1500 AD and 900 AD

The Mar Saba Monastery, dated 6th century AD, is the largest and the most colorful in the Judean Desert. The cliff-hanging Saint George Monastery built in 900 AD in Wadi Kelt, is an unbelievably secluded hideaway for Greek Orthodox monks. Both are well worth the effort. Nearby caves and prayer niches serve many monks who seek solitude and holy communion. Both are accessible from the Jerusalem-Dead Sea road.