By Silvia Holgado
Beyond the holy places that are usually visited on a pilgrimage (essential visits, of course, if one visits the Holy Land for the first or only time in one’s life), there are biblical places of theological density and natural beauty that deserve, without a doubt, some time on our journey. They are places “off the religious highway”, they are secondary roads without so much group traffic, or rather quiet paths where you can walk without haste, where Scripture, nature and art surprise the searching soul, eager for an unexpected encounter that allows you to “close your eyes and see God”. I propose in these lines and on future occasions, to offer you an approach to some of these trails, in case you ever want and can get off the circuit.
Without hesitation, one such place is Kyriat Yearim and its shrine “Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant”. Located at the top of the hill of this town, whose name means “city of forests” in Hebrew, the grounds of the basilica, the monastery and the gardens, offer the visitor an experience that sinks its roots in the Old Testament, until reaching the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse, and leaves us as a beacon of our faith to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On this hill, the Israelite ark of the covenant rested for 20 years, around 1020-1000 B.C., before King David moved it to Jerusalem (1 Sam 7:1-2). The archaeological excavations carried out brought to light remains of a Byzantine church from the time of Empress Eudocia (fifth century AD) and today the visitor contemplates the meeting of the Old and New Testaments in the person of Mary, New Ark of the Covenant (Rev 11:19 – 12:2). The shrine is dedicated to her, recently restored to celebrate its centenary. Innovation and tradition intermingle in the artistic creations of the basilica, elevating the spirit through an ancient beauty with new plastic forms. The tour of modern sacred art and its deep meaning in this church is already worth a visit.
When we leave the temple, the view over the hills of Judah and Jerusalem in the background, the olive and almond trees in bloom in the gardens, complete an atmosphere of tranquility conducive to leaving a mark on our interior, without the need for cameras or photos, only the footprint of God.