The bell tower of the Catholic Church of St. John in the mountains (or, otherwise, of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist) dominates the Ein Karem – Western outskirts of Jerusalem. Exactly, Ein Karem is the place where they lived Zacharias and Elizabeth, parents of John, where was born their son, who was destined to precede the coming of Jesus Christ.

The Evangelist Luke says: the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth were elderly childless couple. The angel announced to Zechariah that his wife would bear a son, and "he shall be great before the Lord; not to drink wine or strong drink, and the Holy spirit will come true from his mother's womb; and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and wilt go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to return the hearts of the fathers to the children, and nepokorimy way of thinking of the righteous, in order to give the Lord a people prepared" (LK 1:15-17).

Zechariah did not immediately believe the prediction, for which he was punished by temporary muteness. But Elizabeth did conceive. The couple lived in the mountain village ("the city of Judah") – there soon came their young cousin Mary, already pregnant with Jesus. At the meeting of two women, the baby John leaped in the womb" Elizabeth so that she was filled with the Holy spirit and it was clear her Mother of the Lord.

When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, Zechariah regained the ability to speak and gave a beautiful prophecy about the baby that began with the words: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited His people and redeemed them..." (LK 1:68).

The first chapel on the very spot where, according to tradition, occurred the birth of John, was built in the Byzantine period. On its ruins in the twelfth century the crusaders built a new chapel, which was destroyed under Sultan Saladin. Long centuries of Ottoman rule, the building lay in ruins until in 1674, the Franciscans had not acquired the land. In 1895 was built a monastery, and the Church was able to build fully started in 1920. The work was financed by the Royal family of Spain.

On the territory of the monastery is the arch, above which are the Franciscan symbol (five crosses, the number of wounds of Jesus) and the coat of arms (two arms, embracing the cross, one belongs to Christ, the other to St. Francis). The walls of the cloister is decorated with ceramic plates with the text of the prayer of Zechariah in 24 languages.

The temple is divided by six columns, is covered with white tiles with blue patterns. In the main altar area allocated to the statue of the virgin Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Many of the paintings in the Church were created by Spanish artists. The cloth over the right apse, depicting the visit of Mary parish, written, perhaps, the great El Greco. Impressive picture with a dramatic scene of the beheading of John by Herod's executioner.

The cloth over the left apse shows the main point the life of John – the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Here is the entrance to the cave, where, according to legend, John the Baptist was born. Modest small space under the altar, marked by a marble star with the inscription in Latin: "Here was born the predecessor of the Lord."