The Abu-Gosh Monastery was built in the time of the Crusaders, some 1,000 years ago, on the spot of the water spring, on the main road to Jerusalem. Today it is a Benedictian Monastery, actually divided in two separate sections, one for nuns and one for monks. The highlight of a visit to the Abu-Gosh Monastery is meeting the Asst. Chief Monk Olivier who arrived in Abu-Gosh 30 years ago after studying in a monastery in Normandy. Like other Benedictian Monks, he has vowed his services to the Abu-Gosh Monastery for life.
He was drawn to Israel by the will to be as close as possible to the holy sites and by a deep passion for Israel and the plight of Jews, developed after viewing the movie Exodus at the age of 12. Olivier is charming, funny, fluent in a French accented Hebrew and very up-to-date in military slang. He brags he is the only Christian who has learned Hebrew, the language of the Jews, from Moslems. Something possible only in Israel – the land of paradoxes. The monastery is run in a self sufficient manner where every monk and nun have a function and responsibility besides prayer. Their motto; 'Ora et Labore’, prey and work. Olivier’s responsibilities, besides management, lye with tending to the fruit trees, olive trees and vineyard. Among the other monks are a mechanic, a medic, an accountant, several cooks and others that create pottery that is sold in a local shop in Abu-Gosh
The Church of Holy Mary and The Ark of The Covenant is situated at the highest point above the Village of Abu-Gosh. It is a Catholic Church established in the 1920s by the Church of St. Joseph from the Old City in Eastern Jerusalem. It reports to the Patriarch in Nazareth and to the Vatican in Rome. The Church location and name are derived from the fact the Ark of the Covenant parked at the biblical location of Kiryat-Yaarim for about 50 years (Book of Samuel Chapter 6 & Book of Samuel II Chapter 6). The Ark remained here during the reign of The Prophet Samuel, King Saul and the first year of King David. In 1050 BC, after the defeat suffered by Israel at Apheq, the Ark of the Covenant was seized by the Philistines. They suffered many misfortunes which they believed were brought upon them for seizing the Ark and so they placed it in a cart and called the men of Kiryat-Yaarim to take it away. The Ark was kept in the house of Avinadav and then entrusted to his son Elazar. In 1000 BC, during the first year of the reign of King David he came to Kiryat-Yaarim to fetch the Ark and carried it to Jerusalem, the city he had just made the capitol of his kingdom. Then in 586 BC the Ark disappeared in the disaster that followed the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, the destruction of the Temple and exile of all the people of Israel to Babylon. The first piece of land for The Church of Holy Mary and The Ark of The Covenant was purchased on this site in 1901 by Sister Josephine Remube of The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, the same order that live here today. In preparing the land for building the church mosaics and pillars were discovered. On further excavations the remains of a 5th century Byzantine Basilica were uncovered. The new church was completed in 1924 on the same site and foundations of the 5th century basilica. Its consecration took place on August 31, 1924. The statue of Holy Mary and Baby Jesus standing by the Ark of the Covenant can be seen from a distance. The statue was erected in 1931.
Abu Gosh is synonymous with hummus. And not the simple hummus you get in the city, but a wonderful, delightful mixture served in a variety of ways and with spicy garnishing. In fact, in recent years Abu Gosh has turned into the country’s “hummus center.” In addition to the “authentic” Abu Shukri restaurant and to the “original” Abu Shukri restaurant, there are many other restaurants throughout the village, focused around hummus and authentic Arabic food. Besides tasty and even cheap food, Abu Gosh offers additional tourist attractions.