Phasaelis; Khirbet Fasayil - Monastery (?)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Phasaelis; Khirbet Fasayil

Identification:

No monastery is actually mentioned in the sources in the Phasael (Fasayil) valley. Moschus mentioned a church of St. Cyriac which was founded in the Phasael region (Pratum 92 [ed. Migne 2949 B-C]) and told of two monks in the area, one was George the Cappadocian from the monastery of Theodosius, who herded pigs in the region. The other, Peter the Grazer, when the church was enlarged to allow for his burial. The archaeological evidence is also not conclusive since no church was identified in the complex suggested to have been associated with the evidence given by Moschus. The site was first identified as a monastery by Augustinović who suggested the identification with the church of St. Cyriac (Hirschfeld 1990: 56, no. 42). In the opinion of Magen, the site is a monastery (Magen and Kagan 2012 I: 182, no. 60).

Monastery name:

Monastery (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

24,190.00

65,950.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

19,190.00

15,950.00

Geographical region:

Southern Jordan Valley

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Neapolis

Topographical location:

In the Jordan valley on relatively level ground.

Soils:

Rocky limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 20 km (Jericho).

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 0.5 km from the Jordan Valley road.

Source of knowledge

Literary sources

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1874-75
SWP	1871-77
Harder	1962
Kochavi	1967-68

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Hizmi	2011

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1875	I: 74-75
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883
Thomsen, P., 1907	113
Abel, F. M., 1913	218-43
Bar-Adon, P., 1972	106
Avi-Yonah, M., 1976	87
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990	56
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	203-204
Di Segni, L., 2007	381-401
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	182
Hizmi, H., 2012	165-67
Hizmi, H., 2016	137-70

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

The structure found at the edge of the Phasael valley, north of Jericho, was surveyd by Augustinović who suggested, based on the architecture, that the complex was a monastery. The site was partially excavated some years ago. The plan described by Augustinović and confirmed by Bar-Adon and the excavation by Hizmi is very suggestive of a monastery but the church's location at a distance and the absence of a church within the compelx itself casts some doubt on this identification.

State of certainty:

Uncertain / Questionable

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The structure was partially excavated, it was mostly in a poor state of preservation.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

General description

Enclosing walls:

The large compound, ca. 70 x 70 m consists of two parts separated by a wall.

Gate/s:

A large impressive entryway was uncovered in the dividing wall between the two units.

Courtyards:

Each of the two units possessed a large courtyard in its center.

Tower/s:

A tower is located in a corner of the structure.

Churche/s:

A church was excavated some 80 m notheast of the structure with no direct link to it.

Dwellings:

The courtyards of both units were surrounded by rows of rooms. The rooms of the northern unit, along the dividing wall, showed evidence of piers on which arches supported the roof beams.

The rooms in the southern unit were smaller than those of the northern unit.

Kitchen:

A room in the northeastern corner of the northern unit had four stoves.

Water installations:

A pool and a channel were found nearby.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category
Inscription - see under epigraphy

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
4,900	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
			Ground floor

Kitchen

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Dating material:

An inscription dated according to the Byzantine World Creation era to 728 CE. At this point it cannot be said whether this is the date of the mosaic floor alone, or the date of erection of the church .

Phase date

Century:

8th c.

Within century:

Early

Phase date

Century:

Unknown