Katamon

Katamon (Arabic: قطمون‎, Hebrew: קטמון‎, Arabic Katamun, Greek Katamonas) is a neighbourhood located geographically in south-central Jerusalem, and in political terms in West Jerusalem. The official Hebrew name, Gonen (Hebrew: גּוֹנֵן), is only used in municipal publications. Katamon is derived from the Greek kata tōi monastēriōi ("under the monastery").

History

From the late 14th century, Katamon seem to have been identified with the home of Simeon from the Gospel of Luke, the Jerusalemite who first recognised the infant Jesus as "the Lord's Christ", i.e. the promised Messiah (Luke 2:25-32).

In 1524, after the Ottoman Turks conquered the region from the Mamluks, it was reported that a church of St Simeon, previously held by the Georgians, was now empty in the wake of Muslim attacks. In 1681 Cornelis de Bruijn made an engraving of Jerusalem, which suggested that there was a L-shaped four story high tower in Quatamon, confirming an early 17th century source which mentioned a "house and tower" of "Simeon the prophet". The Greek Orthodox acquired the site in 1859 and in 1881 they built there a new church and residence for their Patriarch, incorporating the older ruins. The Greek Orthodox call it "St. Symeon of Katamonas" and believe that it is built over the tomb of Simeon, with an inscription in a cave on the grounds interpreted to indicate that it was the tomb of Simeon's priestly forefathers.