St. John’s Tomb
One last look at the area around Ephesus with images from the Basilica of St. John and the House of the Virgin Mary. Next week we move on to ancient Greece.
Basilica of St. John
Basilica Flower
Basilica of St. John
Flora at the House of the Virgin Mary
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House of the Virgin Mary
If you travel in the straight line almost due south of the Library of Celsus at the site of the ancient city of Ephesus you find an smallish, unassuming stone dwelling. Here, 1.9 miles/3 kilometers from the library, is what is purported to be the house in which Mary, mother of Jesus, spent the remainder of her life, having been brought here by the Apostle John. Behold, the House of the Virgin Mary:
House of the Virgin Mary
The House of the Virgin Mary was discovered in 1891 following instructions received in the form of visions that came to the Canoness Anne Cathering Emmerich, who passed away some 67 years earlier. And while you may scoff at that, the directions were based upon location of the yet undiscovered remains of nearby Ephesus.
House of the Virgin Mary
The House of the Virgin Mary is a sacred site not only to Christians, but to Muslims as well, as Mary is held sacred in the Qu’ran. Indeed, she is mentioned in the Qu’ran no less than seventy times.
House of the Virgin Mary
About 150 feet/46 meters southeast of the house is a ancient baptismal pool:
Baptismal pool near the House of the Virgin Mary
Also nearby is the Meryem Ana Evi — the Wall of Wishes:
The Wall of Wishes
Some final images of the colorful flora surrounding the House of the Virgin Mary:
House of the Virgin Mary
House of the Virgin Mary
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Basilica of St. John
About 1.5 miles/2.4 kilometers east northeast of ancient Ephesus, Turkey stand the ruins of a basilica built in the 6th century by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. By all historical accounts, it was quite a structure. It was known as the Basilica of St. John.
The Church of St. John
But today not a lot remains.
Basilica of St. John
However, this ancient church site has something no other church in the world possesses. Legend has it that the basilica was built over the tomb of the Apostle John.
Tomb of St. John (John the Apostle)
Plaque on the life of St. John
To enhance the readability of the English side of the above plaque, here’s a crop that describes the life of St. John:
The life of St. John
Located within the ruins of the basilica is the baptistery:
Basilica baptistery
The Basilica of St. John was based upon another lost structure, this one in Constantinople (site of modern day Istanbul). That was the Church of the Holy Apostles built some 200 years earlier. In the plaque above describing the life of St. John, you may have noted that the apostle came to this area with yet another important figure in Christianity — Mary, the mother of Jesus. On Wednesday we’ll visit the house where she purportedly lived out her later years. Until then, some final images of the Basilica of St. John:
Basilica of St. John
Basilica of St. John
Basilica of St. John
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