Israel Restores Access to Historic St. George Monastery Near Jericho
Israel has restored access to the historic Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint George of Choziba near Jericho following nearly three years of restrictions. The restrictions were imposed after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, when security barriers and electronic gates complicated travel along the approach road to the monastery's lookout.
The monastery was founded in the fifth century by Christian hermits seeking solitude in the Judean Desert. It later became associated with Saint George of Choziba, a revered Orthodox monk of the sixth and seventh centuries. Today, the monastery remains an active center of Greek Orthodox monastic life and an important destination for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.
The reopening concerns access to the lookout and the approach road rather than the monastery itself, which had remained active throughout the period. Although security procedures remain in place, the restored route makes one of the region's most distinctive Greek Orthodox landmarks more accessible to visitors.
Main points
- Israel restored access to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint George of Choziba near Jericho after nearly three years.
- Restrictions began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks, with security barriers and electronic gates blocking the approach road to the lookout.
- The monastery was founded in the fifth century by hermits in the Judean Desert and later associated with Saint George of Choziba (sixth-seventh centuries).
- It remains an active Greek Orthodox monastic center and a major pilgrimage site in the Holy Land.
- The reopening applies to the lookout and approach road; the monastery itself stayed active, and security procedures continue.