Ḥorvat Teena; Khirbet Umm et Tina - Monastery

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Ḥorvat Teena; Khirbet Umm et Tina

Monastery name:

Monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

198,582.00

665,136.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

148,578.00

165,136.00

Geographical region:

Southern and Western Samaria

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Diospolis

Topographical location:

A low hill in the western fringes of the Samarian hills.

Soils:

Limestone and terra rosa.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

Ca. 7 km SE of Antipatris and 17 km from Lod-Diospolis.

Distance from Roman roads:

Ca. 5 km from the road connecting Afek-Antipatris with the Samarian hills

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Kochavi and Beit-Arieh	1970's

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Shadman	2014-2015

Bibliograpy:

Shadman, A., 2018	135
Guérin, V., 1875	135
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	358
Kochavi, M. and Beit-Arieh, I., 1994	Site no. 153
Dayan, A., 2015	55-6
Shadman, A, 2016
Di Segni, L., 2016	185-198

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

The components of the architectural complex, including a church, domestic quarters, a stable and an oil-press, suggest that it was a rural monastery. However, the inscriptions found in the mosaic pavement of the church mention a priest named Theodosius, rather than an abbot. According to Di Segni (2016), this fact casts some doubt as to a monastic identification of the site and may point to a wealthy farmstead with a private church. Yet, a monastic identification should not be discounted.

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The site, that has been extensively excavated, is relatively well preserved, its plan being completely discernable and coherent. It consists of a basilica church, a courtyard, a complex of rooms to its south identified as residential quarters, an elaborate stable with mangers and troughs, a winepress and a subterranean chamber that might had served as a burial place.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

H. Teena, subterrenian chamber entrance (Shadman 2018)

Figures

H. Teena- plan of the monastery (Shadman 2018)

General description

Enclosing walls:

The entire complex is delineated by a wall which was formed by the external walls of the various components.

Gate/s:

A single gate to the complex was on its western side, directly into the atrium of the church.

Courtyards:

The large atrium of the church was the main courtyard. It was paved in a coarse white mosaic floor decorated with flowers and crosses. The rectangular area to its south, mosaic paved, marked G on the plan and interpreted by Shadman as a secondary courtyard, was fenced off the atrium by wooden posts set on stone pedestals, each having a depression at its center. Two doorways in its southern wall led to the domestic quarters, marked D on the plan. A third doorway, in the eastern wall, led to the oilpress and to the stable. A staircase in the NE corner of G led up to a second story (not preserved).

Churche/s:

The church complex includes a prayre hall (12.50 x 18.85 m) featuring a nave (4.6 x 12.6) and two aisles, an apse and two flanking apartments, which functioned as patophoria). The church is paved with a polychrome mosaic featuring two inscriptions mentioning a priest named Theodosius. It was entered from the west by means of a large atrium (12 x 15 m) and through a narthex (2.65 x 9. m). The narthex was paved in a polychrome masaic in a poor state of preservation. A large central opening connected the narthex with the nave, its threshold entirely preseerved in situ. An additional entrance led to the southern aisle, featuring a threshold bearing an inscribed cross. The inner apse was not preserved, its only indication being its negative, imprinted into the raised fill.

Dwellings:

The south-western wing of the complex, marked D on the plan, is interpreted by Shadman as the domestic quarters of the complex. It held three rooms, one of which had a doorway in each of its walls and therefore could not have served as a dwelling. The largest, mosaic paved, was 4.9 x 5.15 m in dimensions. Its roof was retained by an arch. More dwellings might had existed to the west, in areas that were not excavated but to which a wide doorway in the southern wall of G leads. The second story may have had dwellings as well.

Burials:

A subterranean chamber marked D1 in the plan, located under the mosaic paved room of area D, might have served as a burial place. A rock cut opening 1.2m wide led in from the south.

Stable:

A stable, 4.7 x 5.9 m in dimensions, with four stone mangers and an oval trough, marked F on the plan, was located south of area G. It was suitable for small farm animals such as mules or donkeys. It had two openings: one, in its northern wall, to the dweling quarters, the second, in its eastern wall, to the corridor that separated it from the oil press (E).

Water installations:

Some cisterns were found to the west and north of the complex.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

A large oil press, marked E on the plan, is located to the south of the diakonikon of the church (hall H on the plan). In phase I it was of the beam and screw type; in phase II - of the direct pressure type. The second story of the complex extended above the oil press, as is evident from large fragments of its mosaic floor that had colapsed in. Some 30m to the north of the built complex a winepress (3.4x3.7) was found its collection vat was hewn in the rock and plastered. A threshing floor (17.5m in diameter) was also found nearby and terraced fields in the vicinity.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy
Pottery	A fragment of a bowl adorned with a cross; basins; storage jars; lantern.
Coins	A coin of Justinian I found in the nave.
Oil lamps
Other	Roof tile

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)
5,000

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Materials applied (roofing):

tiles

timber

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
basilical	Diakonikon		Ground floor

Number of stories:

Storage facilities – warehouses

Stable

Tombs type:

Burial chamber

Agricultural installations:

oil press\es [=o/p]

wine press\es [=w/p]

Terraces [=t]

Water installations:

Cisterns

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A complex consisting of a basilical church, a courtyard, rooms, a stable, oil and wine presses.

Dating material:

Pottery, numismatics and inscription.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

General outline:

No signs of violent destruction were recognized.

Dating material:

Pottery and numismatics.

Phase date

Century:

7th-8th c.