Mount Joy was already inhabitant during the iron Age ( first Temple period ) in the 8th and 7th century BCE. (Jeremiah 40:7-8 and 41:16)c It could have been the town Mizpah in Benjamin mentioned in Biblical Book of Samuel . The translation of the Hebrew word Mizpah is watch-tower and look-out. It controlled the roads Northern ancient road to Jerusalem. The Prophet Samuel unified the tribes of the Israelites under a centralized kingdom after their victory over the Philistines during the battle of Mizpah. He anointed Saul and later David as the first kings of Israel.
During the rule of the Christian Byzantine empire( Eastern Roman Empire) in the Holy land a large monastery in honor of Samuel was build. When the Crusaders arrived in 1099 it became again an important place to control the road from the lowlands to Jerusalem. There is a story documented by a historian, who lived during the Crusades. He documented that the Crusaders found the bones of Samuel and reburied them in a cave on mount Joy. During the 12th century
Premonstratensian canons build, over the cave and atop of the ruins of the byzantine monastery a fortress, monastery and a church, named “Church of St. Samuel of Mount Joy.”. To construct these buildings, they used the local rock as quarry. Close to the fortress. Along the main road to the fortress was a spring, called “Hanna’s Spring” ( 1 Samuel 1:20). Monks and neighboring Christian farmers, none of whom were Crusaders lived and worked around mount Joy. They were descendants of the original Crusaders, ore belonged to a steady stream of immigrants from Europe. To host pilgrims, on their last stop before arriving in Jerusalem the quarry was turned into an encampment with an inn, stables, cisterns, and tents. Rainwater was collected by digging channels in the bedrock leading to the cistern and a large pool outside the quarry. The land around the fortress was transferred into terraces to be used to grow agricultural products.
When Saladin came in power and won many battles, the monks realized that they had to prepare for the invasion and to hurry to finish the moat. But Saladin’s troops arrived in 1187 before the moat was completed. It was easy for him to take over the place. Seven canons were martyred. To prevent a return from the Crusaders the walls and church were destroyed. During the 3rd Crusade King Richard I of England was fighting against Saladin and camped on mount Joy. He met a hermit, who gave him a relic of the True Cross, which he had secreted just before Saladin’s conquered Jerusalem.
During the Ottoman period the site was renovated and is synagogue underneath
the buildings was in in use by Jews and Christians. By 1730 the mufti of Jerusalem confiscated Nebi Samuel ( Samuel’s tomb) and closed the synagogue. To honor Samuel, who was also an important figure in the Koran he builds a mosque over it.
Samuel’s tomb is a very special and beautiful renovated place to visit. Jews, Christians, and Muslims are visiting and praying peacefully together. From the roof of the mosque, you have almost the same view as the Crusader and pilgrims in ancient times.
Comments