Maresha - St. Anna

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Maresha

Identification:

Tell Sandahanna; Khirbat Sandahanna; Kh. Mar Hanna; El Keniseh

Church name:

St. Anna

Dedication:

St. Anna, based on the local Arabic name.

Functional Type:

Unknown

Church type:

Basilical - Annex\es on N & S

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

190.95

611.54

Coordinates, ICS system:

140.94

1,111.54

Geographical location / UTM System:

Geolocation is 68.0675, 34.97379

Location:

Rural

Geographical region:

Shephelah

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Clermont-Ganneau	1874
Conder and Kitchener	1875

Bibliograpy:

Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883
Clermont-Ganneau, C., 1896
Ovadiah, A., 1970
Pringle, D., 1998	278-281

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

According to Clermont-Ganneau and the SWP, it seems that the Byzantine church was a five-aisled basilica, with a large central projecting eastern apse and with apsed chapels and other rooms flanking it on the north and south. The entire complex, almost square, measured 43.3X31 m. The apse projected 7.4 m. farther east. The Byzantine church was built in finely cut ashlar with courses 46.5 m high. Much of the interior surface was covered with small square mortice holes intended to hold marble revetment. The apse was roughened internally, probably to better hold plaster bedding for a mosaic.

The medieval church occupied no more than part of the central nave, including the apse of the Byzantine church (Pringle 1993: 273).

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Nave:

No stylobate or coumns were preserved to indicate how the Byzantine church was divided. The width of the nave, 12.4 m., is estimated by the pilasters attached to the eastern wall on either side of the apse. In the crusader period the church was restricted to the nave and apse area alone.

Aisles:

Based on the location of two storeys of four windows and pillars in the eastern wall of the complex to the north of the apse, it is suggested that the church had two aisles on each side. The aisles width was 4.65 m. They were dead-end.

External Walls (for a concentric church):

The walls are 1 m. thick.

In the northern part of the eastern wall 8 windows survived (4 to each story) and projecting pillars were identified.

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

The apse was 9.76 m wide and 5.54 m deep, with walls 1.89 m thick. Its three windows were preserved.

The Crusader's church occupied just the nave and apse area of the Byzantine church.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Other	Fragment of a small base ornamented on two sides wit a greek cross inside a garland in relief.

Small finds illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Marble

Aisles:

East end:

External apse, round

Church Head/Chevet:

dead end aisles (mon-aps III)

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Attached structures

Annex/es on the north:

An elongated apsidal chapel located at the NW side of the complex; 21x5.5m in dimensions; hemispherical apse 3m deep, 4.6m in diameter. Wall thickness - 0.75-1m. Two additional rooms were located to the east of the north chapel.

Annex/es on the south:

An elongated apsidal chapel located at the SW side of the complex. Same dimensions as the northern one.

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon:

Apsidal chapel

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon description:

Two chapels, 21X5.5 m., are located in the north-western and south-western corners of the complex. They are attached to the northen and southern walls of the complex and appear to be an inseparable part of the basilica. Each chapel comprised of an elongated hall and an internal apse. The apse's depth was 3 m. and the chord 4.6 m. The thickness of the walls - 0.75-1 m. Only the apse of the southern chapel is extant; of the second - the foundations and two underlying vaults.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Phase date

Century:

5th-6th c.

Phase date

Century:

Unknown