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A basilical complex located at the center of a large walled monastery (140 X 120 m), that served as a pilgrims center. The large basilica (45 X 25 m) consistsof a prayer hall, aisles, pastophoria flanking the apse, a narthex, an atrium and two lateral wings containing auxiliary rooms, chapels and a crypt. The church was entirely excavated and is well preserved. The basilica, including the apse, is 24x15m in dimensions.
The atrium, paved by flagstones, was surrouded by porticos on the N, S, and E. The E portico served as a narthex. On the west there was an entrance room to which a paved caseway led from the gate of the monastery. The entrance room was flanked by other rooms on both sides. A vaulted cistern under the paved courtyard had two openings. It collected the rain water from the roofed porticoes. At a later phase the porticos were closed up and divided into rooms.
The eastern portico of the atrium served as a narthex. A narrow starcase at its southern end led down to a crypt located under its floor of an attached apsidal chapel. Another opening in the northern end of the narthex lead to a of three rooms unit annexed to the basilica on the north.
Three entrances led from to the the narthex to the nave and aisles. The central entrace is 2.2m wide; the lateral ones - 1.2m.
The nave is separated from the aisles by two rows of six columns with Corinthian capitals. The nave, as well as the aisles, the two pastophoria, two southern chapels, and the narthex, were all paved in mosaic floors of geometrical patterns. The average height of the columns is 2.8m.
The aisles, mosaic paved, ended at the east with broad pastophoria flanking the apse.
The bema, U-shaped, was raised two steps above the nave. The apse, internal, deeper than a semi-circle, had in its two ends openings to the flanking pastophoria. These were blocked in phase Ib. A synthronon bench was also added in this phase. The apse was floored with marble slabs. A marble chancel post and several screen fragments were uncovered as well.
The apse is flanked by two broad rectangular pastophoria. Under Mauricius (582-7), in Dec. 585, an oval baptisterium was installed in the southern room and a second opening was pierced in its western room leading to an elongated hall that was attached to the basilica on the south. This hall served as an assembly room for the baptistery. According to Tzafeis (1983, 11), there were no signs of a door in the northern pastophorium, and it probably remained open to the aisle. This conclusion seems to me doubtful.
Category | Description |
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Pottery | Jars, cooking pots, jugs, juglets, , flask, oil lamps. |
Glass | Mainly bottles of various sizes and lamps. |
Coins | |
Inscription - see under epigraphy |
Total |
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6 |
Sabas had prayed there on his way to Paneas in the late 5th; (V. Sab. 24).
A mosaic inscription in the southern pastophorium date its transformation to a baptistery to Dec. 585, in the reign of emperor Mauricius (582-602 CE). It seems that all the other transformations were contemporary.
Coins on the surface.