At the left side (North) of the main altar of St: Helena Chapel you can find a small metallic door. This locked door leads to a rare Armenian chapel called the 'Chapel of St: Vartan'. It was discovered only in the 1970s and even now not many know about its existence. Inside the chapel are remains of walls built by Hadrian Caesar (2nd century AD) and a unique drawing of a merchant ship on a stone with an inscription DOMINE IVIMVS which means "Lord we shall go." This ancient drawing is also dated from the 2nd Century AD. Unfortunately, the chapel is rarely opened. The key to the chapel is with Armenian priests whom cannot be approached easily.
I have been blessed to see this etching into the stone walls of the Chapel of St. Vartan. It is most definitely an experience I'll never forget (I wrote about in and took photos of it for my book, Reflections of God's Holy Land, A Personal Journey Through Israel (Thomas Nelson, 2008). The "key" to finding the priest with the "key" is having a good friend in Israel who understands the setting and the language. (Offering a nice donation didn't hurt, either...)
ReplyDeleteEva Marie Everson
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Reflections of God's Holy Land; A Personal Journey Through Israel
Thank you for the information. I wish to be inside the chapel once. May be I should also try to approach the way you did.
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