Ascalon (Agamim neighborhood) - Er Rasm

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Ascalon (Agamim neighborhood)

Church name:

Er Rasm

Functional Type:

Monastic

Church type:

Unknown

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

108,955.00

1,117,145.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

158,948.00

617,145.00

Location:

Para-urban

Geographical region:

Southern Coastal Plain

Topographical location:

South of Ascalon Agamin neighborhood, on a site slated to become Ashkelon Eco-Sport complex and lake, ca. 2 km southeast of Tel Ashkelon, near Maqif Vav middle school..

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

Ca. 2 km.

Distance from nearest settlement:

In the rural immediate periphery of Ascalon. Ca. 2 km from Tel Ascalon.

Distance from Roman roads:

Near a track connected with the main Gaza-Ashdod road

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Ascalon

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Erikson-Gini	2019

Bibliograpy:

Erickson-Gini, T., 2021
Huster, Y., 2015	50

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The existence of a church at er-Rasm was first inferred on account of the number of marble and porphyri fragments and tesserae on the site’s surface (Huster 2015:50). This scant remains of a church are situated between the storeroom and the winepresses of an agricultural estate suggested to be a monastery following the 2019 excavatiions. A kiln complex of a pottery workshop for the production of Gaza jars are attributed to this monstery as well. News note: https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/wine-and-fish-sauce-roman-culina...

The suggested church is a rectangular structure south of the winepresses stripped of its stones. Only a bare outline remains of the building, which is oriented east-west. Parts of mosaic floors were also discovered, as were fragments of a glass mosaic that probably decorated the apse’s wall. A fragment of a carved marble stone that may have decorated an arch over the apse was discovered in the building’s northeastern part. Also were found parts of marble altar tables, marble patens—trays used for the mass—and glass lamps. But no portion of the apse was found.

The church was systematically stripped down to below the level of the ceramic tiles used as floor makeup, but a number of pilaster bases

in the nave were still in place.

The site of Er Rasm appears to have been abandoned sometime in the course of the Umayyad period.

Description

Small finds

Detailed description

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Marble

Materials applied (roofing):

tiles

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Dating material:

Pottery and other finds associated also with the agricultural installations.

Phase date

Century:

5th-6th c.

General outline:

The monastic estate at the site of Er Rasm is attributed to the 5th-7th c; it appears to have been abandoned sometime in the course of the Umayyad period in the later part of the 7th c.

Dating material:

Pottery

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Post Arab conquest history:

Abandoned