The bell tower of the Catholic Church of St. John in the mountains (or otherwise Nativity of St. John the Baptist) dominates Ein Karem - the western outskirts of Jerusalem. This Ein Karem is the place where they lived Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John, and where was born their son, who was to precede the coming of Jesus Christ.

Luke tells the priest Zacharias and Elisabeth were childless elderly spouses. The angel announced to Zechariah that his wife would bear a son, and "he will be great before the Lord; I will not drink wine or strong drink, and the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb; And many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, in order to ready a people prepared for the Lord "(Luke 1: 15-17).

Zacharias did not immediately believe the prediction, for which he was punished with a temporary dumbness. But Elizabeth was actually conceived. Wife lived in a mountain village ("city of Judah") - will soon come to their young relative of Mary, Jesus is already pregnant. At a meeting of two women Baby John "leaped in the womb," Elizabeth, from which she filled with the Holy Spirit and realized - before her Mother of the Lord.

When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, Zechariah again gained the ability to speak and said, amazingly beautiful prophecy about the baby, begins with the words: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that has visited his people and redeemed him ..." (Luke 1:68).

The first chapel on the spot where, according to tradition, there was the birth of St. John, built as early as the Byzantine period. On its ruins in the XII century, the Crusaders built a new chapel, which was destroyed already under Sultan Saladin. For centuries of Ottoman rule the building lay in ruins until in 1674 the Order of the Franciscans did not acquire these lands. In 1895 the monastery was completed and the church was able to build a fully only in 1920. The works were financed by the royal family of Spain.

At the monastery leads arch, above which is located the Franciscan symbol (the five crosses on the number of wounds of Jesus) and the coat of arms (two hands embracing the cross, one belongs to Christ, the other - Saint Francis). The walls of the cloister are decorated with ceramic plates with the text of the prayer of the prophecy of Zechariah in 24 languages.

The temple is divided by six columns, covered with white tiles with blue patterns. In the main part of the altar stand the statues of the Virgin Mary, Zacharias and Elizabeth. Many of the paintings in the church were created by the Spanish artist. The canvas on the right apse, depicting a visit to Mary Elizabeth, written, perhaps, the great El Greco. Impressive picture of a dramatic scene of the Beheading of John the butcher Herod.

The cloth over the left apse shows the main point of life of John - Jesus' baptism in the Jordan. Here is the entrance to the cave where, according to legend, was born John the Baptist. Modest space at a small marble altar pointed star with an inscription in Latin: "Here was born the precursor of the Lord."