Saint Hilarion Monastery listed as UNESCO World Heritage in Danger

The remains span 14,000 square meters on the Mediterranean coastal dune, 10 kilometers south of Gaza City. The preservation of this archaeological and scientific study hotspot is at risk with the conflict that began in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Faced with the imminent threat of the outright destruction of the remains, UNESCO announced on July 26 the inscription of the monastery on the list of heritage in danger, following a request by the Palestinian Authority, thus underlining the universal value of the site.

“The Umm el-‘Amr monastery was founded at the beginning of the 4th century by Hilarion, father of Palestinian monasticism: it is the very first monastery in the Holy Land,” explains René Elter, archaeologist attached to the French Bible School of Jerusalem and director of the scientific program for the preservation of the site.

Significant threats

Discovered in the late 1980s, it has been the subject of excavations, restorations and preservation for over twenty years. A team of around forty people worked there daily before work was suspended due to the war. “Beyond the risk of destruction linked to the bombing, the lack of maintenance affects the site: vegetation grows, rainwater seeps into the sand under the foundations, there is a risk of collapse. In addition, some materials could be recovered by the population, particularly to protect themselves,” worries the archaeologist.

A place of memory

“This place is a unique witness to the history of Christianity in the Holy Land,” he insists. “From its construction until the 8th century, the monastery underwent many architectural developments. New churches were superimposed on the original buildings.” We find there all the buildings necessary for worship, used according to the eras: crypt, chapel, baptistery…

The importance of the site also lies in its location as a crucial stopover at the crossroads of the roads linking Jerusalem to Egypt. “In the 6th century, it was a place where the semi-cenobitic way of life was transmitted. That is to say, some of the monks in the community lived as hermits. This way of operating would inspire other places in the region,” continues René Elter.

In 2003, an inscription was discovered in the oldest building, which allowed, something rare in archaeology, to confirm with certainty that it was indeed the place founded by Hilarion and probably his burial place: “By the prayers and intercession of our holy father Hilarion, let us be taken into pity. Amen” An invocation which resonates today with the dramatic news of the region.