Monastery of Euthymius and Monastery of Marthyrius

All the information about the Monastery of Euthymius and the Monastery of Marthyrius We visited three monasteries that were opened in the last few weeks to the general public in the Judean Desert. There was excellent guidance on site. It's recommended to check in advance the opening times and tours at the Nature and Parks Authority's call center, since the crowds for these locations are still not strong and the opening hours are very limited. The Monastery of Euthymius was the first, and getting there is from the second junction of Ma'ale Adumim, what is called the industrial zone; there is clear signage. The tour began at 10:00; we arrived a little early, and at the entrance Kobi Halfegut greeted us warmly. Kobi is the manager of the sites and made every effort to ensure that all the travelers that day left satisfied. Our guide was Ami Tamer, who ultimately accompanied us to all three sites. Ami is an excellent guide with great knowledge in the field, and he gave such tangible instruction, as if he personally dug and discovered. At the Monastery of Euthymius, Ami explained the history of the monks in the Land of Israel—how the monks came to this area and what their way of life was. At the Monastery of Euthymius, the highlight for us was the water well, to which you descend via a wide wooden staircase. From there we followed him in a caravan to the Monastery of Marthyrius, located in the heart of Ma'ale Adumim. The Monastery of Marthyrius is larger than the Monastery of Euthymius. There is there a large dining room by the standards of those days, horse stables, and mosaic floors. From there we went to the Good Samaritan Inn, which is the highlight of all three. This is the central site where there is an impressive display of mosaics—both outdoors and in the air-conditioned museum—brought to the site from the entire area, including from Gaza, where the monastic tradition actually began. At the Good Samaritan Inn, it is forbidden to photograph the exhibits, because most of them have not yet been published in the scientific world. The visit lasts about two hours at each monastery, including travel between them, and therefore the trip can be planned accordingly.