Ḥorvat Beth Loya - Hermitage

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Ḥorvat Beth Loya

Identification:

Gutfeld and Kalman suggested that this is the village of Besandouke / Beth Zedek (Flavius Josephus, War III, 22-28), from which Epiphanius, the future bishop of Salamis originated. According to TIR (p. 87), this village is to be identified, perhaps, with Deir Sa'ad (139109).

Monastery name:

Hermitage

Monastery type:

Hermitage/hermitages

Monastery category:

Village

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

193,233.00

607,964.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

143,229.00

107,963.00

Geographical region:

Shephelah

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Eleutheropolis

Topographical location:

Hilltop

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 6 km (Beth Govrin-Eleutheropolis)

Distance from nearest settlement:

100m from the village and ca. 6 km (Beth Govrin-Eleutheropolis)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 6 km east of the ancient road that connected the southern coast with Jerusalem

Source of knowledge

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Christian acclamation incised on the northwestern wall.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Dagan	2006

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Gutfeld and Ecker	2005

Bibliograpy:

Dagan, Y., 2006
Gutfeld, O. and Ecker, A. , 2013	167-74
Gutfeld, O. and Kalman, Y. , 2019	106-110

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

H. Beth Loya- the inscription (Gutfeld and Ecker 2013: 172, fig. 4)

General description

Gate/s:

The cistern was entered from the west via a hewn staircase

Dwellings:

The hermitage is located in a water cistern dating to the Hellenistic period. The cistern measures ca. 5 m in diameter and is hewn from the soft chalk. A hewn staircase leads into the cistern around its circumference. Recesses that served as lamp niches were set into the western wall. A large Greek inscription was found on the northwestern wall facing the entrance. The inscription "Jesus (is) here" is accompanied by a small drawing of a man preaching from a boat. A stylized cross enclosed in a circle is located below the inscription.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy
Pottery	Dated to 5th to 7th or 8th century.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Size class
Small

Components

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
No traces

Dwelling type:

caves

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A defunct cistern adapted as a hermitage.

Dating material:

Pottery

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Dating material:

Epigraphy and pottery dated to 7th-8th c.

Phase date

Century:

7th-8th c.