THE MELAMMU PROJECT http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ “Syriac Cult Places in Wadi Qadisha in Lebanon” HANAN CHARAF & ANIS CHAAYA Published in Melammu Symposia 3: A. Panaino and G. Pettinato (eds.), Ideologies as Intercultural Phenomena. Proceedings of the Third Annual Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project. Held in Chicago, USA, October 27-31, 2000 (Milan: Università di Bologna & IsIao 2002), pp. 45-52. Publisher: http://www.mimesisedizioni.it/ This article was downloaded from the website of the Melammu Project: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ The Melammu Project investigates the continuity, transformation and diffusion of Mesopotamian culture throughout the ancient world. A central objective of the project is to create an electronic database collecting the relevant textual, art-historical, archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic evidence, which is available on the website, alongside bibliographies of relevant themes. In addition, the project organizes symposia focusing on different aspects of cultural continuity and evolution in the ancient world. The Digital Library available at the website of the Melammu Project contains articles from the Melammu Symposia volumes, as well as related essays. All downloads at this website are freely available for personal, non-commercial use. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. For inquiries, please contact [email protected]. CHARAF & C HAAYA S YRIAC CULT PLACES IN WADI QADISHA HANAN CHARAF & A NIS CHAAYA Beirut Syriac Cult Places in Wadi Qadisha in Lebanon he Valley of Qadisha is a remote Due to the difficult terrain, Wadi and inaccessible region in north- Qadisha was an ideal place for Christians Tern Lebanon. The valley is located seeking refuge from religious persecution at the foot of the Makmel mountain of from as early as the 7th c. A.D. It was the Mount Lebanon chain, to the west of these Christians who named this region the famous forest called “God Cedars “Qadisha,” which means “sacred” in Sy- Forest” mentioned in the Bible and which riac, turning the valley into an important still stands with young growing trees. religious center. Some one hundred ar- The Qadisha Valley combines two chaeological sites are known here and smaller valleys, or wadis, as they are served a variety of purposes, which in- called in Arabic: Wadi Qozhaya and cluded secular, military or religious Wadi Qannoubine. The Wadi Qozhaya is functions. It is the unique character of located to the north and the Wadi Qan- this valley that combines beautiful al- noubine to the south, running parallel to most untouched landscape dotted by nu- each other in an east-west direction. merous cult places, which led UNESCO They are separated by the mountain of to classify the Valley of Qadisha on the Mar Elias. Wadi Qannoubine is the long- World Heritage List as an “International est at approximately 15 km long. Heritage Landscape” in 1998. 1 I. Archaeological Setting Archaeological surveys, though in- during a 400-year span of time from the complete and insufficient, have shown 11th through the 15th c. AD, that Qad- that this valley was inhabited early on isha became densely inhabited. during the Middle Bronze Age (2000- The sites of this period can be classi- 1550 BC). 2 It was then resettled later in fied into three main types: religious Roman times (perhaps by those bandits caves (which include rupestral chapels or mentioned in Strabo’s “Geography”). churches, convents, and monasteries However, it was in the medieval period, around which small villages developed in 1 A. Chaaya, Plan de gestion de la vallée de la Qad- Liban Souterrain 3 (1991), 26-28; isha et de la forêt des Cèdres de Dieu – Liban, H. Abdul-Nour; R. Geze, and O. Kallab, “Mgharet Document nº : 3077 , General Directorate of Antiqui- Mar Challita: multiples facettes d'une grotte mal con- ties, (1998). nue,” Spéléorient 1 (1996), 40-45; 2 H. Abdul-Nour, et A. Ghaouche, “Mgharet Deir R. Geze, “Vestiges osseux et litiques de Mgharet Mar Mar Semaan (A 3to): des ossements et des questions,” Challita,” Spéléorient 1 (1996), 46-50. A. Panaino & G. Pettinato (eds.) MELAMMU SYMPOSIA III (Milano 2002) ISBN 88-8483-107-5 45 CHARAF & C HAAYA S YRIAC CULT PLACES IN WADI QADISHA some cases), military caves (that is, for- and dwelling caves (where hermits and tresses or watchtowers/watch cavities), other people lived or camped out). II. A Historical Review of the Valley The Valley of Qadisha was an ideal Jacobism. However, during this time, at- refuge for Christians, especially for Ja- tempts were made to improve communi- cobites and Maronites, who sought safety cation between the groups, understand from persecution. The presence of Jaco- the differences between them, and restore bites has been attested since the 5th c., 3 relations. So in this period, we find the but it was during the 15th c. that they be- names of the patriarchs of Jacobites and came very powerful in Mount Lebanon, Maronites being honored in the same especially in Qadisha. Many influential time. 6 Jacobite priests were born in Mount But again in the beginning of the 16th Lebanon, among them Bishop Dioscurus c., Jacobites were expelled definitely this and Patriarch Noah of Bqufa, who started time from Qadisha. converting the villagers of Qadisha to Numerous Maronite monasteries and Syriac religion. 4 churches in the Qadisha Valley were ini- Jacobites coexisted peacefully with tially built and used by Jacobites. Maronites with whom they shared the What follows are the most important Valley of Qadisha. These two rites shared Jacobite sites in Qadisha that are relevant many saints and the same liturgy of the to this paper. mass. 5 But this situation changed in 1488 when Maronites, pushed by Catholic Fransiscans, expelled Jacobites and their A. The site of Mar Assia protegees, the Ethiopians, from Ehden in 7 the Mount Lebanon. The Jacobites seeked (Saint Assia) refuge in the Valley of Qadisha where they were under the protection of a re- Mar Assia is located on the south side gional governor who had converted to of the Qannoubine Valley, in an inacces- 3 Mention of Mount Lebanon in the manuscript B.M. 1, (1996), 81-84; 14542 dating from 509; P. Abi Aoun, F. Baroudi, et P. Ghaouche, “Site de F. Baroudi, “Jacobites, Ethiopians and Mount Leba- Mar Asia,” Liban Souterrain 4, (1993), 2-12; non” (article in Arabic), Liban Souterrain 5 (1998), P. Abi Aoun, F. Baroudi et A. Maroun, “Monasteries 75-160; in Qadisha Valley occupied by Ethiopian monks after E. Honigmann, Evêques et évêchés monophysites, being forced out of Ehden” (article in Arabic), Liban CSCO 127, 2, (1951). Souterrain 5, (1998), 17-23; 4 F. Baroudi, “Jacobites, Ethiopians …” A. Badwi, “Ethiopian inscription in the Mar Assia 5 Manuscript Vat. Syr. CCCCXXIV. church (Hasroun)” (article in Arabic), Liban Souter- 6 Manuscript n°: 59 of the Library of Bkerké dating rain 5 (1998), 31-42; to 1501. A. Badwi, “Murals in the monasteries of Mar Assia, 7 F. Baroudi, “Le contexte historique du site de Mar Mar Youhanna and Mar Gerges in Qadisha Valley Assia, Hasroun” (article in Arabic), Liban Souterrain relatin to both Ethiopians and Jacobites”(article in 5 (1998), 24-30; Arabic), Liban Souterrain 5 (1998), 43-50; H Abdul-Nour, N. Abdul-Nour et B. Jabbour- P. Jacob, “Etude analytique de l’inscription éthiopi- Gedeon, “L’ermitage rupestre de Mar Jirjis: des enne dans l’ermitage de Mar Assia (Mont-Liban, fresques inédites à motifs géométriques,” Spéléorient vallée de la Qadisha),” Spéléorient 1 (1996), 35-38; 46 CHARAF & C HAAYA S YRIAC CULT PLACES IN WADI QADISHA sible spot that overhangs the whole val- In the apse, covered by white plaster, an ley. It consists of two caves: the first one inscription in Guèze was found in 1990. is the church and the second one, a little Guèze was the language of the Ethiopi- ans of the Kingdom of Axum from the higher up, shelters the hermitage. A 4th c. till the 10th c. and is still used as a fresh-water spring gushes forth from the liturgical language in the Ethiopian first cave and abundantly supplies the Church. Also appearing in the apse were entire neighborhood. the initials of Jesus Christ, with the J and The spot is dedicated to Mar Assia 8 (a C written in Syriac, as well as the Greek name that derives from the Syriac word letters IC-XC, which denote Byzantine influence. A large cross with cross- Osyo meaning a “medical doctor”). Mar shaped ends is painted in red. A parallel Assia’s real name was Pantalaïmon, a to this cross can be found in the Jacobite doctor from Nicomedia in Asia Minor, church of Mar Touma in Mossoul, Iraq. who lived in the 4th c. and attended the poor for free after his conversion to The North Chapel has almost entirely Christianity. He was martyred in 303 A.D. collapsed. The chapel is built with square Syriac, Maronite, Melkite and Ethiopian stones with only the apse and part of the entrance is still remaining. The interior Christians worship Pantalaïmon. Even to of the apse is plastered, once again with this day, in the Valley of Qadisha, local Ethiopian frescoes depicting a figure people believe that the waters issuing (perhaps St George). A Syriac inscription from the cave have miraculous powers to was found under the first layer of plas- cure children, especially those suffering ter, but due to its poor condition of pres- from growth problems, carrying on the ervation, is yet to be deciphered. earlier tradition of the spring’s curative properties. The hermitage The church The hermitage is located in a cave 15m above the church. The cave is 20m long The church consists of two contiguous by 2 to 4m wide.