The Bet Medhane Alem Church isam the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world. It is supported by 36 pillars on the inside and another 36 on the outside. It looks like an ancient Greek temple.
The Bet Maryam ("Bet" means "house" in Hebrew so this is the "house of Mary" church) is thought to have been the first church built in Lalibela. On the inside of the church are carvings of the Lalibela Cross and the Star of David. The upper floor stores church treasures. Inside the church is a pillar that is covered by a veil which reputedly is inscribed with the Ten Commandments in Greek and Ge'ez, as well as the story of how the churches of Lalibela were excavated, and the story of the beginning and end of the world. The local priests say that this pillar glowed brightly until the 16th century, and they claim it would be too dangerous to lift the veil and show it to researchers.
On my second day in Lalibela, I visited the southeast cluster of churches. Some scholars believe these churches have a secular origin and some predate the reign of Lalibela by five centuries. We started this tour at Bet Emanuel where we witnessed a traditional celebration. Bet Emanuel is a 12 meter high monlith and it is considered by art historians to be the finest and most precisely worked church in Lalibela, possibly because it was the private church of the royal family.
Bet Abba Libanos was built around a cave in a vertical face, and although the roof is still connected to the original rock, the sides and back are separated from the rock by narrow tunnels.
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