St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Madaba, Jordan, is famous throughout the Middle East for the floor of its sanctuary. On it is displayed a sixth-century map of the Holy Land.

This might not be remarkable except that the map is no replica. It’s a mosaic dating to — when else? — the sixth century.

The map was set when Justinian (527-565) was emperor of the Eastern Byzantine Empire. The Great Schism, which would separate the Orthodox from the Catholics in 1054, was half a millennium away.

During the Byzantine period, Madaba was the main Christian center on the eastern bank of the Jordan River. This was so from the third century to the seventh, when Arab Muslims conquered the land.

Located about 20 miles south of the capital city of Amman, Madaba in its day drew Christian pilgrims and residents the way Jerusalem does today.

Archaeologists have traced the existence of more than 29 Byzantine churches in Madaba. St. George is one of these.

The Orthodox celebrate this saint — who was tortured and beheaded in Palestine in 304; few other details about him are certain — on Nov. 3. (The Catholic Church remembers him on April 23.)

The map mosaic on the floor was discovered in 1886 by a Father Cleopas Koikylides of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Some historians consider this find the most important archaeological discovery of the 19th century. Dating to somewhere around 550, it’s the oldest known map of the Holy Land as a whole.

I was glad to find a tour guide who spoke English to explain all this to me on my visit. Nor did I mind paying a modest fee to see the floor, especially since the fee helps maintain the church’s school.

I also learned that much of Madaba was destroyed by an earthquake in 747. The churches did not fare any better than the other shelters and structures. As for the citizens, most abandoned their demolished hometown.

Centuries later, in early modernity — the year 1878, to be exact — Madaba was re-inhabited by some 2,000 Christians from nearby Karak (the ancient city of Kyriacopoulos, one of the bishoprics of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem).

In 1896, the Jerusalem Patriarchate built the present church right on top of the original. During the re-construction, contractors did their best to preserve the archaeological map as it was found. Because of historical-preservation rules, the present church cannot be renovated in any way.

To many historians, as well as pilgrims, of course, this is a good thing.

Sturdy Survivor

I lingered for a while over the mosaic, which shows the locales of the 12 tribes of Israel ca. 550. You can see both banks of the Jordan River, along with parts of Lebanon, Egypt and the delta of the Nile River.

It is believed that the artist or artists who worked on the map must have been some of the finest in the ancient world. The best were drawn to Madaba, as it was known as the “City of Mosaics.”

Though the artists are believed to have been laymen, they most certainly possessed a good grasp of the Bible. And, clearly, they carefully studied the topography of the Holy Land.

Archaeologists have calculated that the mosaic map has 2.3 million tiny tiles. It must have taken thousands of painstaking hours to plan and execute the work — which is equal parts timeless art and ancient science.

The experts believe the portion that has survived to the present day is around one-third of the original design. The rest, they say, was likely lost to the eighth-century earthquake.

As for the church itself, it’s made of simple limestone-block construction with a pitched roof and a bell tower at the top. Three arched doors form the entrance. The two side entrances are topped by circular stained-glass windows. Above the center door is a mosaic plaque of relatively recent vintage identifying the building as the Greek Orthodox Church at Madaba.

Schooled in Christ

Inside, the mosaic map is located at the front of the sanctuary. It’s surrounded by free-standing posts, and it’s chained off to prevent the public from stepping on or even touching the priceless artifact. A beautiful gold-and-crystal chandelier hangs over the map, bathing it in soft light.

Immediately behind the map is the iconostasis, which divides the sanctuary from the main body of the church. Directly in front of the center door of the iconostasis is a gold hanging lamp, signifying that the Blessed Sacrament is present.

As you enter the church through the front doors, you immediately encounter three icon frescoes: Christ crucified, Christ resurrected and St. George on horseback slaying a dragon.

To the side of the St. George icon is a stand filled with sand. Lit candles can be placed in the sand as prayer aids for those seeking St. George’s intercession.

Which brings us to the present day. In 1997, a new Orthodox school was opened here. Considered the most modern school in Madaba, it’s also one of the most desirable. Enrollment for the scholastic year of 2005-06 was 1,080 boys and girls.

More recently still, a new annex was completed in order to accommodate an additional 400 students. Funds are tight, however, and donations are warmly accepted. You can inquire about sponsoring a student (at a cost of around $500 per year) by e-mailing [email protected].

Whether we can help financially or not, all of us can lift up our voices on behalf of these and all Christian students in the Holy Land: St. George the Victory Bringer, pray for them!

Joseph Albino writes from

Syracuse, New York.

Planning Your Visit

Weekly services are held each Friday and Sunday. Why Friday? It’s a holy day across Jordan, which is 97% Muslim. Daily Mass is at 8 and 10 a.m.; Sunday Mass is at 8:30 a.m. Confessions are heard both before and after Mass, face-to-face.

Along with St. George’s Orthodox Church, Catholics can also visit St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, which is also located on

St. George Street

. For more information, e-mail Father Innocent at [email protected].

Getting There

From the Santiago airport, Arturo Merino Benitez, it is a 45-minute taxi ride to the basilica, which is located in the comuna (municipality) of Maipú.