The Initial Tradition of the Theotokos at the Kathisma: Earliest Celebrations and the Calendar

This chapter focuses on the issue of how the recent archaeological excavations at the site of the early Christian complex of the Kathisma on the JerusalemBethlehem road (Figure 1.1) meet the relevant historical sources, contributing to a better and clearer picture of the earliest site in the Holy Land dedicated to the veneration of Mary Theotokos. It will also demonstrate how this holy place influenced the development of Marian worship in Jerusalem and affected the liturgy in the churches, both Eastern and Western.