Khirbet Siyar el-Ghanam; Khirbet es-Siyar el-Ghanam (Roman Catholic) - SHEPHERDS' FIELD

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Khirbet Siyar el-Ghanam; Khirbet es-Siyar el-Ghanam (Roman Catholic)

Monastery name:

SHEPHERDS' FIELD

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Para Urban

Pilgrims

Former ruin

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

22,205.00

62,448.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

17,205.00

12,448.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Level ground

Soils:

limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 6 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 2 km (Bethlehem)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 3 km east of the road passing through Bethlehem.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Anecdotes about the ascetic Posidonius living "beyond the Field", from a collection written AD 419-420.
2	Mention of the monastery "of the Flock", from an 8th cent. guidebook for pilgrims.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Invocation of the Lord and Psalms quotation in the mosaic pavement of the bakery (Room 44).
2	Two fragmentary inscriptions on two pieces of ceramic, found in Room 55 outside the northern wall and in Cave 69.
3	Two very fragmentary inscriptions on a stone altar (CIIP no. 3288) and on a small piece of a stone vessel (no. 3289), not included.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Guarmani	1858
Corbo	1951-1952; 1954

Bibliograpy:

Corbo, V. C., 1954	570
Corbo, V. C., 1955
Ovadiah, A., 1970	124-25
Schick, R., 1995
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	98-99

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The site consists of a rectangular compound. The northern and central parts of the complex were almost completely destroyed. At the time of excavation, vestiges of the encompassing wall were still visible. Of the church, only the apse has survived.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Kh. Siyar el Ghanam - construction phases of the monastery (Magen and Kagan 2012 II: 98).

General description

Enclosing walls:

The enclosing walls form an irregular rectangle measuring around 80 x 42 m.

Gate/s:

Entrance to the monastery is from the south. A 6 m wide staircase leads from the gate to a courtyard.

Courtyards:

Six steps led from the entrance to a courtyard paved in stone slabs.

Churche/s:

The church is located in the northeastern part of the monastery. The apse of the church, the only part to survive, is external and an irregular polygon. It is built of ashlars with bosses, in secondary use. Corbo raised the possibilty that the stones had been taken from the Constantinian Church of the Nativity, dismantled by Justinian. Among the elements belonging to the church were a large lintel inscribed with crosses, fragments of two altars (one of red stone, the other of white marble with traces of a Greek inscription), colored glass tesserae.

Dwellings:

Corbo identified dwellings in the southern part of the complex.

Water installations:

Several cisterns and pools were noted by Corbo, both inside the complex and external to it. Channels leading to these were also noted.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

Winepresses were found in the southern wing and dated to the second phase of the structure. Near the presses a room with coarse white mosaic paving contained a Greek inscription.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy
Pottery	Dated to the first to eighth centuries: storage jars, amphorae, cooking pots, bowls plates, jars, jugs and fragments of stamped Terra sigilata.
Coins	Roman, Jewish of the First Revolt, Umayyad.
Stone vessels	Mortar and pestles, press weights, additional fragments of stone vessels and small stone weights. Lid of an ossuary. Basalt biconic mill.
Glass	Fragments of bottles and flasks.
Oil lamps	Herodian and Byzantine, some complete. Fragments of lamp holders.
Metal objects	Nails, a large bronze hinge
Jewelry	A gold ring, originally with a set stone. The ring was engraved with "St. George" on one side. On the other side, in Arabic "Sabella"
Bones	Carved bone plaques used for decorating a box.
Other	Glass tesserae

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
3,360	Large

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

Dwelling type:

cells

Agricultural installations:

wine press\es [=w/p]

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

General outline:

Only the foundations of the church’s inner apse and a number of rooms in the southern part of the monastery survived.

Dating material:

Dated by Corbo to the late fourth – early fifth centuries CE based on the architecture and coins.

Phase date

Century:

4th-5th c.

General outline:

Some architectural changes were made.The entrance to the monastery was from the south. Six steps led to a courtyard paved in stone slabs.

Dating material:

Dated to the sixth to eighth centuries CE.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

General outline:

The monastery continued to function well into the Early Islamic period. It was abandoned sometime in the eight century CE. Corbo noted signs of conflagration.

Dating material:

Based on numismatics.

Phase date

Century:

8th c.

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use