Timotheus I of Jerusalem

Timotheus I of Jerusalem
Timotheus I of Jerusalem
Born	Timotheos Themelis 1878 (1878) Samos, Greece
Died	December 31, 1955(1955-12-31) (aged 77) Jerusalem
Years active	1917–1935 Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan 1935–1955 Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem

Timotheos Themelis (1878–1955) was a clergyman who served as Archbishop of Jordan and later Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Born in Samos, Greece in 1878, Themelis was a graduate of the School of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and studied at Oxford University for four years. In 1931 he founded the theological quarterly New Zion. In 1947 he was appointed Knight of the British Empire for "his services in bringing the Christian communities of the Holy Land into closer cooperation." He was also an author, writing fifteen volumes on "theological subjects."

As Patriarch Timotheus I of Jerusalem (r. 1935–1955), he expressed willingness to sell the Church’s lands in Caesarea to the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA), on the condition that his election be confirmed by the British Mandatory authorities. Historians note that while this willingness coincided with his confirmation process, broader political considerations and inter-Orthodox rivalries were the decisive factors in his recognition rather than the specific land negotiations.