Eboda; Oboda; 'Avdat; Abda (Southern church) - ST. THEODORE

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Eboda; Oboda; 'Avdat; Abda (Southern church)

Identification:

The southern church of Avdat was dedicated to St. Theodore, a popular warrior saint. This is based on several inscriptions, one of these, on a tombstone of Zacharias son of John, refers to the church as the "Martyrium of St. Theodore" (Negev 1981: 30, 36, 38, Nos. 17, 26, 31).

Monastery name:

ST. THEODORE

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

178,184.00

52,266.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

128,180.00

10,226.00

Geographical region:

Central Negev

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina III

Bishopric:

Elusa

Topographical location:

Near the edge of a plateau.

Soils:

limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 36 km (Elusa)

Distance from Roman roads:

0.5 km east of the road leading southwards from Gaza.

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Palmer	1870
Musil	1902
Jaussen, Savignac and Vincent	1904
Woolley and Lawrence	1914
Wiegand	1916

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Negev	1959-1961

Bibliograpy:

Jaussen, A., Savignac, R. and Vincent, L. H., 1904	403-24
Musil, A., 1908	115-20
Woolley, C. L. and Lawrence, T. E., 1914-1915	94, 97, 101-103
Wiegand, T., 1920	85-95
Crowfoot, J. W., 1941	70
Avi-Yonah, M., 1960	378-81
Ovadiah, A., 1970	24-6
Negev, A., 1978	87-126
Negev, A., 1981
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982	124
Negev, A., 1997	122-52
Di Segni, L., 1997	861-62
Goldfus, H., 1997	70-80
Schick, R., 1995
Patrich, J., 2006	341-93
Ashkenazi, J. and Aviam, M., 2017	117-33

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The southern church is located in the upper city of 'Avdat. it was excavated almost in its entirety. The state of preservation at the time of the excavation was very good.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Avdat-reconstructed chancel screen (Negev 1997, phot. 198)

Avdat- the reconstructed altar table (Negev 1998, phot. 201).

Figures

Avdat south church from Jaussen et al, early twentieth century.

General description

Enclosing walls:

The monastery complex is enclosed (ca. 62.5 x 35 m) preventing direct access to the church from other parts of the settlement.

Gate/s:

According to the excavator, the monastery had four entrances: 1. the main entrance through a doorway at the southeastern corner of the atrium, 2. from a courtyard at the southern end of the northern wall, 3. from a courtyard through narrow vestibule into the atrium, 4. south of the church, two semi circular steps lead up to the gate. A heavy lintel in situ is adorned with a swastika.

Courtyards:

A large atrium (17 x 12 m) forms the main courtyard of the compound. It is paved in flagstones. Colonnades stood on three sides: east, north and south. The porticos of the atrium may have supported a balcony. There is a staircase at the southeastern corner of the atrium of which three steps and a landing remain. A small courtyard was constructed within the monastery.

Tower/s:

Room 8 was apparently the earliest element in the complex. This is a tower (5.85 x 6.10 m, external measurements). A flight of stairs against the northern wall led to the upper story.

Churche/s:

The basilica (12.88 x 18.35 m, excluding the apse) had three entrances from the atrium. Two large Nabatean capitals were found, in secondary use. The basilica was paved in small carefully fitted stone slabs. A bench was built along the entire length of the northern wall. Two pastophoria flank the apse, both of which were dedicated to the cult of martyrs.

Dwellings:

The monastery consists of rows of rooms surrounding the atrium on three sides: north, south and west, no specific rooms have been identified as dwellings.

Burials:

The church was used for burials from 541 CE. Seven graves were uncovered in the church area: I in the southern room flanking the central apse; 4 in the aisles (2 on each side); 2 in the narthex. The graves were constructed of stone slabs and covered by marble and limestone. Remains of clothing and gold earrings were discovered in one grave, along with the remains of a male and a female.

Storage facilities:

Room 15 was apparently a storeroom, based on the large number of storage jars fragments, bowls and glass vessels.

Baking oven:

An oven was discovered in the northwestern corner of Room 4. This room was open to the sky.

Water installations:

A cistern beneath the atrium was hewn into the rock (6 x 5.2 m 3.5 m deep. Capacity of about 110 m³). The cistern was plastered with reddish plaster and decorated with a mosaic cross. The floor of the atrium sloped towards the mouth of the cistern to collect runoff water.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy
Pottery	Storage jars and bowls of red ware were found in Room 15
Stone vessels	Two loom weights were found in the church. A cylindrical limestone container with a lid, for keeping wine or oil, found in one of the rooms of the monastery.
Glass	Numerous fragments
Bones
Jewelry	A pair of gold earrings in a grave.
Other	Remains of clothing.
Other	charred remains of wooden beams.

Small finds illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
2,187	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Materials applied (roofing):

timber

stone

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Number of stories:

Storage facilities – warehouses

Baking oven

Tombs type:

Cist tomb

Water installations:

Cisterns

Water capacity (minimal) (cubic m):

110

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

Constructed in the fifth century CE. The monastery that occupied a complex of rooms on the southern and western sides of the atrium was founded sometime later. The exact foundation date is not known.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

General outline:

Oboda was destroyed in the Arab conquest in 636 CE.

Dating material:

The remains of the southern church and monastery show signs of destruction including charred remains of wooden beams.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

First half

Post Arab conquest history:

Abandoned