Khirbet Umm Zaqum; Khirbet Umm Zaquma - Monastery

Vertical tabs

Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Khirbet Umm Zaqum; Khirbet Umm Zaquma

Monastery name:

Monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Former ruin

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

24,498.00

64,967.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

19,498.00

114,967.00

Geographical region:

Southern Jordan Valley

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Regio Jericho

Topographical location:

On a low hill in the Jordan Valley.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 9 km (Jericho)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 0.3 km from the road connecting Jericho with Beth Shean-Scythopolis.

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Bar-Adon	1967-1968

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Husseini	1948
Peleg	2005-2006

Bibliograpy:

Avi-Yonah, M., 1935	190
Shantor, B., 1971	23
Bar-Adon, P., 1972‎	110
Ovadiah, A. and De Silva, C. G., 1981	236-37
Reich, R., 1985	212-13
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990	57
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	225
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	226-29
Peleg, Y., 2012	235-60

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The site, a monastery built adjacent to the remains of a Late Roman mausoleum, was not well preserved. The mausoleum, the chapel and some of the installations surrounding them were excavated. The walls consisted of mud-brick over a foundation of stone. This probably accounts for the poor state of preservation.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Umm Zakum- plan of the site (Peleg 2012: 236, Fig. 1).

Kh. Umm Zakum- detailed plan and sections (Peleg 2012: 237. Fig. 2)

General description

Enclosing walls:

The site consisted of two complexes (northern complex and southern complex) with a perimeter wall encompassing each of them. The enclosing wall of the northern complex survived in the north and east with some parts preserved in the south and west.

In the southern complex, only the southwestern wall (w 126) is partially preserved.

Courtyards:

It may be assumed, based on the design of other monasteries, that the trapezoidal "hall" excavated (L1005) served as a courtyard of the northern complex.

Tower/s:

In the southeastern corner of the southern complex there is a square structure (5.5 x 5.5 m), its walls, like the rest of the walls at the site, of mud-bricks surmounting a foundation of stone. The structure may have served as a watchtower.

Churche/s:

The chapel (10.70 x 4.90 m.) is located in the northern part of the complex, west of the mausoleum. An auxiliary room adjoins it on its southwestern side.

Dwellings:

Some rooms were partially exposed.

Water installations:

A hewn and plastered cistern (5 m diameter at the bottom and at least 3.10 m deep; minimum 40 m³ capacity) was located some 1.55 m to the west of the church's auxiliary room. A rectangular pool (4.1 x 3.2 m inner dimensions, its depth unknown) was located 2 m west of the chapel. A channel reached the pool from the northwest. The water source is unknown since only seven meters of the channel were discerned. An additional cistern was located in the center of the southern complex. The cistern was not excavated. It had a round opening 1.10 m in diameter and its present depth is about 1.5 m. A plastered channel conducted water to a collecting pit (0.95 x 075 m) continuing from there as a ceramic pipe 2.9 m long which led the water to the cistern.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Pottery	Domestic ware from the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods, mostly found south of the chapel.
Other	A round terracotta tablet engraved on one side with deep lines. The function of the item is not known, possibly a sundial.
Glass	Fragments of glass from the area south of the chapel.
Other	Metal objects, glass, jewllery, bone and fabrics were found in the mausoleum, dating to the fourth to early sixth centuries.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
1,665	Medium

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Brick

Components

Enclosing wall

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Number of stories:

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Water capacity (minimal) (cubic m):

Painted plaster

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Phase name (as published):

Phase II

General outline:

The monastery was established adjacent to a Late Roman mausoleum in the early sixth century CE. No sub phases were discerned in the monastic stage of the site.

Dating material:

Early sixth century CE Based on the pottery.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Early

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

General outline:

The monastery ceased to function, apparently in the early seventy century CE. It was apparently destroyed by fire attested by the decomposed bitumen elements.

Dating material:

Based on the finds.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

Early

Post Arab conquest history:

Ceased to function

Post conquest history comments:

The site was occupied in the Early Islamic period. Some modifications were made to the structure. Architectural elements of bitumen were taken from the chapel (fragments of chancel screen, table legs) and used in a water channel.