Gaza and Hellenism – Η Γάζα και ο Ελληνισμός

The long-suffering Gaza Strip continues to dominate world news. The fate of its residents is still unknown since Israeli attacks continue and cause further losses of the local civilian population, while dozens of UN representatives and journalists have also been killed. Inside the minefield of tragic information for Christians and for those interested in the world’s cultural heritage were the bombings of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Agios Porphyrios and the traditional center of the city of Gaza on October 19 last year. The bombardments resulted in seventeen dead and many wounded Greek Orthodox in the Monastery and in the historical center the destruction of unique value Roman monuments and mainly Byzantine mosaics. It is noted that the Greek Orthodox there, are about a thousand Christians in Gaza, and with the start of the bombardment, they fled to the Monastery of Saint Porphyrios, believing that it is an asylum for them…

The Monastery was founded by the Bishop of Gazi, Agios Porphyrios, who came from Thessaloniki. The inauguration of her temple took place on April 14, 407 and since then she has followed the adventure of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Greek Orthodox of all Palestine. The Patriarchal Commissioner, Archbishop Alexios of Tiberias, resides in the Monastery, after bombardment, made the following typical statement of a Christian pastor to ET (Greek TV) journalist Valia Nokolau: “Until there is at least one Christian in Gaza, I will not go anywhere, because I can be a hope for them, so I will stay in the province that believes in me.” If I die I will have a dignified death.”

In Gaza, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem had a youth organization, a philoptochos brotherhood, and a branch of scouts. Today, the situation is tough for those Christians who have remained in the grounds of the Monastery since there is a lack of food and great difficulties in the supply of water, electricity, and fuel.

The French archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Hubert in his statement in the newspaper “Le Figaro” (9/11/2023, p. 31) expressed his sadness at the destruction of important monuments of world heritage. He said, among other things: “Gaza should be an archaeologist’s paradise because after 1995 and the Oslo accords, access was allowed for the first time to the archaeological sites and we found ourselves in front of great finds from the Bronze Age to the end of the Ottoman empire, among which were those destroyed during the bombing of the Monastery of Agios Porphyrios. In the same report, French archaeologist Rene Elter expressed his dismay at the bombings, which destroyed unique quality Byzantine mosaics of the 5th or 7th century AD, which he had just discovered.

The two French scientists noted that the center of the city of Gaza is on the UNESCO list of protected areas of the planet and France invested eleven million Euros to protect and highlight its Christian character, as a pilgrimage station to the Holy Land.