Thecoa; Kh. Tekoa; Teqo'a - Monastery

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Thecoa; Kh. Tekoa; Teqo'a

Identification:

The site of Teko'a (Thecoa) was identified in Byzantine tradition as the burial place of the prophet Amos, mentioned by Eusebius (On. 98.17) and by Adamnan, based on the testimony of Arculf (De Locis Sanctis L2). We cannot know if the monastery was named for this Old Testament prophet but the possibility should not be ruled out.

Monastery name:

Monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Source of sacredness:

Old Testament site

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

22,010.00

61,570.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

17,010.00

11,570.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Hill

Soils:

limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 20 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 0.5 km (Tecoa)

Distance from Roman roads:

Near the road leading south from Jerusalem

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Robinson and Smith	1841
Guérin	1868-69
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Tristram	1882
Gutterlin	1921
Kochavi	1972
Hirschfeld	1984

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Escobar	1968

Bibliograpy:

Robinson, E. and Smith, E., 1841	III: 182-84
Guérin, V., 1869	III: 141-48
Tristram, H. B., 1882	392
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	368-69
Thomsen, P., 1907	68
Abel, F. M., 1938	II: 478-79
Editor, 1968	14
Kochavi, M. and Ovadiah, R., 1972	47
Avi-Yonah, M., 1976	99
Escobar, J., 1976	5-19
Wilkinson, J., 1977	173
Avi-Yonah, M., 1984	104
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1984	148
Hirschfeld, Y., 1985	63-66
Bagatti, B., 2002	64-67
Di Segni, L., 2007	381-401
Seligman, J., 2011
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	157-59

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

A partial excavation revealed a church, a courtyard with five cisterns to its north and several rooms on its south and west. A large baptismal font was found in front of the church.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Kh. Tekoa- general plan (Magen and Kagan 2012 II: 158, no. 258.1).

General description

Courtyards:

A courtyard is located north of the church.

Churche/s:

The basilical church ( 24.6 x 16.8 m) has a rectangular, external apse. Entrance to the prayer hall is in the southern wall. Remains of a mosaic pavement were found in the hall. An octagonal baptismal font (1.2 m high, 1.1 m in diameter) was found northwest of the church, its sides decorated with crosses and rosettes.

Dwellings:

Several rooms were observed west and south of the church. Some of these may have been dwellings of the resident monks.

Burials:

Burial caves were excavated nearby. Some Byzantine oil lamps with decorative crosses and dedicatory inscriptions were found in the caves.

Cave/s:

(See burials)

Water installations:

The courtyard north of the church contained five water cisterns.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Oil lamps	Decorated with crosses and bearing dedicatory inscriptions

Comments, discussion and summary:

The monastery seems to have been located on the fringes of the village of Thecoa itself. Since no enclosing wall was reported, it is not known whether the second church mentioned belonged to the monastery or served as one of the village churches. If one assumes that the southern wall of the church formed a part of the southern enclosing wall, the entrance through that wall may indicate that the church served not only the resident monks but the villagers as well.

Detailed description

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
basilical			Ground floor

Baptismal font

Water installations:

Cisterns

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A basilical church and a large complex of adjacent structures.

Dating material:

Byzantine, based on the finds. Suggested 5th-6th century.

Phase date

Century:

Early Christian / Byzantine

General outline:

The monastery probably ceased to function following the Arab conquest.

Phase date

Century:

7th c?