(9 Nov 1997) T/I 11:01:47
Israeli and Greek Orthodox authorities announced Sunday (9/11)
the discovery of a stone on which the pregnant Virgin Mary is
said to have rested on her way to give birth to Jesus in
Bethlehem.
The stone, situated on the edge of Jerusalem near Bethlehem, was
found surrounded by the ruins of a large fifth century Byzantine
church apparently destroyed around the eighth century.
SHOWS:
JERUSALEM ISRAEL 9/11
VS archaelogists cleaning floor of church;
mosaic floor;
Car arrives with Patriarch of Jerusalem in red robes;
patriarch gets out of car;
patriarch shakes hand with manager of the site;
SOT patriarch of Jerusalem Teodorus the First (in Greek) "As
our tradition maintains and as was confirmed by the
archaeologists and the experts on this excavation, this church
was built in honour of the Virgin Mary"'
floor of church;
VS press conference;
SOT Jerusalem region archaeologist Gideon Avni (in English)
"We really do hope the place will be developed as major
touristic site and as a pigrimmage site between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem as used to be for several hundred years starting from
the Byzantine period.";
floor of church;
CU stone;
WS Marelia, a Greek orthodox monastery that owns the site;
Runs 2.59
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