Khirbet ed Duweir (Samaria hills) - Monastery

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Khirbet ed Duweir (Samaria hills)

Monastery name:

Monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

20,720.00

66,140.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

15,720.00

16,140.00

Geographical region:

Southern and Western Samaria

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Neapolis

Topographical location:

On a spur some 4 km west of Deir Ghassane.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

30 km (Lod-Diospolis)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 5 km east of the road connecting Lod-Diospolis with Shechem-Neapolis.

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Finkelstein, Lederman and Bunimovitz	1981-1985

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1875	151-52
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1882	333
Ovadiah, A., 1970	109
Bagatti, B., 1979
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982	148
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	114
Finkelstein, I., Bunimvitz, S. and Lederman, Z., 1997
Bagatti, B., 2002
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	155-57

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. The perimeter walls remained to a height of 4 m. A chapel was noted and remains of an oil press and a baptismal font were located to the south of the complex.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Kh. ed Duweir- general plan (Magen and Kagan 2012 I:155, no. 41)

General description

Enclosing walls:

The site is rectangular, surrounded by a wall (30 x 20 m), built of ashlars and remaining to a height of 4 m. It is divided into two parts (north and south) by a wall.

Gate/s:

According to the survey, the compound had four entrances. One of these led to a vaulted room above a cave. A second gate led to the couryard in front of the chapel. The main entrance was apparently in the north.

Courtyards:

An open space in the northern part of the compound probably served as a courtyard. A second courtyard served as an atrium in front of the chapel.

Churche/s:

A chapel with an internal apse is located in the southern part of the complex. A partially hewn and partially constructed baptismal font was found to the south of the compound.

Dwellings:

Rooms in the southern part of the compound are located along its western and southern walls. Another room was noted in the southwestern corner of the northern part.

Cave/s:

A cave is located in the northeastern corner of the compound. A vaulted room was constructed above the cave.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

Remains of an oil press were found south of the compound.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Other	Tesserae

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
600	Small

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Baptismal font

Number of stories:

Agricultural installations:

oil press\es [=o/p]

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A rectangular compound (30 x 20 m), built of ashlars with walls remaining to a height of four m. The complex is divided into two wings: northern and southern. A chapel, rooms, caves, a courtyard and a winepress form the components of the complex.

Dating material:

The site was not excavated.

Phase date

Century:

Early Christian / Byzantine

Phase date

Century:

Unknown

Post conquest history comments:

An oil press testifies to the site's continued existence into the Early Islamic period although the identity of the occupants is not known.