Ḥorvat Sokho - Monastery (?)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Ḥorvat Sokho

Monastery name:

Monastery (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Former ruin

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

19,743.80

62,130.50

Coordinates, ICS system:

14,743.30

11,213.03

Geographical region:

Shephelah

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Eleutheropolis

Topographical location:

Hill

Soils:

Chalk

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 12 km (Beth Govrin-Eleutheropolis).

Distance from Roman roads:

At the NW slope of Tel Sokho, next to the road connecting Beth Govrin-Eleutheropolis with Jerusalem.

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Gudovitch	1980

Bibliograpy:

Gudovitch, S., 1996	17-23
Tzaferis, V., 1996	25-27
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	122-123

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

The tentative identification of the site as a monastery is based on an inscription found in the mosaic pavement, mentioning a deacon, a monk and two nuns. It is however unlikely that this was a monastery that housed monks and nuns as this was forbidden in the novels of Justinian and is quite contrary to monastic life. The sturcture was most likely a waystation on the road leading from the Shphelah to the Judean hills.

State of certainty:

Uncertain / Questionable

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The site is located on the northern side of Horvat Sokho (Tel Socoh) in the Judean Shephelah. It has been excavated revealing the remains of two mosaic paved halls, one of which was apparently a church, and two inscriptions in Greek. The remains were in a poor state of preservation.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Horvat Sokho - the inscription from the northern hall

Figures

General description

Churche/s:

Two rooms were partially uncovered. Both rooms were paved in colorful mosaics and two inscriptions were found. The southern room is 5 m wide and about 6.4 m in length. In the center of the mosaic floor, a section was paved with stone tiles. The remains of the northern room were partial and its full size cannot be ascertained. A mosaic pavement (13 x 2.5 m) may have covered one side of the room which was possibly the church. The walls show remains of colored plaster. A bench, partially built and partially hewn, ran the full length of the south wall. At the eastern end of the northern room, a semicircular trench 3.3 m in diameter, may have been intended for an apse which was apparently not built. The excavator suggests that the church had originally been intended to be larger but was built in smaller dimensions.

Water installations:

A cistern is located east of the structure

Small finds

Detailed description

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
single nave			Ground floor

Number of stories:

Water installations:

Cisterns

Painted plaster

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

Only two halls were uncovered, one of which was apparently a church.

Dating material:

Founded in the fifth century.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

Yes

General outline:

The church functioned until the eighth century,

Dating material:

Based on iconoclastic damage to the mosaic paving.

Phase date

Century:

8th c.

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

Yes

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use