Rafid - Chapel

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Rafid

Identification:

A chapel, with an attached smaller one were observed in the village by Schumacher in 1880s. Epstein and Gutman in the in 1967/8 survey describe a single-hall chapel with antae projecting from its longitudinal walls. Schumacher, on the one hand and Epstein and Gutman, on the other, provide different plans, but it seem that both refer to the same structure that might have underwent some modifications between the two visits. Ovadiah (1981: 250-251) address them separately as nos. 64 and 65 in his publication; Hartal (https://survey.antiquities.org.il/#/MapSurvey/27, site no. 5), speaks about only a single ancient church in the village. Many lintels and jambs decorated with crosses (45 altogether), were recorded in the village, in a secondary use. (This site should not be confused with er-Rafid in the southern Hula Valley, near the Jorden River, where the remains of a synagogue were exposed).

Church name:

Chapel

Dedication:

unknown

Functional Type:

Parochial

Church type:

Chapel - With a secondary chapel

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

284,500.00

762,500.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

234,540.00

1,262,547.00

Location:

Village/Town

Geographical region:

Golan Heights

Topographical location:

The village of Rafid is located in a plain, near a stream of the Rukkad, next to the road junction connecting Hammat Gader and Quneitra and running SE to Nawa in the Bashan. Tell Faras (Har Peres) is rising to its west.

Distance from Roman roads:

Directly on the road from Galilee Lake to Banias

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina II

Bishopric:

Tetrakomia

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Gottleib Schumacher	1884
Epstein and Gutman	1967/8
Hartal and Barlev	1970

History:

Bibliograpy:

Schumacher, G., 1888‎	226-229
Epstein, C. and Gutman, S.‎, 1972‎
Ovadiah, A. and De Silva, C. G., 1981
Gregg, R. C. and Urman, D., 1996	154–164
Urman, D., 2006

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

According to Epstein and Gutman the longitudinal walls of the chapel are not parallel to each other. Six long antae of different length, arrange in three pairs, are projecting inword. They supported arches carrying the flat roof of the church. Another single pair of antae was set in the deep apse. There was an entrance in the western wall and another one opened to the south. According to the plan published by Schumacher the main hall was divided into two rooms (the western one might have been a courtyard), no antae are presented, a smaller chapel with an annex to its east was attached on the south and there are two N-S narrow halls in the western end of the complex. Was it a differnt church?

Many architectural details decorated with crosses (45 altogether), were uncovered in the village in secondary use.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Rafid, apse, external view. Hartal, Golan Survey (https://survey.antiquities.org.il/#/MapSurvey/27/site/3486), Site 5, Fig. 5

Figures

Plan of the church according to Schumacher 1888

Atrium:

According to Schumacher, the small room on the west might be considered an atrium.

Façade and entries:

There are two entrances into the chapel: The central one is built in the center of the western wall; the lateral one is built in the center of the southern wall.

Lateral walls:

According to Schumacher 1888: 228: "The wall course, about 3 feet thick, follows without mortar, and in such a way that the stones of the singlecourses, which are 12 to 16 inches high, lie across each other diagonally".

Nave:

According to Epstein and Gutman, the single nave of the chapel was roofed by a series of six pairs of antae of different length, supporting arches, according to the typical Horanite architecture. These antae are not present in the plan published by Schumacher.

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

No bema was found. The external apse has an elongated shape. According to Epstein and Gutman, a pair of antae carrying an arch, separated it into two parts.

Small finds

Comments, discussion and summary:

Due to the fact that the plans published by Schumacher in 1888 and the one published by Epstein and Gutman in 1972 are very different, it is not clear if we have to do it with two different chapel, as was assumed by Ovadiah and de-Silva 1981, or with just a single one, as is reflected from the description of the site by hartal (https://survey.antiquities.org.il/#/MapSurvey/27/site/3486, site no. 5).

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Materials applied (walls):

Basalt

Materials applied (roofing):

timber

stone

Water cistern:

Narthex:

East end:

External apse, round

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Altar remains:

no remains

Apse shape:

Hemispherical

Attached structures

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon:

Apsidal chapel

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon description:

According to Schumacher a small chapel with an annex to its east was attached to the main chapel on the south. Series of adjoining rooms are located on the western side of the complex.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Phase name (as published):

Byzantine (?)

Phase date

Century:

Early Christian / Byzantine

Phase date

Century:

Unknown