Bethany; El 'Eizariya; - LAZARION

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Bethany; El 'Eizariya;

Identification:

The village of Bethany, on the eastern slopes of the Mt. of Olives, was the location of events in the life of Jesus (Matthew 26, 6-13; Luke 10, 38-42; John 11, 1-46; 12, 1-8). The place of the tomb of Lazarus, who was brought back to life by Jesus, became a place of worship as early as the fourth century. It was known as the LAZARION, in his memory.

Monastery name:

LAZARION

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Pilgrims

Source of sacredness:

New Testament site

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

224,399.00

631,004.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

174,395.00

131,003.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Slope

Soils:

Rocky limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 3 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from Roman roads:

Near the road leading from Jerusalem to Jericho.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Mention of local monks welcoming the bishop on the Lazarus Saturday celebrations at the Lazarium at Bethany, from an itinerary of AD 381-384.
2	Mention of the great church and monastery built over the Lazarus' tomb at Bethany, from an itinerary of ca. AD 681-684, composed ca. 698.
3	Mention of the church and large monastery built over Lazarus' tomb at Bethany, from a geographical work compiled AD 702-703.
4	Mention of the church and monastery built on Lazarus' tomb, from an itinerary of ca. AD 867-870.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1874-1875
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Magen and Finkelstein	1993

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Saller	1949; 1953

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1874-1875	163-81
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	27-8
Saller, S. J., 1957	1-66
Bagatti, B., 1962	63-5
Bagatti, B., 1968	169-76
Storme, A., 1969
Ovadiah, A., 1970	29-31
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982	125-6
Storme, A. , 1992
Magen, Y. and Finkelstein, I., 1993
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994
Schick, R., 1995
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	49-51

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Although the church was excavated, no remains of the monastery were identified. The monastery is known from literary sources.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

General description

Churche/s:

Two churches of the Byzantine period were built at the site (an early 4th c. church and a later 5th c church), Both churches were basilical with an annexed chapel.

Small finds

Detailed description

Components

Monastery church:

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

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

Although the site was excavated and its church revealed, remains of the monastery were scant. The earliest church was dated by the excavators to the fourth century. Based on the description of the pilgrim Egeria, monks were already present at the site in the late fourth century but whether or not they were local or had arrived from somewhere else is hard to judge.

Dating material:

Literary sources.

Phase date

Century:

4th c.

Within century:

Second half

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use

Post conquest history comments:

The church apparently continued to in use in the early Islamic period although nothing is known of a monastery. The church was rebuilt in the Crusader period and an abbey established.