Khirbet Makkûs - Church

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Khirbet Makkûs

Church name:

Church

Functional Type:

Parochial

Church type:

Basilical

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

164.95

621.91

Coordinates, ICS system:

114.95

1,121.90

Location:

Village/Town

Geographical region:

Shephelah

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

About 9 km northeast of Ascalon

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Ascalon

Source of knowledge

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Fragmentary dedicatory inscription of Leontius the priest, in the mosaic pavement of the nave.
2	Building inscription probably commemorating the renovation of the mosaic pavement in the southern aisle.
3	Building inscription commemorating the the laying of mosaic pavements in the nave and presbytery.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name
Nizzanim East Survey map (no. 88)

Bibliograpy:

Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	424
Gibson, S., Vitto, F. and Di Segni, L., 1998
Zvi Gal, 2011

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The church was not systematically excavated. It is mentioned in a letter sent by an unnamed British soldier in 1918 to Lieutenant-Commander Victor L.Trumper of the Royal Navy (retired), who was Honorary Secretary of the PEF in Port Said. From the sketch of the site plan provided by the anonymous soldier, the building would appear to have been basilical in plan with an orientation towards the east, with a nave and two aisles, and an apse in its east wall. However, only portions of the nave and of the southern aisle were actually unearthed by the soldiers. The whole area was apparently paved with polychrome mosaics, with Greek inscriptions.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Nave:

The central nave probably had a breadth of about 8.6 m based on the assumption that the breadth of the nave had to have been at least double that of the aisles, as well as on the suggestion that Inscription B was the second of two medallions which were side-by-side in front of the apse. The nave is separated from the southern aisle by a stylobate wall, 0.5 m wide.

Aisles:

The building most likely had two side aisles but only part of the southern aisle is represented on the sketch. Each aisle probably had a breadth of approximately 3.7 m.

Small finds

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Aisles:

East end:

External apse, round

Church Head/Chevet:

dead end aisles (mon-aps III)

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

Basilical church paved with mosaic floors with several Greek inscriptions.

Dating material:

On the basis of details relating to the inscriptions, it would appear that the mosaics of the church are to be dated to the 6th century AD.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Dating material:

No dates are given.

Phase date

Century:

Unknown