4. St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai
St. Catherine’s Monastery is located in the Biblical land of Midian, at the site of the Burning Bush and Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The monastery was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian in 6 AD, and has existed intact for seventeen centuries, the very symbol of spiritual striving and of peace between peoples of differing faith, language, and culture. The extraordinary fortress-like monastery contains a rich collection of icons, ornaments, marbles,
enamels, chalices, and reliquaries. It has one of the largest and most important collections of manuscripts in the world. Christine’s talk focuses on St. Catherine’s unique treasures in what has been called oldest working Christian monastery and the smallest diocese in the world. The talk is fully illustrated with both archival and contemporary images. |