Tel Lavnin - Hermitage

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Tel Lavnin

Monastery name:

Hermitage

Monastery type:

Hermitage/hermitages

Monastery category:

Isolated in the countryside

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

194,956.00

616,267.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

144,952.00

116,266.00

Geographical region:

Shephelah

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Eleutheropolis

Topographical location:

Hill

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

5 km (Eleutheropolis)

Distance from nearest settlement:

5 km (Eleutheropolis)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 1 km east of the road connecting Beth Govrin-Eleutheropolis with Jerusalem.

Source of knowledge

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Grafitto on rock of Daniel in the lions' den, on the western wall of the northern cave.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Zissu	1998

Bibliograpy:

Zissu, B., 1999	563-73
Zissu, B., 1999	161-70 (English summary XIX-XX)
Taxel, I., 2008	57-73

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

a cave system in a good state of preservation, surveyed but not excavated.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Tel Lavnin- the inscription carved in the cave wall (Zissu 1999)

Figures

General description

Dwellings:

Carved into the wall of the former cistern are three openings into chambers that probably served as dwelling cells. West chamber- the total length, 7 m and maximum height is 2.5 m, the entrance is 1.9 m with carved crosses on either side of the entrance. The cell has a small front room split into 2 alcoves, one vaulted and the other an elongated cavern. South chamber- the entrance is 1 m wide and the chamber is oval with a maximum length of 3.6 m, and 2.8 m high. A large cross is carved in the center of the west wall. Crosses were also carved on both sides of the entrance. East chamber- an elongated cavern with a total length of 5.5 m, an average width of 1.7 m and a height of 2.2 m.

Cave/s:

The site, on a slope near Tel Lavnin, consists of two caves. A small carved out space serves both, with two staircases leading into the respective caves. The northern cave is bell-shaped (maximum height- about 7 m, greatest lower diameter- about 6 m) with a narrow staircase leading into it. The cave was plastered, attesting to the original use of this cave as a water cistern. The southern cave is likewise bell shaped (maximum height , to the debris- about 8 m, greatest lower diameter- about 6.5 m). A staircase descends into the cave. About 3.5 m above the visible bottom (top of debris), a shelf (0.5-2 m wide) runs along the wall. Carved into the wall are three openings into chambers that probably served as dwellings (see above).

Small finds

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Size class
Small

Components

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
No traces

Dwelling type:

caves

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Phase date

Century:

Early Christian / Byzantine

General outline:

There is no way of knowing when the hermitage was abandoned without further investigation. A purely speculative date would correspond with the abandonment of other monastic sites in the first half of the seventh century.

Phase date

Century:

Unknown