Abstract
Marian devotion and rituals have been the apex of Christian believers’ journey for centuries. In spite of its importance in many disciplines, Marian devotion and rituals in Israel have been neglected. In this article I will outline several social and religious aspects of Marian devotion in the Greek-Orthodox community in Israel. Using several case-studies of Marian devotion around the world I will address the question is Mary a national symbol in Israel? Since one of the most important Marian devotion sites is located in Israel and centered in Mary’s place of ascension in Gethsemane, addressing this site directly is crucial. I will express a new concept more fitting to the Israeli case—Mary as an a-national symbol. This research is based upon a combination of two main methodologies: participant observations and in-depth interviews with believers (local Greek and Palestinian residents as well as pilgrims) and clergymen. The research focuses on a procession taking place in the Old City of Jerusalem in the end of August, celebrating Mary’s legacy and resurrection.
Highlights
The Feet Walk, the Heart Sings and the Mind SaddensOn August the 15th, 1940, a Greek ship carrying pilgrims on their way to Mary’s shrine on the island of Tinos was intercepted by an Italian submarine and drowned
The ritual I have portrayed in this article consists of spontaneous elements as well as well-defined and organized ones; this ritual consists of personal-experiential elements alongside public-collective elements
The terms a-national ritual and anti-national ritual, will benefit, in my eyes, sociological and anthropological researches in the understanding of religious rituals, but of marginalized social groups standing in the midst of an ethno-cultural conflict
Summary
Marian devotion and rituals have been the apex of Christian believers’ journey for centuries. In spite of its importance in many disciplines, Marian devotion and rituals in Israel have been neglected. In this article I will outline several social and religious aspects of Marian devotion in the Greek-Orthodox community in Israel. Using several case-studies of Marian devotion around the world I will address the question is Mary a national symbol in Israel? Since one of the most important Marian devotion sites is located in Israel and centered in Mary’s place of ascension in Gethsemane, addressing this site directly is crucial. The research focuses on a procession taking place in the Old City of Jerusalem in the end of August, celebrating Mary’s legacy and resurrection
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