Heptapegon - The Sermon on the Mount.

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Heptapegon

Identification:

Heptapegon in Greek, Et-Tabgha in Arabic, 'En Shev'a and 'Ein Ha-Shiv'ah in Hebrew; all derive from the seven springs in the area. The chapel is also known as: chapel of the Beatitudes. Built on the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7; Luke 6: 20-49).

Church name:

The Sermon on the Mount.

Functional Type:

Monastic

Church type:

Chapel - With an annexed room

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

201,920.00

1,253,252.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

251,923.00

753,151.00

Location:

Rural

Geographical region:

Sea of Galilee

Topographical location:

Built on a steep of a hill, which was flattened to accommodate ‎the monastery and the chapel.

Distance from nearest settlement:

2 miles south-west of Capharnaum.

Distance from Roman roads:

The monastic chapel is built on the side of the road which leads to Capernaum.

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina II

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Baggati, B.	1935

Bibliograpy:

Barkay, G. and Schiller, E., 1999

De Luca, S. and Ilardi, K., 2010

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

A chapel, mosaic paved, with an atrium (referred to as a narthex in some reports), which is built in the north-east corner of a monastery. North of the chapel is a hewned cave. Dimensions are 9.25X4.4 m.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Atrium:

Covered in a mosaic. Dimensions: 4.5X2.5 m.

Façade and entries:

An entrance from the monastery on the west wall.

Lateral walls:

The walls were covered in plaster, on which pilgrims have curved crosses and inscriptions. An Opening leading to the cave on the northern wall. Thickness of the wall : 0.6 m.

Nave:

Covered by a mosaic. Floor level is higher than the atrium.

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

Partly hewn from the rock and partly constructed, raised a step above the chapel floor. No floor, only bare rock. Depth: 1.75 m. Wall thickness: 0.9 m.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Other	Decorated Marble fragments were found, Several are from the alter table.
Inscription - see under epigraphy	crosses and Inscriptions were found on the walls. Only a few letters survived.
Pottery	Arab pottery was found in a row of stones with ashes on the mosaic floor.
Glass	Fragments of glass lamps.

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Materials applied (walls):

Basalt

East end:

External apse, round

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Bema type:

Miscellaneous shape

Bema type text:

The apse is raised a step above the chapel hall.

Elevation of Bema above nave:

1 step up

Altar type:

Marble, table like

Synthronon remains:

other

Synthronon location:

Against the apse

Synthronon description:

A bench around the apse.

Attached structures

Burial room or chapel:

Other

Burial room or chapel description:

A hewned cave is located north of the chapel with a cupboard in the eastern wall. Dimensions 3.2 sq.m.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

General outline:

In general description

Dating material:

Loffreda Dates the church to the end of the fourth century.

Phase date

Century:

4th c.

Within century:

Late

General outline:

A new mosaic was placed in the early sixth century.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Early

Dating material:

Dated by the pottery found in a row of stones with ashes fallen on the mosaic floor. Seemingly this is the monastery with 10 monks mentioned in the Commemoratorium de Cassis Deii II, 38-39 (808), in association with the Miracle of the Multiplying of the Loves and Fishes (ed. McCormick 2011, pp. 212-13), tradition which was transfer to here after the basilica at the foot of the mount fell in ruines, as we hear from Arculf (670). See under the monastery card. Seemingly this is also the church addressed by Epiph. mon., Enarr. Syr. 32.

Phase date

Century:

10th c.

Post Arab conquest history:

Unmodified

Post conquest history comments:

Continued to exist during the first years of the of the Arab period, according to the pottery found.