St. George Carving!

When we arrived in Jerusalem early evening we were supposed to get settled and rest. A number of us toured the area of the old city on our own. We walked the tight, winding, narrow roads and nothing seemed real. Tucked into a small alcove and lit up was this carving. It was beautiful. I am sure it has no historical significance, but seeing the pictures brought to mind the memory of that evening and the excitement of the trip. The legend of Saint George and the Dragon tells of Saint George (died in 303) taming and slaying a dragon that demanded human sacrifices. The story goes that the dragon originally extorted tribute from villagers. When they ran out of livestock and trinkets for the dragon, they started giving up a human tribute once a year. This was acceptable to the villagers until a princess was chosen as the next offering. The saint thereupon rescues the princess chosen as the next offering. The narrative was first set in Cappadocia in the earliest sources of the 11th and 12th centuries.