Ein el-Skhaniya; Ein el-Sehyna - CAPARBARICHA (?)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Ein el-Skhaniya; Ein el-Sehyna

Identification:

The site has been suggested, among others, to be the monastery established by Euthymius near the village of Caparbaricha (Batz 2006: 99-104). According to Cyril of Scythopolis, this occured around the year 422 CE. The identification is based on Cyril's description, according to which, it was located between Aristobulias (Kh. Istabul) and Caparbaricha (the modern village of Bani Na'im). Hirschfeld suggested locating the monastery at Kh. Umm Rukba.

Monastery name:

CAPARBARICHA (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

216,217.00

597,335.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

166,197.00

97,345.00

Geographical region:

Hebron Hills

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Eleutheropolis

Topographical location:

The site is located in an area of hills, on a west facing, moderate slope.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 30 km (Beth Govrin-Eleutheropolis)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 5 km (Capharbaricha)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 4.5 km east of the road that connected the Beer Sheva valley with the Judean hills.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Euthymius cures a boy in the village of Aristobulias and a monastery is built for him between the latter and the village of Capharbaricha, early fifth century.
2	Euthymius leaves the monastery of Capharbaricha.

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Sar-Avi	1998
Batz	2006

Bibliograpy:

Sar-Avi, D., 1999

Batz, S., 2006

Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The site has not been excavated. A survey revealed remains of walls, constructed on two levels. The precinct forms an irregular quadrangle (ca. 40 x 25 m). Its western part was not preserved. On the eastern side the enclosing wall has survived in parts to a height of two meters.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Ein el-Sehyna (Ein el-Sakhaniya)- Batz 2006 after Sar Avi.

General description

Paths:

The site is reached via a wide road, preserved to a distance of 200 m, coming from Kh. Istabulia. Two staircases were hewn in the rock as part of the path.

Enclosing walls:

The complex is surrounded by a wall (40 x 25 m) encompassing an area of 1,000 sq.m. The structure has an east-west orientation. The walls were constructed of ashlars on the outer part. The eastern perimeter wall is a retaining wall built of particularly large stones, preserved in parts to a height of two courses.

Gate/s:

The main entrance to the monastery was from the west.

Courtyards:

A courtyard paved in a coarse white mosaic covered the area from the western gate to the chapel and between the chapel and the residential wing.

Tower/s:

Two towers were observed. The western tower (5 x 5 m) is located on a hill west of the main structure, it controls the approach to the monastery. A hewn threshold remains of the staircase that led to the tower. The second tower (4.5 x 5 m) is located in the northeastern corner of the central structure.

Churche/s:

The chapel (12.5 x 8 m according to Batz; 12.5 x 11m According to Sar-Avi) is located in the center of the monastery. It has an external, ashlar built apse opposite of which is a remaining section of plastered floor- bedding for a mosaic. Remains of a polychrome mosaic featuring geometric designs in red, black, yellow and white were found in the debris. Marble elements were found near the chapel. In the northwest part of the chapel there is an opening to a cave that served as a crypt.

Dwellings:

A rectangular structure (28 x 9 m) is located north of the chapel, at a slight angle to the it. The structure contains several rooms with white mosaic paving. These may have been dwellings. The northeastern cave, situated close to the chapel, had a constructed arch in it. The surveyor suggested that this served as a dwelling cell, perhaps of the abbot.

Refectory:

North of the chapel, there is an elongated structure (28 x 9 m) which was divided into rooms. It was suggested that the refectory was located in this area. This suggestion is based on sections of wall paintings found, which are reminiscent of those found at the refectory at Kh. ed Deir.

Burials:

A burial cave with three large arcosolia was hewn west of the main structure, under a natural terrace that borders the site on the west. The cave had been sealed with a rolling stone, only the groove remains today.

Cave/s:

Five hewn caves were located within the monastery complex.The ground level of the complex made use of these caves while the upper level was partially constructed on bedrock and partially supported by arches. In the western part of the complex, a cave was used for burial. A rail for a rolling stone was carved at the mouth of the cave, the rolling stone itself was found outside the cave. The northeastern cave, situated close to the chapel, had a constructed arch in it (see above, dwellings). A cave beneath the chapel served as a crypt (see above).

Water installations:

A system of hewn channels conveyed water from the nearby spring to the site. North of the site there is an aqueduct that collected runoff rain water. The surveyor suggested that this was for irrigating the monastery's garden. South of the site, in the riverbed there are some large dams (some are 3 m high) constructed of large stones.The largest of which is 5 x 8 m. Cisterns were found inside the precinct.

Garden:

The monastery's gardens were located north of the complex. Two terraces measuring 20 x 100 m each were fed by irrigation channels.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

30 m west of the structure there is a large winepress (treading floor and a collection vat). A second, smaller winepress was located north of the structure. Signs of quarrying were found near the spring.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Pottery	Shards dated to the 5-7th centuries including two of imported FBW dated to the fifth century.
Other	Roof tiles
Other	Tesserae

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
2,500	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Rolling stone:

at cave

Number of rolling stone:

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Dwelling type:

cells

Number of stories:

Tombs type:

Burial chamber

Arcosolium

Garden

Agricultural installations:

wine press\es [=w/p]

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Spring

Aqueduct

Painted plaster

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

The survey showed a walled complex with a chapel, two towers and some rooms.

Dating material:

Late fifth or early sixth century, based on pottery found in the survey.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Late

General outline:

Possibly abandoned as a result of the Arab conquest.

Phase date

Century:

7th-8th c.