Orthodox Greeks worship skulls and bones in the Holy Land

This collection of Greek ikons, skull and bones can be found in a monastery near Jericho in Israel.

The story abort Saint Gerasimos of Deir Hajla monastery near Jericho in Israel is interesting beyond the skull and the bones.Gerasimos of the Jordan was a monk who attended the  Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in 451 AD. So inside the skull there must have been a good brain.

But the most amazing side of this monk’s life, is his teaming of a lion. Lets read from an Orthodox website:

 One day while walking along the Jordan, Gerasimos came upon a lion roaring in agony because of a large splinter imbedded in one paw. Overcome with compassion for the suffering beast, Gerasimos removed the splinter, drained and cleaned the wound, then bound it up, expecting the lion would return to its cave.

Instead the creature meekly followed him back to the monastery and became the abbot’s devoted pet. The whole community was amazed at the lion’s apparent conversion to a peaceful life – he lived now on bread and vegetables – and its devotion to the abbot.

Lets take a look on more photos from this “Holy place”.

Source of the story

Source of pictures

My comment:

A conversion of a lion, who looked after donkey’s and camels is sure extraordinary stuff.

Let us therefore leave the mix of religious ikons and bones on this site for a seond, and take a look at the lion.

The informant site of this “saint”, says the story has a “ring of truth”.

We must acknowledge that lions needs a lot of food.

Could it be that these monks were not killed by angry Persians?

But rather were eaten by a hungry lion?

Poor monks living in a desert like environment, might have found it difficult to feed them selves. How to feed a lion kept as a pet?

We know that lions do not eat the bones of their victims.

Just something Catholics and the Orthodox should reflect on, as they venerate these bones.

Written by Ivar