- Address
Latrun junction, Israel
- Web
https://www.emmaus-nicopolis.org - Visiting Hours
Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (5:00 p.m. in winter) - What to see
Byzantine church ruins
The Emmaus site is mentioned for the first time in the book of Maccabees 1 in the description of the battle of Emmaus which took place in 165 BC as part of the Hasmonean rebellion.In the 4th century Nicopolis began to be identified with Emmaus, where Jesus met two of his disciples immediately after his resurrection.
The city began to be used as a destination for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and a large church was built there. Starting from the 5th century, healing properties were attributed to a spring near Nicopolis, where, according to tradition, Jesus washed his feet.Archaeological site of which, according to experts, is the most probable location of the Emmaus of the gospels.
The remains of a Byzantine-era basilica stand out, which began to be excavated in the mid-19th century, as well as a modern spirituality center. The place has been guarded and managed since 1993 by the Catholic community of the Beatitudes.