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Pilgrimage in the Holy Land
St John Phocas, tr. Stewart, 1889
Chapter 23
Between the monastery of the Forerunner and the Jordan is the little hill of Hermoniim,1 whereon the Saviour stood and was pointed out to the crowd by the finger of John the Baptist, as Him that taketh away the sins of the world. Between the monasteries of the Forerunner and that of Calamon, the monastery of S. Gerasimus had been washed away even to its foundations by the waters of Jordan, so that no part of it remains visible except a few remains of the church, and two grottos, and a pillar for recluses, wherein is built-up a tall old Spaniard, a very pleasing and admirable person, from whose conversation we derived much benefit; for, indeed a species of divine grace adorns this old man. We consider it necessary to relate to all those who take an earnest delight in heavenly things, by way of a treat, a miracle which was wrought a few days before our visit to him. The eddying and tortuous waters of Jordan have, as may be expected, many pieces of land adjacent to them, on which a great quantity of reeds are wont to grow. These reeds are the haunt of lions, two of which used every Saturday to come to the old man’s cell, and, rubbing their heads against the column, asked for food by the expression of their eyes, which, being willingly given them, they returned rejoicing to their haunts beside the bends of the river. Their food was vegetables moistened with water, and bread made either of corn or of barley-meal. Once, when they came and demanded their usual food by the movements of their eyes, the old man had no means of satisfying the creatures, for it happened that for an interval of twenty days that holy man had received no food; he therefore said to them, ‘Ye beasts, since I have had no means of refreshing the weakness of my own nature by any sort of food now for twenty days, or of supplying myself with the usual necessaries, by the command of God, who is easily able to fulfil our needs, it is necessary that you should proceed to the stream of Jordan, and bring to me a small piece of wood, from which I may make little crosses, and give them for a blessing to men who have made a vow of pilgrimage; and they, according as each man is disposed, will give me in return some small coins, with which we may buy provisions both for me and for you.’ So he spoke, and the beasts hearkened to him, and, as though endued with reason, proceeded to the stream of Jordan; and after a while, O miracle! they bore two logs of wood upon their necks, and, laying them down at the base of the column, ran promptly away to the marshes of Jordan. But enough of this; let us proceed to the description of the places.
Notes
- See Psalm xlii. 6.