Herodion; Khirbet Firdaus; el Fureidis - Herodion

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Herodion; Khirbet Firdaus; el Fureidis

Monastery name:

Herodion

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Former fortress

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

22,310.00

61,929.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

17,310.00

11,929.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Hilltop

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 13 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 4 km (Tekoa-Thecoa)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 1.5 km east of the road connecting Jerusalem and En Gedi

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Thomsen	1907

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Corbo	1965-67

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1869	III: 122-32
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	315-16
Schick, C. and Benzinger, I., 1896	145-220
Thomsen, P., 1907	65
Corbo, V. C., 1963	219-77
Corbo, V. C., 1967	65-121
Foerster, G., 1975‎	510
Avi-Yonah, M., 1976
Ovadiah, A. and De Silva, C. G., 1981	218-19
Hirschfeld, Y., 1985
Zias, J., 1986	182-86
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	143
Schick, R., 1995	304
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	136-40

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

A small monastery was excavated inside the Herodian palace revealing a chapel, a bakery and some monastic cells.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Herodion- plan of the site (Corbo 1967: 75, fig. 8).

General description

Enclosing walls:

The monastery was enclosed within the Herodian palace walls.

Courtyards:

A large, cross shaped courtyard, originally belonging to the Herodian palace, is located south of the church and probably served the monastery.

Churche/s:

A small chapel (7.8 x 4.3 m) with a round external apse (2.6 m diameter) was constructed in the former Herodian fortress/palace, using the stones available at the site. The southern and western walls of the chapel are of the Herodian period. A small window opening was found in the southern wall where fragments of glass panes were found as well.

Dwellings:

Several dwelling cells were found in the excavation: A cell in the northern tower; a second cell beneath the reservoir in the tower; two cells in the apodyterium of the Herodian bathhouse; a cell in the tepidarium.

Baking oven:

The caldarium of the Herodian bathhouse was used as a bakery by the monks. A second oven was found south of the caldarium.

Water installations:

Some of the cisterns of the earlier fort were in use.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

A large furnace/kiln, originally from the time of the revolt against Rome, may have been in use in the Byzantine period.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Glass	Fragments of window pane were found in the chapel, near the window.
Pottery	Byzantine
Coins	A coin dated 600-601

Comments, discussion and summary:

Schick opined that the graffiti from the fourth to the sixth centuries found at the site suggest that the monks may have been Monophysites.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
2,290	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Dwelling type:

cells

Number of stories:

Latrines

Baking oven

Built paths

Water installations:

Cisterns

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A chapel and several cells formed the main part of the monastery.Corbo dated the monastery to the 5th - 7th centuries CE. No phasing was reported.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

General outline:

The monastery may have continued in use up to the late seventh century.

Dating material:

No finds later than Byzantine.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

Late

Post Arab conquest history:

Abandoned

Post conquest history comments:

Corbo suggested that the monastery may have continued to exist up to the end of the seventh century. Schick casts doubt on this assertion (Schick 1995: 304). The site was abandoned without violence.