Deir 'Arabi (Khirbet Deir el-‘Arab) - ARABS (?)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Deir 'Arabi (Khirbet Deir el-‘Arab)

Identification:

Bagatti suggested identifying the site with the “Monastery of the Arabs” mentioned in the writings of the Monophysites (Bagatti 2002: 149-150).

Monastery name:

ARABS (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

20,160.00

65,750.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

15,160.00

15,750.00

Geographical region:

Southern and Western Samaria

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Diospolis

Topographical location:

The site is located on a spur in the hill area of Samria.

Soils:

limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 12 km (Lod-Diospolis)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 2 km south of the road connecting Lod-diospolis with the Samarian hills.

Source of knowledge

Literary sources

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Schneider	1933
Kochavi	1967-1968
Finkelstein, Lederman and Bunimvitz	1981-1985

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Itah	1993

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1874-1875	113-15
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1882	311-13
Schneider, A. M., 1933	152-160
Kochavi, M. and Ovadiah, R., 1972	234
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994
Finkelstein, I., Bunimvitz, S. and Lederman, Z., 1997	171
Itah, M. and Baruch, Y., 2001	159-70
Bagatti, B., 2002	149-50
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	184-6
Dayan, A., 2015	86

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

At the time of the SWP, the walls were standing at a height of 3-4 courses.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

General description

Enclosing walls:

The structure is encompassed by walls (71.3 x 35.9 m with an area of 2559 m²), constructed of well dressed ashlars with an inner core of rubble,

Gate/s:

The main gate was in the southern wall. Entrance was through the western courtyard. A second gate was located in the northern wall of the complex. A short corridor led from the gate into the main courtyard.

Courtyards:

The main courtyard (36 x 14.2 m) was walled and paved with stone slabs. The courtyard was entered from the south, where the main gate was located.

Tower/s:

The structure had two towers, reported by Guérin, although their location is unclear. According to SWP, one tower was located southwest of the complex.

Churche/s:

The chapel was located in the center of the complex. It consisted of a rectangular hall (17 x 6.7 m) with a single internal apse and an entrance in the northern wall. A narrow corridor ran along the chapel's southern wall.

Dwellings:

A number of rooms were located along the western and eastern walls of the complex. The rooms on the eastern side seem to form long and narrow halls. It may be suggested that these served as dormitories.

Burials:

Beneath the chapel there is a hewn chamber (ca. 1 x 2 m) that contains three arcosolia. The burial chamber is entered from outside the church, on its southern side.

Water installations:

A hewn cistern was located north of the chapel and two reservoirs west of the courtyard. The largest reservoir was ca. 29 x 18 m and ca. 4.8 m deep. A smaller reservoir was to its south. Both reservoirs were constructed of large stones and plastered. A hewn channel,some 2.5 m deep led water to the reservoirs from a collection area outside the monastery.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

A winepress was found in the north of the courtyard, paved with a white mosaic.

Small finds

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
2,560	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Baptismal font

Dwelling type:

dormitory

Number of stories:

Tombs type:

Burial chamber

Arcosolium

Agricultural installations:

wine press\es [=w/p]

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

The site consists of a church, two towers, cisterns, a complex of rooms and a winepress.

Dating material:

Schneider suggested dating the monastery to the mid sixth century CE, based on the structure's character.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Mid

Phase date

Century:

Unknown