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Location:

  

  The site is located 30KM west of Jerusalem, near the Latrun junction.

It is believed to be the site of the village of Emmaus, which is referred in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 24). This Gospel tells about the meeting between Jesus, after his resurrection, and the two companions, on the road to Emmaus.

 

   There are different Biblical versions of the location of the  village; some indicate sixty stadia (about 10KM) or hundred and sixty stadia (about 32KM). The latter version fits this location, which has additional characteristics that make it a better fit for the village.

 

Map / Aerial view:

   

An aerial photo of the Churches of Emmaus-Nikoplois is shown below, indicating the major points of interest.

 

            

 

History of the place:

	167 BC	Battle of Judas the Maccabee against the Seleucid Armies
	63-4 BC	Emmaus becomes an important Roman administrative center, on the road to Jerusalem
	4BC	Emmaus is razed and burnt down by Romans after Jewish attack on garrison
	66AD	Rebuilt Emmaus becomes the town of Toparchy
	70,135AD	During the Jewish Revolts, Romans have walled camps in Emmaus
	221/223 AD	Emmaus raises to level of Roman City  and named Nikopolis (City of Victory in Greek)
	313AD	Christianity is a holy place and an Episcopal seat
	4th-7thC AD	Two Churches and cruciform baptistery are built
	8th -9thC AD	Arabs transformed the city to Amwas, a district city
	874 AD	Great Plague leads to evacuation of the city
	6/6/1099AD	Crusaders capture the site on the way to Jerusalem;  later they build a new church (reusing the Byzantine Church)
	1838, 1852 AD	Explorer Robinson revisits and reports on the ruins of Emmaus
	1924-1930AD	Archeological digs unearth the site

 

Photos:

 

The following photo shows the archaeological site of Emmaus, where the remains of the Crusaders Basilica (12th Century) stands over the 5th Century Byzantine Church.

 

Click on the photo to view it in higher resolution...

         

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The Apses of the Church is seen in the following photo:

 

        

Click on the photo to view it in higher resolution...

 

A slab of marbel from the Byzantine period with the Greek inscription: "in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". Beautiful, the city of the Christians Is". This is a copy of the finding in the archaeological dig at this site.

 

         

 

There is a  Museum nearby with different archaeological artifacts.  The following photo shows a set of ossuaries from Jewish tombs found in Emmaus (1st Century BC to 1st Century AD).

 

         

       

A set of mosaics is also on display:

 

                                    

 

Visit at the site:

   

 

(a) Getting there

 

   You can drive to the site on Highway 1, 30KM west of Jerusalem, and exit on the Latrun junction and turn north.  The entrance to Emmaus-Nikopolis archaeological site is just a few hundred meters North from the junction.

 

 

(b) Ayalon Park

 

   Other remains of the ancient city of Emmaus can be seen in the Ayalon Park which is a few hundred meters past the entrance. They are located in the El-Aqed hill and the "valley of the Springs" in the park.

 

(c) Latrun Monastery

 

Another interesting site is the Latrun Monastery, which is just south of the highway. It is also known as the Monastery of Silence, which was founded in 1890 by a group of monks from Trappes (France). The Monks here used to avoid talking except for prayers, hence the name.  It is famous also for its good wine and olive oil, sold at reasonable prices in the local store.  A charming church is located at the place (shown on the photo on the right).

 

Biblical References:

   

Luke 24: 13-35 (King James version)

 

"And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.  But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

  And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?  And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,  Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread".

 

Historical  References:

 

Jozefus Flavius (Ant. of Jews, XII, Chapter 7, 3-4)

 

Story of the great battle of Judas Maccabee (167BC) as part of the revolt against the Seleucid rulers and the campaign to liberate the  Country :

 

 3." Upon this Lysias chose Ptolemy, the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, very potent men among the king's friends, and delivered to them forty thousand foot soldiers, and seven thousand horsemen, and sent them against Judea, who came as far as the city Emmaus, and pitched their camp in the plain country....".

 

4. "And this was the speech which Judas made to encourage them. But when the enemy sent Gorgias, with five thousand foot and one thousand horse, that he might fall upon Judas by night, and had for that purpose certain of the runagate Jews as guides, the son of Mattathias perceived it, and resolved to fall upon those enemies that were in their camp, now their forces were divided. When they had therefore supped in good time, and had left many fires in their camp, he marched all night to those enemies that were at Emmaus. So that when Gorgias found no enemy in their camp, but suspected that they were retired, and had hidden themselves among the mountains, he resolved to go and seek them wheresoever they were. But about break of day Judas appeared to those enemies that were at Emmaus, with only three thousand men, and those ill armed, by reason of their poverty; and when he saw the enemy very well and skillfully fortified in their camp, he encouraged the Jews, and told them that they ought to fight, though it were with their naked bodies, for that God had sometimes of old given such men strength, and that against such as were more in number, and were armed also, out of regard to their great courage. So he commanded the trumpeters to sound for the battle; and by thus falling upon the enemies when they did not expect it, and thereby astonishing and disturbing their minds, he slew many of those that resisted him, and went on pursuing the rest as far as Gadara....for this victory greatly contributed to the recovery of their liberty".

 

 Emmaus on Peutinger map:

 

   The Peutinger Map (Tabula Peutingeriana) is a medieval map which was based on a 4th C Roman military road map. The map shows the major roads, with indication of the cities, and geographic highlights (lakes, rivers, mountains, seas). Along the links are  stations and distance in Roman miles (about 1.5KM per mile). The roads are shown as brown lines between the cities and stations.

 

In the section shown on the right is the area of Jerusalem, drawn in a rotated direction (Egypt on the left, the Mediterranean sea on the top).     Jerusalem is illustrated as a double house icon, which represents a major city. It is listed as "formely called Jerusalem, now called Aelia Capitolina" (antea dicta Hierusalem n(unc) Helya Capitolina).

 

    Emmaus is indicated as "Amauante", just above the icon of Jerusalem. It is located on the road from Jerusalem to the cities in the Sharon (Jaffa, Caesarea and Ashkelon). The distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus is indicated as "XVIIII" (19 miles - about 29KM).

 

 

Etymology (behind the name):   Ham - warm in Hebrew. Hammat/Hammath - the Hebrew name of the city, based on its hot springs. Emmaus - the name of the city in Greek, based on the Hebrew name, and means hot springs. Another spa city, called "Emmaus of Galilee" ,  is located near Tiberias.

 

 Links:

 

• The Community of the Beatitudes (entrusted to the care and upkeep of the site):   http://www.beatitudes.org

 

 

 

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