Jerusalem, August 8, 2015
The last surviving all-Christian settlement in Palestine is rapidly becoming deserted. Residents of the Taybeh village, situated on the West Bank, are leaving their homes in search of a better life. In connection with this Church leaders of the Holy Land are calling upon their coreligionists to do their best so that Taybeh, which was mentioned in the Bible, might remain Christian, reports Blagovest-Info.
Taybeh, whose population today numbers 1,300 inhabitants, lies about 30 kilometers (c. 18.6 miles) from Jerusalem. Among its residents there are Orthodox as well as Catholics of the Latin and Greek rites. In recent years many native residents left Taybeh, seeing no future in the village’s life.
Taybeh is one of the most ancient settlements on the territory of Palestine. It is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures: as “Ophrah” in the Old Testament and as “Ephraim” in the Gospels.
Recently a number of measures were taken in order to preserve the Christian identity of Taybeh. Thus, Christians from the Holy Land are trying to draw the attention of their coreligionists and tourists from abroad to the ancient settlement’s heritage and the crafts that still exist there.
