze Age artifacts. "I almost fell off my chair," he said, realizing the importance of the discovery.

The IAA then collaborated with Energean for a second ROV mission to extract samples from the site. Sharvit mentioned that the IAA does not possess a deep-sea submarine capable of reaching such depths and relied on Energean's technology to avoid risking human lives.

This remarkable find not only sheds light on ancient maritime history but also highlights the intersection of modern technology and archaeological discovery.

The documents of the Eastern Section of the DPCU include those of the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East.

The general documents are: Unitatis redintegratio - Decree on Ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council (1964); Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (1993); Ut unum sint - Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II on Ecumenical Commitment (1995); The Bishop and Christian Unity: Ecumenical Vademecum (2020)

The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity hopes that this translation into Arabic will facilitate the reception of these documents by the Churches, particularly in the Middle East.

The translation was coordinated by the Research Center of the Faculty of Religious Sciences of the St. Joseph University of Beirut.

Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity

May 13 to 18, 2024
9am-4.00 pm daily

Regular fee: $430 - Student Fee: $390, including lunches, basic material and tuition
Information : tanturpo@nd.edu

What was once an inconspicuous construction zone, surrounded by nondescript apartment buildings, has now transformed into a treasure trove for archaeologists eager to learn more about Gaza's rich history. Gaza, a coastal enclave inhabited by approximately 2.3 million people, has a historical legacy shaped by its position along ancient trade routes between Egypt and the Levant. However, the region's archaeological heritage has faced threats from various factors, including Israeli occupation, a 16-year rule by Hamas, and rapid urban development.

In this context, the initial discovery of 60 graves at the site in January was already a significant find. That number has now grown to 135, marking a major archaeological discovery, according to experts. René Elter, a French archaeologist leading the excavation, reported that over 100 of the graves have already been studied, providing valuable insights into the culture, health conditions, and ailments of the population.

Elter highlighted the lead sarcophagi, one adorned with intricate grape leaf motifs and the other featuring images of dolphins, as exceptional findings. These lead tombs are a first-of-their-kind discovery in Gaza, leading Palestinian archaeologists like Fadel Al-Otul to speculate that they might be the resting places of social elites. Historically, cemeteries were often located near city centers during Roman times.

In addition to the sarcophagi, Elter's team is diligently restoring unearthed skeletons and reconstructing fragments of clay jars. The skeletal remains discovered at the site are slated for further analysis outside of Gaza, with the results returning to the Hamas-led Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.

Elter stressed the need for a dedicated team to oversee archaeological activities in Gaza, emphasizing that the people of Gaza deserve the opportunity to tell their stories. Gaza holds significant potential for further archaeological discoveries, but given the rapid pace of development, monitoring and preserving these sites present considerable challenges.

According to UNESCO, the site's historical significance lies in its emergence as a permanent settlement between the 9th and 8th millennia BC, owing to the fertile oasis soil and easy access to water. This oval-shaped mound has yielded evidence of one of humanity's earliest known villages and a significant Bronze Age town dating back to 2,600 BC.

Located approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the remains of Jericho's first city, the site is replete with historical treasures. This includes ruins of significance to Jewish history, such as a synagogue dating back to the first century BC. Jericho itself ranks among the oldest continuously inhabited cities globally and is located in an area of the Israeli-occupied West Bank administered by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

Israel has strongly condemned the UNESCO decision, characterizing it as a "cynical ploy." The foreign ministry of Israel expressed its disapproval and vowed to work with like-minded nations within the organization to challenge the decision. It's worth noting that Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, alleging an anti-Israel bias, but did participate in the latest meeting held in Saudi Arabia.

The West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East conflict. Palestinians aspire to have all three territories as part of their future state. However, with over a decade passing since any substantial peace negotiations, the prospects for Palestinian statehood remain uncertain, given the current leadership in Israel.

Throughout the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, historical heritage has been a contentious issue. Both sides have employed archaeology and conservation to assert their unique connections to the Holy Land. The Palestinian Authority, recognized as a non-member observer state by the United Nations a decade ago, welcomed the designation of Tell es-Sultan as a World Heritage Site. PA President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that it "testifies to the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people" and pledged to preserve the site for the benefit of all humanity.

Tell es-Sultan, located in the Jordan Valley, is believed to predate Egypt's pyramids and features an oval-shaped mound containing prehistoric deposits and artifacts. Notably, it is considered one of the oldest fortified cities globally, with skulls and statues discovered on the site. The site boasts a Neolithic-era tower with an internal stairway dating back at least to 8,000 BCE. Bronze Age archaeological findings indicate signs of urban planning, while Roman-era remnants include a wine press and pre-Neolithic pottery.

Additionally, the site is home to Hisham's Palace mosaic, an Umayyad castle from the mid-eighth century. This palace, constructed during the rule of Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abdul Malik, stands out for its intricate structural design and elaborate interiors, drawing inspiration from the region's pre-Islamic Byzantine rulers.

The discovery occurred in June within Israel's En Gedi Nature Reserve, an area rich in caves with a history spanning over 10,000 years. Researchers from Ariel University and Hebrew University were initially drawn to the cave to document an ancient inscription. Still, they stumbled upon the swords when they noticed an iron point and pieces of worked wood. The Israel Antiquities Authority's Judean Desert Survey Project subsequently returned to the site and located the swords in an unexplored section of the cave.

The swords, possibly dating from the 1st to the 3rd century A.D., include three Roman spathas, double-edged longswords used by both cavalry and infantry, and one with a unique metal ring pommel. These weapons provide valuable insights into the tumultuous times when Roman troops clashed with Jewish rebels in the region. While the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132 to 136 A.D. is a candidate for the event that led to the swords' concealment, other historical events are also plausible.

Radiocarbon dating results are pending, but the exceptional preservation of these swords offers a rare opportunity to study ancient technology. Experts plan to analyze the wood and leather to determine their origins and employ CT scans and X-rays to examine construction details. This discovery promises to shed light on the manufacturing techniques of swords in the Eastern Roman Empire, a lesser-known aspect of Roman history.

For researchers in Israel, this is just the beginning of a multi-year study to unravel the cave's secrets and the swords' history. The find underscores the importance of preserving archaeological sites across the region, as looters could have deprived us of this remarkable historical knowledge.

An impressive archaeological find has unveiled the remains of a Roman military amphitheater near Tell Megiddo, shedding light on the historical significance of the region. The amphitheater, a prominent archaeological site in the Jezreel Valley, belonged to the Roman legion camp known as Legio. This camp, housing over 5,000 soldiers, served as the home for Legio II Triana and later, the formidable Legio VI Ferrata, also known as the Ironclad Legion. Notably, it stands as the sole known full-scale legionary base of its kind in the eastern territories of the Roman Empire, dating back to the second century C.E.

The rediscovery of the camp took place during a survey in the early 2000s. Recently, during the summer excavation season of 2023, archaeologists have been delving into its various components, including the principia (central control center), cemetery, and the amphitheater.

This amphitheater, distinguished by its distinctive oval shape carved into the bedrock, is far from a conventional arena for entertainment. Instead, it served as a training ground for soldiers and potentially gladiators, enabling them to hone their combat skills with weaponry and armor. The walls surrounding the arena were notably painted a striking blood-red, creating an imposing atmosphere.

The archaeological team, co-led by Dr. Yotam Tepper and Dr. Matthew Adams, undertook these excavations in collaboration with the Jezreel Valley Regional Project, the Albright Institute in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and funding from American Archaeology Abroad. The endeavor was informed by advanced ground-penetrating radar technology from Sweden, allowing researchers to identify hidden features beneath the ground's surface.

The investigations uncovered two distinct phases of the amphitheater's construction, suggesting an earlier, smaller structure followed by a later, expanded version. Positioned adjacent to the camp, this amphitheater served a dual purpose: training ground and potential venue for entertainment. Its strategic location near the camp cemetery indicates its multifunctional nature.

The ongoing excavations have unveiled significant sections of the camp's layout, even though it has suffered from extensive stone theft over the centuries. The principia, which functioned as the central hub of command, showcased well-preserved walls, alongside a sacred space known as the sacellum.

A notable artifact discovered within the sacellum is a fragment of a statue featuring three toes, possibly belonging to a deified Roman emperor. This find offers a glimpse into the religious practices and veneration of emperors that took place within the camp.

As researchers progress in their explorations, the site could become a fascinating tourist attraction, providing insights into the training and activities of Roman soldiers. However, plans to reroute a portion of the Route 66 highway through the area raise concerns about the preservation of this unique archaeological site. Some experts advocate for the construction of the highway to proceed, leaving a portion of the camp unexcavated for future generations equipped with more advanced archaeological techniques.

The ongoing discoveries at Legio offer a captivating glimpse into the military and cultural history of the region, revealing the complex interplay between training, worship, and daily life within a Roman legion camp.