Mount of Temptation
The Mount of Temptation is said to be a hill where Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted by Satan.
Satan tried to tempt Him several times and let Him have doubts about the faith or commit a sin.
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Matthew 4:2-3 - BibleGateway
But He defeated it while quoting the words from Deuteronomy.
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.‘”
It is said that, during the Byzantine era, many monks made caves here and practiced the same asceticism.
To climb up the hill, you can take a cable car from the bottom of Tell es-Sultan and enjoy the scenery.
It’s still possible to climb up the hill on foot if you never mind the steep way.
Deir-Qurantul
- 7:00-15:00/16:00-17:00 *shorter time in winter
- Admission free
Deir-Qurantul is a Greek Orthodox church.
It was originally built in the 12th century on the place where Jesus practiced asceticism, then renovated in the 19th century.
Many icons date back to the 18-19th century, which makes the inside gorgeous.