The Mount of Temptation (Jebel Quruntul, from the Latin “quarantena” meaning forty) rises above Jericho in a sheer cliff face that dominates the landscape of the oldest city in the world. This is the mountain where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness and was tempted by the devil: “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matthew 4:8-10).
The Monastery
The Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Temptation clings to the cliff face halfway up the mountain, built into caves and rock ledges in a way that seems to defy engineering. The monastery was established in the 6th century and rebuilt by the Greek Orthodox Church in the 19th century. The interior contains a stone that tradition identifies as the one on which Jesus sat during the temptation, and the caves where early monks lived in imitation of Jesus’ 40-day fast are still visible.
Douka Laura of Chariton
The mountain’s monastic history predates the Crusaders by centuries. In the early 4th century, the monk Chariton the Confessor founded the Douka Laura on this mountain, one of the three lauras he established in the Judean Desert (along with Pharan and Souka). Chariton, who had been captured by bandits on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and miraculously escaped, chose the caves of the mountain as the site for a community of hermit monks. The Douka Laura was one of the earliest monastic communities in the Land of Israel, and its caves, scattered across the cliff face, were inhabited by monks who lived in solitude during the week and gathered for communal prayer on the Sabbath. Remains of the laura’s cells and cisterns are still visible on the upper slopes of the mountain.
Three Temptations
The Gospel accounts describe three temptations. First, after 40 days of fasting, the devil said: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4). Second, the devil took him to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and said: “Throw yourself down, for the angels will catch you.” Jesus answered: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:6-7). Third, from the mountaintop, the devil offered all the kingdoms of the world. Each temptation represents a different kind of power: material comfort, miraculous spectacle, and political dominion. Jesus rejected all three.
Cable Car
A cable car carries visitors from the center of Jericho up to the monastery, offering panoramic views of Jericho, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and the mountains of Jordan. The ride is short but dramatic, and the view from the monastery terrace encompasses the entire northern Dead Sea region.
View from the Top
From the summit of the mountain, above the monastery, the panorama extends in every direction. The devil’s offer to Jesus, “all the kingdoms of the world,” makes geographic sense from this vantage point: the Jordan Valley stretches north and south, the mountains of Moab rise to the east, and the Judean hills roll westward toward Jerusalem. Whether or not the devil literally brought Jesus here, the view is the kind that makes you understand the temptation.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Mount of Temptation combines Gospel drama with a spectacular setting. Hoshen Tours takes the cable car and tells the story of the 40 days at the cliff where the temptation took place.