The Distinguishing Character of Taybeh

By Dr. Maria C. Khoury

December 24, 2001

There is nothing more psychologically comforting and spiritually powerful than feeling the presence of God and knowing as a Christian, you walked the same footsteps as Christ himself during his last retreat into the wilderness before his crucifixion. For six years now I have been living in the beautiful hills of Judea and Samaria in my husband’s village of Taybeh known in Biblical times as “Ephraim” where his grandfather was the village priest. Jesus came to the village of Taybeh with his disciples after the decision was taken by the Sanhedrin to prosecute him. “Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim…” (John 11:54) The original name of Ephraim in Hebrew is Ofra and the village is mentioned eleven times in the Old Testament having been established 5000 years ago as one of the first places of ancient Palestine.

Taybeh with currently 1300 residents located between Jerusalem and Jericho, holds a special place in the Holy Land having been able to maintain its Christian identity under many occupations by foreign powers. The Latin Patriarchate Church in Taybeh is dedicated to the “Last Retreat of Christ” inaugurated in l971, however the original St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church (now in ruins) has existed since the 4th century. The village has five places of worship. In addition to these two holy sites there is a new St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church built in l932, the Melkite Church build in l964 and a small monastery build by a French monk Brother Jack Frant in l990. As a teenager Eva Micherky confirms “I like living in Taybeh because it’s a holy place where Jesus passed through before he was crucified,” and Amanie Khoury says “when you hear the bell of the churches ring together you feel an opera…that gives you pleasure.

The village of Taybeh sits next to the highest mountain in Palestine, Mount Tel Asur. On a clear day from the highest hill you can see the full splendor of the Holy Land: the magnificent Dead Sea, the Jordan valley, the mountains of Samaria, the mountainous desert of Judea and also Jerusalem. Folklore states that the Islamic ruler Salahadin visited the village Efraim and found its people very hospitable and generous thus he called them “Taybehn” people in Arabic meaning “good and kind,” thereby since that day Efraim took the modern name “Taybeh.” A ninth grader Waseem Massis says: “If I get to choose where to live, from the whole wide world, I would choose Taybeh.”

Fr. Ibrahim Shomali who is the new priest in the Latin Church into his second year also finds that “Taybeh is a beautiful village, people are kind but everyone is tired from the political situation.” Ordained in l996, Fr. Ibrahim came from Beit Sahour and now is proud to lead the Roman Catholic faith with approximately 185 families founded in Taybeh in 1870. The parish is very active with a youth group split in three age categories and a Ladies Society that meet weekly. Dr. Ryad Muaddi, the director of the Caritas Health Center in Taybeh frequently contributes to the groups by providing nutrition lectures and other critical health issues. Fr. Jack Abed, the Melkite parish priest often prays with Fr. Ibrahim and helps him run the youth groups.

Fr. Jack refuses to leave this small village. Three times the patriarch ordered him to relocate and he refused because he said he loves the village as much “as a father likes his first born son.” Fr. Jack’s family came from Jaffa. He was ordained on Jan 6, l990 experiencing such a happy event only to face the passing of his father six days later. I asked him what should others know about us in Taybeh? Fr. Jack stated: “We still maintain our Christian faith and exist since the time of Jesus in this country. We are the descendents of the Apostles and the first Christian people in this land. We are staying in our country. We are maintaining and keeping the traditions.”

Fr. Jack speaks seven languages and is the spiritual father of fifty families that have membership in the Melkite Church. Although he travels frequently the best thing he likes about Taybeh is “the climate, the people, the ecumenism among the people…when something happens in the village, they are all there.” Actually Mr. Hanna Basir, an English teacher and on the local municipality said the same thing “…they live like a big family.” Deacon Sami Hijazin, the new comer assigned to Taybeh for his first year from Jordan but having been a student since l991 in the Beit Jala Latin Seminary thinks there might be some negative effects when the families are too close and they try to know the business of others. But Rawan Jasser, a ninth grade student disagrees with him, “the people love each other.”

Fr. David P. Khoury, the principal at the Orthodox School has a positive outlook. He has a membership of over two hundred families in the Orthodox Church along with Fr. Tawfiq Nasser the senior priest. Fr. David runs the school with 300 students and 24 teachers founded in 1770. The school began at an elementary level and in l990 officially became a high school. Fr. David says: “We have some distinguished things in our village, St. George ruins, great climate, good atmosphere, people help each other and cooperate with each other. Most people are related to each other in the village.” And, he is right, because his first cousin David C. Khoury (also my husband) launched the first micro brewery in the Middle East (l994) with his brother Nadim Khoury in order to boost the economy after the Oslo Peace Agreement. They created the first Palestinian product to be franchised and produced in Germany under the license of “Taybeh Beer” in Taybeh. A dream come t! rue for their father Mr. Canaan Khoury who has the wish of every Palestinian Dad that the children get the knowledge and skills from the West but return to help their homeland and maintain their close family values.

Fr. David discovered 4th century mosaics next to the new Orthodox Church and put up columns, build walls and basically created a small chapel in l987 to preserve this special site. The generosity of Taybeh people in San Francisco made this chapel possible. Generous donors’ abroad like Mr. Yousef Newas established the local laboratory for the health clinic. Mr. Newas also provides college scholarships on an annual basis to three Taybeh students at Birzeit University. Also, Fr. Jack helped fundraise money and build a housing complex for sixteen families in his parish. In addition, we have a four family housing unit build by the Latin Patriarchate. Currently, the St. George’s Church Housing Committee is seeking funds to help thirty needy families build their first homes on land donated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. One million dollars would build thirty skeletal units.

Another special thing in Taybeh is the ancient Palestinian Old House arranged in l974. Visitors can see objects, which are no longer used today but were very common in the time of Christ depicting the local peasant scene. The house consists of two levels, one on the ground for the animals and the upper level for the family. In such a similar humble setting Christ was born in the Middle East. Next to the Palestinian Old House you find the Latin School founded in 1869 and with the help of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre officially became a secondary school in l978. The School head by Mr. Ghaleb Rizeg has 374 students and 24 teachers.

Not bad for a small village, famous in Biblical times for Christ’s visit, placed on the map in modern times for its excellent micro-brewed “Taybeh Beer. As a symbol of ancient roots, the people of Taybeh still practice the Old Testament sacrifice unto the Lord as in the example of Abrahim. On many occasions you find local Christians fulfilling their promise to God by taking a lamb to the Al Khadder (the ruins of St. George’s Church), slaughtering the lamb and distributing the meat to needy families. Especially when male babies arrive in traditional families they are the most loved and admired so a sacrifice is a must to thank the Lord for a male heir to the family name. However, when baby girls arrive, forget the lamb, you can’t even get a smile out of people who usually say to the mother “oh, that’s too bad, God willing it will be a boy next time.” But do you think these strange old-fashioned customs stop us from loving t! his little village with glorious sunsets? In the words of fifteen year old Carol Massis: “I feel proud to be one of the inhabitants of this beautiful village and I like to invite every one to visit.”