Wadi el 'Auja - Monastery

Vertical tabs

Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Wadi el 'Auja

Monastery name:

Monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Desert

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

24,440.00

64,981.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

19,440.00

14,981.00

Geographical region:

Southern Jordan Valley

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Regio Jericho

Topographical location:

Level ground

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 8 km (Jericho)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 8 km (Jericho)

Distance from Roman roads:

0.5 km east of the Jordan valley road.

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Bar Adon	1967

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Hizmi	1977 (not published)

Bibliograpy:

Bar-Adon, P., 1972	110
Hirschfeld, Y., 1987	64
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	226

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

General description

Enclosing walls:

The compound is surrounded by a wall (51 x 35 m).

Churche/s:

Remains of a church were not noted. However, remains of a staircase were found in the southeastern corner, suggesting the existence of a second story which may have housed the church.

Water installations:

A plastered pool paved with a coarse mosaic and a plastered cistern with a vaulted roof.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

Hirschfeld (1987: 64) suggested that the plastered pool, mentioned above, may have been a winepress.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Other	Tesserae

Comments, discussion and summary:

Based on the location of the site, in an isolated place in the southern Jordan valley, this complex was probably a monastery. Due to the fact that a church was not located, this identification should be treated carefully. However, the nature of the finds, including a staircase leading to a second story and many tesserae lend support to the supposition that the church was located on the second story.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
1,785	Medium

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
unknown

Water installations:

Cisterns

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A large rectangular compound with a church in its center. Rooms were constructed along the encompassing walls.

Phase date

Century:

Early Christian / Byzantine

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Within century:

First half