In celebration of Saint Cleopas (September 25), the Franciscans of the Holy Land made a pilgrimage to Emmaus Qubeybeh on the last Sunday of September. Who is Cleopas and what is this Emmaus?
A pamphlet by Brother Sabino de Sandoli ofm, published in 1968 and frequently updated, gives an excellent summary of known facts.
It teaches us that according to Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 265-339) citing Hegesippus (b. ca. 115 at Jerusalem, d. 180), Cleopas was the brother of Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. This makes him Jesus’ uncle. He was stoned to death at the threshold of his home, declaring that Jesus was the Messiah announced by the prophets.
The evangelists name him as one of the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus the evening of the resurrection. Regarding the other disciple, whose name is not given in the gospels, Brother Sabino reports that, according to Origen, he was Cleopas’ own son, Simeon “the brother of the Lord”, that is, his cousin.
But toward which Emmaus were they walking, since Holy Land guides indicate three places named Emmaus? Brother Sabino describes three routes the disciples of Emmaus could have taken. According to him, they chose the second, the one that passes to the south of the Nabi Samuel hill and which, though inconvenient, could have been a shortcut for foot travelers.
The Franciscans settled on this route in the 15th century. In 1861 they purchased the ruins of a church, which they rebuilt in 1902. According to their discoveries, the ruin corresponds to a Crusader-era basilica. The remains of an older building were found: a church from the Byzantine period or a house from the Roman period considered to be “Cleopas’ house”. In 1943, the Italian Franciscan friars, interned by the British during World War II, undertook archaeological digs, which have proven that the site has been occupied since the Hellenistic period.
For the Franciscans, the very texts of the gospel corroborate the hypothesis that this is the biblical Emmaus. Saint Luke writes in his gospel (24:13) “toward a village”, in Greek “εις κωμην”, translated by the Latin text as “in castellum”. In the village of Qubeybeh there was a Roman fortress called “Castellum Emmaus”, discovered in 1099 by the Crusaders who called it the “small Mahomeria” to distinguish it from the “Large Mahomeria” which was El Bireh near Ramallah. The name gives us to understand that it was a place of prayer; it was called Qubeybeh for the first time during the same period. It was first designated as the biblical Emmaus in 1280.
Brother Sabino’s pamphlet continues the explanations and provides guidelines for visiting the site, the church and the excavations. He then offers some thoughts on the gospel episode of the disciples of Emmaus.
Today, two Franciscan friars occupy the convent, praying in this holy place and welcoming groups. A few still come to Qubeybeh, even though the village, in Palestinian territory, has become more difficult to visit since the main access road was closed by the Israeli army. Nevertheless, Father Marius Deschênes informs us, “Last month we welcomed five groups in one day. This hasn’t happened for five years… We cannot say that they come regularly,” he continues, “but groups are still coming.”
On Sunday, as the Franciscans were preparing to celebrate their Mass, an English-speaking pilgrim group was just finishing theirs in the space known as “Crusaders Chapel”.
Welcomed by the Father Guardian, Franciszek Wiater, after sharing the Bread of Life at the Mass in which the Custos Pierbattista Pizzaballa was the principal concelebrant, the friars shared the joy of recognizing Him during a meal. The meal was also shared with the only Christian family in the village and a few laypeople and religious brothers and sisters who had come from Jerusalem.
MAB
Pamphlet reference: Sabino de Sandoli, Emmaus, Franciscan Printing Press. The pamphlet exists in Italian, English and German.
A pamphlet by Brother Sabino de Sandoli ofm, published in 1968 and frequently updated, gives an excellent summary of known facts.
It teaches us that according to Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 265-339) citing Hegesippus (b. ca. 115 at Jerusalem, d. 180), Cleopas was the brother of Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. This makes him Jesus’ uncle. He was stoned to death at the threshold of his home, declaring that Jesus was the Messiah announced by the prophets.
The evangelists name him as one of the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus the evening of the resurrection. Regarding the other disciple, whose name is not given in the gospels, Brother Sabino reports that, according to Origen, he was Cleopas’ own son, Simeon “the brother of the Lord”, that is, his cousin.
But toward which Emmaus were they walking, since Holy Land guides indicate three places named Emmaus? Brother Sabino describes three routes the disciples of Emmaus could have taken. According to him, they chose the second, the one that passes to the south of the Nabi Samuel hill and which, though inconvenient, could have been a shortcut for foot travelers.
The Franciscans settled on this route in the 15th century. In 1861 they purchased the ruins of a church, which they rebuilt in 1902. According to their discoveries, the ruin corresponds to a Crusader-era basilica. The remains of an older building were found: a church from the Byzantine period or a house from the Roman period considered to be “Cleopas’ house”. In 1943, the Italian Franciscan friars, interned by the British during World War II, undertook archaeological digs, which have proven that the site has been occupied since the Hellenistic period.
For the Franciscans, the very texts of the gospel corroborate the hypothesis that this is the biblical Emmaus. Saint Luke writes in his gospel (24:13) “toward a village”, in Greek “εις κωμην”, translated by the Latin text as “in castellum”. In the village of Qubeybeh there was a Roman fortress called “Castellum Emmaus”, discovered in 1099 by the Crusaders who called it the “small Mahomeria” to distinguish it from the “Large Mahomeria” which was El Bireh near Ramallah. The name gives us to understand that it was a place of prayer; it was called Qubeybeh for the first time during the same period. It was first designated as the biblical Emmaus in 1280.
Brother Sabino’s pamphlet continues the explanations and provides guidelines for visiting the site, the church and the excavations. He then offers some thoughts on the gospel episode of the disciples of Emmaus.
Today, two Franciscan friars occupy the convent, praying in this holy place and welcoming groups. A few still come to Qubeybeh, even though the village, in Palestinian territory, has become more difficult to visit since the main access road was closed by the Israeli army. Nevertheless, Father Marius Deschênes informs us, “Last month we welcomed five groups in one day. This hasn’t happened for five years… We cannot say that they come regularly,” he continues, “but groups are still coming.”
On Sunday, as the Franciscans were preparing to celebrate their Mass, an English-speaking pilgrim group was just finishing theirs in the space known as “Crusaders Chapel”.
Welcomed by the Father Guardian, Franciszek Wiater, after sharing the Bread of Life at the Mass in which the Custos Pierbattista Pizzaballa was the principal concelebrant, the friars shared the joy of recognizing Him during a meal. The meal was also shared with the only Christian family in the village and a few laypeople and religious brothers and sisters who had come from Jerusalem.
MAB
Pamphlet reference: Sabino de Sandoli, Emmaus, Franciscan Printing Press. The pamphlet exists in Italian, English and German.