Deir Dosi - THEODOSIUS

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Deir Dosi

Identification:

The remains found at Deir Dosi were identified in the nineteenth century as those of the monastery of Theodosius, by Tobler, Guérin and Schick. This identification is accepted by all scholars. The monastery was rebuilt towards the end of that century and the ancient remains completely destroyed (Hirschfeld 1990: 26-28, no.14).

Monastery name:

THEODOSIUS

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Desert

Pilgrims

Source of sacredness:

Founder's Tomb

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

22,590.00

62,551.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

17,590.00

12,551.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Level ground

Soils:

Rocky limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 9 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 6 km (Bethlehem)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 7 km east of the road connecting Jerusalem with Bethlehem.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	The genesis of the monastery, from a life of Theodosius written AD 530 by his disciple and re-edited ca. 559.
2	Description of the monastery and of the hospitality and care to the poor and the ailing given in it.
3	Peasants and beggars gather at the monastery to celebrate the memorial day of the Mother of God.
4	Theodosius builds a house for elderly monks and for those who have lost their minds. A hospital in Jericho is donated by a woman.
5	Theodosius sets up four churches in the monastery: for those who speak Greek, for Bessians, for Armenians and for those brothers who have lost their minds.
6	Theodosius lives apart in a small room in the monastery.
7	Donations of Ciricus, the Comes Orientis, to the monastery.
8	Theodosius goes into the desert and start as a hermit.
9	Theodosius receives a large donation and builds a hostel and a monastery, ca. AD 480.
10	After the death of Theodosius, AD 529, Sophronius becomes abbot of the monastery and builds a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
11	Young men are sent by Sabas to Theodosius.
12	Miracles of brother George the Cappadocian and father George the abbot of the monastery, from an early 7th cent. collection.
13	Elders of the coenobium tell stories about Abba Nonnus praying in the church at night.
14	Abba Christopher has a vision of candles on the floor of the burial cave of Theodosius.
15	Confused mention of the monastery of holy Theodosius in the area of Bethlehem, from an 8th cent. guidebook for pilgrims.
16	Mention of the monastery of St Theodosius and its former two churches among the inventory of monks in the Judean Desert, from an official report ordered in AD 808.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Invocation of Christ within a mosaic frame.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-69
Gérmer-Durand	1896
Schick	1877
Hirschfeld	1984

History:

The monastery of Theodosius was founded around a cave used by him for seclusion. Cyril of Scythopolis reports that the monastery was located six miles (8.9 km) from Jerusalem. The monastery established there was one of the largest monasteries of the Judean Desert. In its largest form it contained several churches, a hospital, a hospice for pilgrims, storerooms and other components. It is not known when the monastery was abandoned. It was still active in the early 9th century, based on the Commemoratorium de casis Dei. Due to the removal of almost the entirety of the ancient remains, when the monastery was rebuilt in the late 19th c, the monastery's abandonment date could not be verified. The remains were surveyed and documented by Schick and published by Marti (1880) providing a plan of the Byzantine period monastery.

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1869	88-92
Marti, K., 1880	34-37
Vailhé, S., 1900	19-48; 75-78; 272-92
Vincent, L. H. and Abel, F. M., 1914	28f
Weigand, E., 1914-1919	167-216
Crowfoot, J. W., 1941	72
Ovadiah, A., 1970	46-7
Hirschfeld, Y., 1988/89	95-104
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990	26-8
Zias, J., 1991	146-59
Hirschfeld, Y., 1992	15
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	110
Goldfus, H., 1997	191-92
Di Segni, L., 2001	31-6
Di Segni, L., 2005	25
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	106-7

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The monastery was rebuilt in the late nineteenth century, thereby eliminating most of the early remains. A section of massive wall (1.3 m thick) was found in a later survey. This had apparently been part of the original structure. The walls of the reservoir located about 700 m southeast of the monastery have been preserved to a height of 8.5 m.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Remains of the large reservoir (Hirschfeld 1990: 28, Fig. 32).

Figures

General description

Enclosing walls:

The monastery complex was surrounded by a wall. Remains of a second structure, surrounding a courtyard were located south of the main structure. The area enclosed in the walls was in two sections: the monastery (70 x 100 m) and the hostelry to its southeast (30 x 68 m). In total, the walls surrounded an area of some 9,000 sq.m.

Gate/s:

A gate was located in the eastern part of the enclosing wall.

Courtyards:

The structure identified south of the main building was built around an enclosed, inner courtyard.

Churche/s:

Three churches were identified, a central church and two smaller ones. According to the sources, there were four churches in the monastery. The central church was built over the burial cave of Theodosius.

Dwellings:

According to the description provided by Schick, in the late 19th century, dwelling cells and various storerooms surrounded the church.

Burials:

The tomb of Theodosius was apparently located beneath the central church. A burial cave was south of the main church and remains of sarcophagi were found scattered nearby.

Storage facilities:

According to the late 19th century description, storage facilities were located near the church.

Cave/s:

The tomb of Theodosius was apparently located in the cave that he had used when first settling in the area.

Hostelry:

The complex to the south of the main monastery was built around a central courtyard. The structure may have been the hostelry of the monastery.

Water installations:

A large reservoir (14 x 29 m x 10 m deep, interior measurements) with a capacity of 4000 m³, is situated about 700 m southeast of the monastery. It is rectangular with rounded corners. The reservoir was fed by a long channel which collected runoff water from the slope. The built walls are of excellent ashlar construction and are preserved to a height of 8.5 m. The walls are coated with thick layers of reddish hydraulic plaster. The reservoir is known in the present by the local population as "El Birkeh" meaning "the Pool". Hirschfeld opines that this was the water reservoir that served the monastery. Cisterns were located beneath the central church of the monastery.

Small finds

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
9,000	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Dwelling type:

cells

Storage facilities – warehouses

Hostelry

Hospital

Tombs type:

Burial chamber

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

General outline:

Theodosius settled in a cave around which a monastery was established in 479 CE.

Dating material:

Literary (see Literary Sources)

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Second half

General outline:

The monastery grew to include four churches, a hospital, a hospice for visitors, a section for aged monks and those who have "lost their minds". This took place during the lifetime of Theodosius who died in 529 CE.

Dating material:

Literary (see Literary Sources)

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

First half

General outline:

According to the literary sources, the monastery was still active in the early ninth century.

Dating material:

Literary

Phase date

Century:

12th c.

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use

Post conquest history comments:

The monastery continued in use after the Arab conquest up to the 12th century.