Nessana - SS. Sergius and Bacchus (North Church monastery)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Nessana

Identification:

The church and monastery located to the north of the fort on the acropolis of Nessana was named for Saints Sergius and Bacchus based on the Nessana papyri. Graffiti bearing the name of St. Sergius, a popular soldier-saint, found in rooms south of the church may indicate that the church, before the monastery was established, was constructed for the use of the garrison (suggested by the excavators). A great many inscriptions from other parts of the complex refer to St. Sergius and some to St. Stephan. Only one inscription, however, refers to St. Bacchus (inscr. 89, Colt 1962: 171).

Monastery name:

SS. Sergius and Bacchus (North Church monastery)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Pilgrims

Source of sacredness:

Sacred Objects

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

145,681.00

531,985.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

95,677.00

31,983.00

Geographical region:

Central Negev

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina III

Bishopric:

Elusa

Topographical location:

On a hilltop forming the upper city of Nessana.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

31 km (Elusa)

Distance from Roman roads:

Adjacent to the road leading from Gaza to Sinai.

Source of knowledge

Literary sources

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Palmer	1871
wooley and Lawrence	1914-1915

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Colt	1935-1936

History:

The site, located north of the fort on the acropolis of Nessana, served originally only as a church. According to the excavators, the graffiti naming St. Sergius, a popular soldier-saint, might indicated that it was constructed for the use of the garrison. In its first phase, the church is dated to the mid fifth century CE. It is not clear when the location became a monastery, nor did the excavators identify it as such, but the church was expanded several times and the complex around it was expanded in the sixth century. It may be assumed that this was the time of the establishment of the monastery. Based on Umayyad coins found in the complex it continued to function into the Early Islamic period.

Bibliograpy:

Palmer, E. H., 1871	3-80
Woolley, C. L. and Lawrence, T. E., 1914-1915	119-21
Colt, H. D., 1936	216-20
Kraemer, C. J., 1958
Colt, H. D. and et alii, 1962	17-20; 33-43; 137-72
Ovadiah, A., 1970	145-47
Shershevsky, J., 1986
Urman, D. and Harpak, T., 1994	45-52
Figueras, P., 1995	425-429
Di Segni, L., 1997	771-87
Goldfus, H., 1997	81-89
Urman, D., 2004
Patrich, J., 2006	341-93
Stroumsa, R., 2008
Ruffini, G., 2011	201-25

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

It is noteworthy that the Colt expedition did not at any point regard the complex as a monastery. Its monastic identification can be deduced from the plan but more explicitly from an inscribed, dated tombstone mentioning "Sergius son of Paticius priest and hegumen..." located in the east end of the north aisle of the church, and a second, mentioning Paticius son of Sergius, also a priest and hegumen (Colt 1962: 140; Di Segni 1997, no. 305). Although there is a long list of small finds from the excavations at Nizzana, the exact provenance of the separate items was not mentioned in the publication (Colt 1962, vol. I).

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Like other structures in Nessana, the church and its monastery were badly damaged during WWI and most of its stones were plundered. The excavations of the Colt team revealed the complex in its entirety.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

General description

Enclosing walls:

The entire complex was surrounded by a wall (ca. 40 x 40 m) enclosing an area of at least 1600 m².

Gate/s:

The entrance to the early part of the complex (the church) was through a double doorway into a roofed entrance hallway. When the monastery was constructed, the entrance was moved to the eastern part of the southern wall. A secondary entrance was located in the eastern part of the northern wall.

Courtyards:

A large courtyard was located north of the church with a cistern in its center, in the second phase this courtyard became a baptistery. A second, smaller courtyard was found south of the church and a third, long and almost rectangular courtyard to its north.

Churche/s:

A basilical church was located in the center of the complex. According to the excavators, the church was first constructed over earlier remains. Its original construction was of poor quality, making use of stones from the earlier structure and of relatively soft limestone. Two rooms holding tombs were constructed to its south. An inscription dated to 464 CE refers to the room as a martyrium.

The church has a single apse, paved with marble. In its first phase there was a small narthex which was later used to extend the church. A baptistery was added outside to the west. In its last phase, the church was paved with opus sectile (porphyry, slate and fine yellow limestone).

Dwellings:

A large complex of rooms surrounding the church was unearthed, most of the rooms are elongated. Although no dwellings were suggested by the excavators, it seems that the long rectangular hall north of the church (North Gallery on the plan) could be a good candidate for a dormitory.

Burials:

Six trough tombs were found in the rooms south of the church (rooms 14 and 16), two of which bear inscriptions (one dated to 464 CE). The two rooms located between the church and the burial rooms had inscriptions naming St. Sergius and to a lesser extent, St. Stephan. Two burials were unearthed in the north aisle of the church and one in the south aisle. A seventh burial was located at the entrance to the complex south of the church. The burial inscriptions span the years 464-630 CE.

Water installations:

A large cistern was located in the eastern courtyard with channels leading into it. A second, smaller cistern was found near the southern wall of the church, this too had channels leading into it.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy
Papyrii	The Nessana papyri were found in room 8 of the monastery complex.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
1,600	Medium

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Materials applied (roofing):

timber

slabs

Components

Enclosing wall

Gate/s:

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
basilical	Diakonikon	Nessana - SS. Sergius and Bacchus (North church)	Ground floor

Baptismal font

Dwelling type:

dormitory

Tombs type:

Burial chamber

Retaining walls

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

Phase name (as published):

The first series of additions

General outline:

The church and burial chambers apparently pre-existed the monastery, constructed in the mid fifth century, based on an inscription on a tomb. The inscription only mentions a priest "...Thomas, priest of this holy martyrium..." indicating that it was not a monastery at this point in time. In what may have been the first phase of the monastery, the small chapel north of the church, a baptistery and three rooms were constructed. The roof of the church had originally been covered, like other rooms in the complex with stone slabs. In this phase, the floor of the church was raised and the roof was changed to timber. The church was apparently enlarged, cancelling out the narthex. The rooms south of the church were constructed on fill held by a retaining wall.

Dating material:

Based on an abacus inscribed with the date 601, found in the baptistery and apparently belonging to this phase, the establishement of the monastery can be dated to the begining of the seventh century CE.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

Early

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

Phase name (as published):

The second series of additions

General outline:

The size of the complex was nearly doubled. Rooms, the northern courtyard and two staircases were added. According to the excavators, there was no second story and the stairs led to open galleries on the roof. The construction of this phase was far superior to the earlier phases. The stone used in this construction was a hard limestone well dressed. East of the church, some rooms including a large hall and a courtyard were constructed and supported by massive retaining walls over the steep slope. The eastern courtyard contained a large cistern. Sometime later a deep well was dug in the northern part of the complex and strong retaining walls added.

Dating material:

A limestone slab with an inscription mentioning the architect, son of Victor and others involved in the construction. The inscription marks the end of the construction and was dated to 605 CE (Colt 1962: 165)

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Dating material:

Based on papyri dated to 687-689

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

Late

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use