Wadi Qelt is a deep canyon cutting through the Judean Desert between Jerusalem and Jericho, following the ancient route that travelers have used for thousands of years. The wadi carries water year-round from springs in the hills above, creating a ribbon of green in the brown desert. Clinging to the cliff wall of the canyon is the Monastery of St. George of Koziba, one of the most dramatic monastery settings in the world.
The Monastery
The Monastery of St. George was founded in the 5th century by five monks from Syria who chose this cliff because of its association with the prophet Elijah, who was fed by ravens beside a brook in the wilderness (1 Kings 17:5-6). The monastery was destroyed and rebuilt several times, most recently in the late 19th century. The current building clings to the vertical cliff face in a way that seems to defy gravity, connected to the desert floor by a steep path that winds down from the road above.
The Hike
The classic Wadi Qelt hike follows the canyon from the springs near Jerusalem down to the monastery and on toward Jericho, a walk of several hours through stunning desert scenery. The trail passes Herodian aqueducts, still carrying water along the canyon wall, natural pools where ibex and hyrax come to drink, and cliff faces where griffon vultures nest. The contrast between the dry desert above and the green canyon below is extreme and beautiful.
Inside the Monastery
Visitors who descend the steep path to the monastery are rewarded with one of the most atmospheric interiors in the Holy Land. The main church, rebuilt in the 19th century, contains icons, frescoes, and the skulls of monks killed during the Persian invasion of 614 CE, displayed in a glass case as relics. A cave chapel, believed to be where Elijah hid, is carved into the cliff beneath the church. The monks, who still follow the ancient liturgical hours, live in near-total seclusion in cells carved into the cliff face.
Herodian Aqueducts
Along the canyon walls, sections of aqueducts built by Herod the Great are still visible. Herod channeled the spring water of Wadi Qelt to supply his winter palaces at Jericho, engineering a system of channels, tunnels, and pools that is a testament to Roman hydraulic technology. Some sections still carry water today, 2,000 years later.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Wadi Qelt is where the Judean Desert is at its most beautiful. Hoshen Tours visits the monastery by foot trail and tells the stories of Elijah and the monks who chose the most impractical place on earth to seek God. The nearby Good Samaritan Museum can be combined in the same visit.