CHURCH BUILDING
Church of Saint Lazarus
Al-Eizariya (Bethany) · Roman Catholic · Custody of the Holy Land
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- Locality
- Al-Eizariya (Bethany)
- Tradition
- Roman Catholic · Custody of the Holy Land
- Type of place
- CHURCH BUILDING
- Coordinates
- 31.77158° N, 35.25622° E
Identity checked:
History: Church of Saint Lazarus
The Church of Saint Lazarus in al-Eizariya, the town identified with biblical Bethany, stands close to the place Christian tradition holds to be the tomb of Lazarus. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land acquired land here in 1863, and the present church, designed by Antonio Barluzzi, was built in 1952–53 over the eastern part of earlier Byzantine and Crusader churches. Parts of their mosaic floor survive in the courtyard.
An interesting detail
Barluzzi made its walls almost windowless, like a tomb, beneath a dome flooded with light that expresses hope.
Bible connections
John 11 tells how Jesus raised Lazarus in Bethany; the tomb shown nearby is identified by tradition.