History of the Betania Monastery

  In the 11th century, the abbey already existed as the resting place of great feudal lords. It is believed that Betania Temple was built in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the reign of the holy and benevolent Queen Tamar. In its place there stood an older and smaller brick sanctuary dating from the 10th or 11th century.

It is said, that Saint Queen Tamar would often came to Betania in summer to have a spiritual rest, in order to be alone and to wholly dedicate herself to praying. On the northern wall of the temple, there is a large fresco - portraits of kings. It is here that the fresco of Saint Tamar is to be seen. On the southern wall of the temple there is a large portrait of the ktetor, Sumbat Mandaturtukhutsesi and Amirspasalar, wearing monastic robes and holding a model of the temple in his hand. He, along with other nobles of the royal court, rebelled against King George III. It is said, that the former nobleman, now full of humility, monk Simon (Sumbat Orbeliani) spent the last years of his life in the family crypt - in the feretory, located under the gate, and passed away there. The monastery also shows traces of his being on the verge of complete oblivion and disappearance many times. For a long time, he was completely abandoned. 

 
At the end of the 19th century, monks again came to Betania and began to restore the ruined building. They did not have enough funds, so, on the road a large money box with the inscription was mounted by them, saying: "Help the monastery!" That's how they restored everything, the monastery began to revive again. When they were building residence for themselves, the monks came across a large burial site near the gate - a common grave where bones and skulls were placed together. Many of them still had the color of holy wax. And this, as is recognized, testifies to the sanctity of the life of these people. We do not know who these people are, perhaps it was not the chance of life that brought these parts into one grave. It is on their top that the sanctuary stands, named in honor of the holy magnanimous queen Tamar. This is all we know from the history of the monastery. There is one more old saying about how the temple was built exactly at this place, at the foot of the mountain. They say that initially, they were going to build it on the other side of the river Samadlo. This is a rather beautiful place, and the temple, if it had been built here, would overlook the surrounding environment in every way, but the providence of God never judges it like that! According to the saying, the builders had already brought building materials to that hill, but one morning they discovered that the building materials had disappeared somewhere! They began to search and found them at the bottom of the gorge, huddled together on a small mountain ridge. Everyone praised God and began building a monastery in a new place indicated by a miracle. Perhaps God's providence took into account its future significance, especially for our last times, times when monks and nuns are most adapted and need separation from this world of passions, its vanity and temptations. 
  

Betania in the 20 th century
  
  Surprisingly, Betania, which until the end of the 19th century was centuries-old ruins, was forgotten by everyone when Grigol Orbeliani accidentally discovered the abandoned temple while hunting. It was before this terrible atheistic storm that it began to revive and from then on became an active monastery. 
  
  The first restorer of the monastery was Hieromonk Spiridon (Ketiladze). He completely alone came here and worked without reliable supporters during his entire stay in Betania. In 1896–1896, with great difficulty, he managed to build a monastery large enough for a small brotherhood to live in. A small peasant boy, Vasil Maisuradze, would help him, later Archimandrite John, who, after being expelled from Athos, finally settled in the Betania Monastery in 1921 and worked there with Archimandrite George (Mkheidze) until his death. At first, the monks had a small barn to live in, then they were able to build a two-story house with four cells. Officially, Betania monastery was not considered active; the monument protection service would pay its salary. In fact, everything here was like a functioning monastery, services were held, icons were rested in the church, and the fathers were dressed in monastic robes. Here they were baptized and wedding ceremonies were held, and just when the word of God was no longer heard anywhere in Georgia, Betania monastery had a special mission - it was the only place where the eternally living truths of Christianity were still loudly preached, and the most effective confession of faith was made not only by the words of these monks, but also by their life of warriors.
 
  In 1954, a young man named Valiko Pirtskhalava came to Betania. He stayed there until the end of his life and was ordained a monk under the name Basili, and then was ordained even a hieromonk. He turned out to be a very good monk and priest, an excellent preacher. Thus, serious forces got together in Betania at that time. But this period did not last long: In 1957, Father John died of heart disease, and in 1960, 37-year-old Father Basili, who had contracted tuberculosis, also reposed. However, his untimely death was not only a consequence of illness. There were many cases when the monastery was attacked by robbers who demanded money and gold, there were also cases of physical violence against the monks. Once, Father Basili, who was walking alone from the city, was met by some people and was terribly beaten, so that he could barely reach the monastery. The treatment was ineffective, and he reposed soon after. Father Basili was transferred for burial by relatives to the Teklati monastery and was buried there. 
 
  So Father George was left completely alone in the monastery. Unfortunately, at that time he had no worthy followers, and after Father George's death the monastery was empty for 15 years. Father George and Father John are buried next to each other in the courtyard of the Betania Monastery, on the eastern side of the temple.
 
  The Holy Fathers were canonized on September 18, 2003, at a council of the Holy Synod under the spiritual leadership of His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
 
  The Holy Synod has decided: to canonize Archimandrite John (Maisuradze) and Archimandrite George (Mkheidze), in scheme- John, for their great services to the Georgian Church during the atheistic period, and to name them: John the Confessor and George - John the Confessor, their memorial day is set for September 8 according to the old style and September 21 according to the new style.
 
  In 1978, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II was able to miraculously send two monks to Betania. The atheistic authorities had miraculously agreed to this, although there was no talk of founding any new monastery in Georgia at that time. But Betania was an exception in this case too. It became the first monastery of the fathers to open after a long spiritual winter. It was the very first monastery to come back to life and blossomed as the sign of a future warming. Only by the end of the 80s, ten years after the foundation of the Betania monastery, significant changes began in the state structure and society; the government's attitude towards the church changed, new churches and monasteries began to be founded. But until that time, Betania remained a unique and special place in Georgia, which was a joyful and comforting haven for many, very many believers.
 
 In the first years, only the abbot and two novitiate monks lived in the monastery, and the rest were just guests, coming and going, although some of them stayed in the monastery for a long time. And then more serious and devoted Christians began to come, who did not want to return.
 
  After the defeat of the atheistic ideology, a whole army of priests and monks was raised in just a few years, and many leaders, archimandrites and even bishops of today's Georgian churches and monasteries once began their journey right here - in Betania. They remember this resting place of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary very well and speak of it very warmly.
 
 It seems as if from here the Virgin Mary sent candles, lit from some amazing candelabra, to all corners of Georgia, so that other ancient lamps could be lit as well. All over Georgia, the restoration of abandoned churches and monasteries from ruins began.