Khirbet Fa'ush - Monastery (?)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Khirbet Fa'ush

Monastery name:

Monastery (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Pilgrims

Former fortress

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

20,391.00

64,521.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

15,392.00

11,452.00

Geographical region:

Southern and Western Samaria

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Diospolis

Topographical location:

On the southern slope of a hill on the lower reaches of Samarian Hills.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 15 km (Lod-Diospolis)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 0.3 km south of the road connecting Jaffa with Jerusalem.

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Baramki	1930
Hussieni	1933
Magen and Finkelstein	1986

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Har-Even	2005

History:

The site had been occupied from the Second Temple period to the Mamluk period. A church was built during the Byzantine period, suggested to have belonged to a monastery. In the early Islamic period, the settlement continued to exist but the church had gone out of use, pointing to a non Christian population.

Bibliograpy:

Magen, Y. and Finkelstein, I., 1993	32
Magen, Y., 2008	199-200
Har-Even, B. and Shapira, L., 2012	327-44
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	251-54
Dayan, A., 2015	112

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

In early surveys it was suggested that the site had been a monastery or a farmstead. The excavators did not present such a suggestion (Har-Even and Shapira 2012: 334) only stating that the settlement was Christian. Elsewhere, it was suggested that Kh. Fa'ush was a hospice situated on the main road to Jerusalem (Magen and Kagan 2012 I: 253).

State of certainty:

Uncertain / Questionable

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Only the church was excavated.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Khirbet Fa'ush- plan of the church (Magen and Kagan 2012 I: 252, no. 122)

General description

Tower/s:

A massive Late Roman tower is located west of the church.

Churche/s:

The basilical church (16.5 x 12 m) was constructed within a pre-existing public building of the Late Roman period. The church exhibits two construction phases. It had three entrances from the west and an additional one from the south. Some of these were blocked off in the later phase. The church was paved with polychrome mosaics, segments of which were preserved. The bema was made of architectural elements in secondary use. The apse was semicircular in its first phase, it was enlarged in the second phase and its external contour became polygonal. Benches were constructed along the lengths of the aisles in the second phase.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

East of the church, remains of agricultural installations were found including an improved winepress.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Pottery	Vessels (Their nature not published).
Glass	Glass vessels (their nature not published).
Stone vessels	Vessels and other artifacts.
Coins	191 coins in four hoards, found in the tower and in the church, the latest of which is dated to 454-474 CE.

Detailed description

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Materials applied (roofing):

tiles

timber

Components

Tower/s

Monastery church:

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

Number of stories:

Agricultural installations:

wine press\es [=w/p]

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

Phase name (as published):

Phase IIIa

General outline:

The church was established in a Late Roman public structure.

Dating material:

Based on the numismatics.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

First half

Phase name (as published):

Phase IIIb

General outline:

The apse was enlarged and the bema transversed. New mosaics were laid and the southern doorway blocked. Benches were added along the lateral walls.

Dating material:

Based on the numismatics.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Late

General outline:

An oil press was installed in the north part of the church in the Umayyad period.

Phase date

Century:

7th-8th c.

Post Arab conquest history:

Ceased to function