ʻAbud - Greek Orthodox church of Setti Miriam; al-'Abudiyah

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

ʻAbud

Identification:

The site name is variously written ‘Âbûd; ‘Abūd; el-‘Abūd; A’boud. According to Taha (1997), it was dedicated to St. Mary only i the Middle Ages, when the village was named Casale Santa Maria.

Church name:

Greek Orthodox church of Setti Miriam; al-'Abudiyah

Dedication:

St. Miriam

Functional Type:

Parochial

Church type:

Basilical - Annex\es on N & S

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

206.60

658.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

156.60

1,158.10

Location:

Village/Town

Geographical region:

Southern and Western Samaria

Topographical location:

A mountain slope.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

30 km from Jerusalem.

Distance from nearest settlement:

Part of the settlement of 'Abud.

Distance from Roman roads:

Overlooking the ancient road between Aphek-Antipatris and Jericho.

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Taha, H.	1997

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1875
Schneider, A.M., 1933	155-59
Bagatti, B., 1959-1960
Milik, J. T., 1959-1960
Ellenblum, R., 1991
Pringle, D., 1993	17-23
Schick, R., 1995
Taha, H., 1997
Ellenblum, R., 1998
Bagatti, B., 2002
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	171-3

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Basilica with a narthex and two annexes on the N and S, altogether 22.8X14.5m in dimensions. According to Pringle (1993), the Mediaeval church was built on the foundations of the Early Christian one. Its walls can be seen 4m underneath the top level of the present church. The basilical church was14.30x14.15m in dimensions (extrnal). It had three openings on the west and other two on the north and south. The northern annex was excavated by Taha.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Atrium:

Four stairs led up from the atrium to the exonarthex.

Narthex:

The exonarthex was open to the atrium by two columns within antae.

Façade and entries:

The lintel of the main entrance is decorated with two rossests and a cross inside a circle (Carmin, 2012).

Nave:

The southern row of 5 columns is attributed to the original, Byzantine structure. The second and fourth columns were integrated into the later pilasters. These limestone columns are monolithic and bear Ionic and Corinthian apitals (Carmin, 2012)

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

An external apse, 2 m deep and 4 m. in diameter. The chancel extended across the entire width of the church.

Lateral spaces:

Small internal niches flanking the apse.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Pottery	Pottery from the Byzantine period till the Mamluk-Ottoman period were found.
Glass	Glass vessels were found in the graves north of the church.
Coins	Coins were found in the graves north of the church.
Metal objects	A knife was found in one of the graves north of the church.
Jewelry	Beads, rings, necklace, bracelets and earrings were found in the graves north of the church.
Other	A shoe was found in one of the graves north of the church.
Oil lamps	Late Byzantine lamps were found in the graves north of the church.

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Narthex:

Yes

Aisles:

Colonnades / Arcades:

Colonnade

Number of nave columns in a row:

Total	Extant in S
5	5

Capital types:

Ionic

Corinthian

East end:

External apse, round

Church Head/Chevet:

tri-apsidal (central external, lateral internal)

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Apse shape:

Hemispherical

Synthronon remains:

grades

Synthronon location:

Against the apse

Lateral Apses Function

Location:

N & S

Northern apse description and function:

A small internal apse.

Southern apse description and function:

A small internal apse.

Attached structures

Annex/es on the north:

The northern annex, 12.8m long, was excavated in 1997 by Taha. In the Byzantine period it comprised of two rooms, each 5.40m long and 2.10 wide. They were mosaic paved. The dividing walls were added in a later sub-phase.

Annex/es on the south:

On the south side of the church is a simple rectangular room 6x6m in dimensions, divided by two columns. It had an opening in the west, and two other - in the south. Pringle was of the opinion that originally it was connected with the southern aisle. Bagatti is of the opinion that it served as an annexed chapel.

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon:

Quadrangular chapel

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon description:

The two units northern annex, mosaic paved, might have been an annexed chapel.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Phase name (as published):

Strata V (according to Taha)

General outline:

The general plan of the church and five columns of the southern aisle are attributed to this phase. This early phase is also recognized in the northern annex, rectangular in shape and comprising of two units and a mosaic pavement. Two sub phases can be identified here. In the first the northern wall was constructed and then the partition walls were built and the mosaic pavement was placed. The four rooms: 1- only a section was excavated in it a 90X80 cm strip of mosaic in the north-east corner. A well-dressed threshold leads to room 2- 5X2.3 m; the mosaic is preserved in the northern part only. 3- 2.65X2.1 m; the floor is 29 cm higher than the previous rooms. The later buttress wall is built directly on top of the mosaic. 4- 5.4X4.1 m; the floor is 20 cm higher than room 3, the room is covered in a well preserved mosaic

Dating material:

The capitals style suggest a 5-6 century date.

Phase date

Century:

5th-6th c.

Phase name (as published):

Strata IV (according to Taha)

General outline:

The Byzantine-Mediaeval debris of the church were recognized only in the northern annex. The Mediaeval church was rebuilt no earlier than the 11th c.

Dating material:

Pre-mediaeval.

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Post Arab conquest history:

Ceased to function

Post conquest history comments:

The debris found in the northern annex indicates that this part of the church was destroyed during the seventh century.