Visit Ancient Ship Painting

by Pam Cole
(New Bedford, MA, USA)

Image courtesy of HolyLandPhotos.org


I would visit the 'ship' painting in St. Vartun's Chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This chapel is usually locked but I've heard that the Armenian owner of a nearby souvenir shop has the key.


Our reply ...


That would be a special treat! Very few people are lucky enough to be allowed in to see the famed ship painting. The Chapel of St. Vartan is an Armenian chapel on the north side of the Chapel of St. Helens. It was discovered in the 1970s and includes walls from the second century, thought to have been built by Hadrian. One of the stones is etched with a merchant ship and an inscription that could mean either “L-rd we shall go” or “gift of Marcus Nominus,” and dates from around 330 CE.

If anyone has actually seen it, please let us know what you thought!