Ḥorvat Zikhrin - Monastery (?)

Vertical tabs

Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Ḥorvat Zikhrin

Monastery name:

Monastery (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Former ruin

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

196,621.00

66,356.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

146,616.00

163,559.00

Geographical region:

Southern and Western Samaria

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Diospolis

Topographical location:

On a low hill overlooking Nahal Shiloh.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 8 km (Lod-Diospolis)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 0.5 km north of the road connecting Afek-Antipatris with the Samarian hills

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869
Conder and Kitcherner	1871-1877
Beit-Arieh	1972-1974

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Fischer	1982, 1983, 1984, 1985

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1868-1880
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1882
Fischer, M., 1985	117-19
Fischer, M., 1985	194-98
Fischer, M., 1985	112-20
Fischer, M., 1989	1787-1807
Tsuk, T., 1990-1993	133-49
Fischer, M., 1993	40-44
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	206
Kochavi, M. and Beit-Arieh, I., 1994	91-92
Schick, R., 1995	386
Taxel, I., 2005
Taxel, I., 2013	149-166
Dayan, A., 2015	67-69

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

The main obstacle towards a monastic identification of the site is the absence of a church within the enclosed structure. A large church was located some 50 m southeast of the alleged monastery complex. There is no physical connection between the two structures and it is unlikely that a monastery would lack church within its precinct for the use of the resident monks. It seems more likely that the large structure identified as a monastery was actually a large and elaborate pilgrims' hospice on the pilgrimage route to Jerusalem (the main highway that connected Caesaria and Jerusalem). The "monastery" structure (A in the plan of the site) is located overlooking a village of the period. The church (F1), ca. 50 m to the southeast is closer to structures identified as village houses and bathhouse etc. (F), should probably be regarded as a village church that served the pilgrims as well and not as a monastic church (Taxel 2013).

State of certainty:

Uncertain / Questionable

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Large sections of the complex were excavated, including the church, courtyard and rooms, cisterns and industrial installations. The state of preservation was good with some walls remaining to a height of several courses.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Ḥ Zikhrin- view from the north (Fischer 1986:114).

Ḥ Zikhrin- capital from the monastery (Fischer 1986:115).

Figures

General description

Enclosing walls:

The complex is a rectangular structure (35 x 25 m).

Gate/s:

Entrance to the complex was in the north.

Courtyards:

The central courtyard (9 x 8 m) was surrounded by porticos. Four piers in the corners carried arches.

Dwellings:

A six rooms on the western side of the courtyard were apparently dwellings. These rooms could be entered from the courtyard via well-dressed doorways.

Refectory:

A large hall, paved with a polychrome mosaic was located on the eastern side of the courtyard. The hall was identified as a refectory by the excavator.

Storage facilities:

A subterranean hewn storeroom could be entered via a hewn staircase on the western side of the courtyard. The storeroom stretches under the whole of the complex's western wing. This space served originally in the Early Roman period as a burial. The space could be entered from the eastern part of the courtyard via a passage. Near the olive press, a facility for storage of implements was found. It contained fragments of jars, cooking pots, juglets and glass vessels, all typical of the Byzantine period. It also contained implements used in food preparation..

Hostelry:

East of the monastery structure a large structure was identified by the excavator as a hospice. The complex included a bathhouse and an olive press. According to the excavator, the complex was annexed to the monastery at some date and served as a pilgrims' hospice and an oil producing center.

Water installations:

Four cisterns were found in the complex. Adjoining its walls on the outside were several more cisterns. One of these was located in the eastern entrance to the storeroom. All of the cisterns had originally been natural caves that were hewn and plastered to adjust them for use.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

An olive press was found in the southern part of the complex. Several crushing installations were found and a pressing installation. A channel lead to a collecting vat. A second olive press was located east of the hospice complex. A crushing stone was found and a plaster floor with five storage jars, sunk into it, whose tops had been removed for easy access. In these jars a large amount of olive stones were found.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Stone vessels	Basalt grinding stones.
Pottery	Jars, jugs, cooking pots, juglets, large storage jars, fragments stamped with Christian motifs.
Glass	Fragments
Coins	Coins dated to the fourth century CE were found in the foundations.
Other	A large quantity of olive stones.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
875	Small

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Refectory

Dwelling type:

cells

Number of stories:

Bathhouse

Storage caves

Hostelry

Built paths

Agricultural installations:

oil press\es [=o/p]

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Gutters

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

Mid fifth century. It was active between the mid fifth and the Early Islamic period.

Dating material:

Pottery and numismatics.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Mid

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

Post conquest history comments:

The structure was partially ruined in the Early Islamic period and then repaired and used up to the fifteenth century. It is not clear in what capacity the complex functioned and when it ceased to serve as a monastery.