Scythopolis / Beth Shean (Tel Iẓtaba) - Andreas church

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Scythopolis / Beth Shean (Tel Iẓtaba)

Identification:

Currently called after the metropolitan Andreas, mentioned in a Greek inscription in a mosaic floor laid in the late 6th or early 7th c. in the narthex of the church. According to Di Segni (2022), it should be identified with St Basilius the martyr (Cyr. Scyth., Vita Euth. 16, Vita Sabae 61; Thds., TS 2; Jo. Mal., Exc. de insidiis 44) = Ancient Church.

Church name:

Andreas church

Dedication:

St. Basilius - a local martyr under the tetrarchy together with 70 companions. Feast day - July 5th (Di Segni 2022).

Functional Type:

Episcopal

Church type:

Basilical - Basilica with an annexed chapel

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

247.04

712.92

Coordinates, ICS system:

197.03

1,212.90

Location:

Urban

Geographical region:

Beth Shean Valley

Topographical location:

On Tel Iztabba but outside (the later) city wall.

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina II

Bishopric:

Scythopolis

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Mention of a celebration at the "Ancient Church" of Scythopolis, AD 518.
2	Mention of the place of martyrdom of Saint Basilius at Scythopolis, from an itinerary of ca. AD 518-530.
3	Mention of the church of Saint Basilius in a description of the Samaritan revolt of AD 529-530, preserved in the tenth-century "Excerpta historica" of Constantine Porphyrogenetus.
4	Mention of Cyrion, priest of the church of St Basilius the martyr at Scythopolis, among the first disciples of Euthymius the Great, ca. AD 428.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Seven-line dedicatory mosaic inscription within a round medallion, in the lower mosaic pavement of the narthex.
2	Dated seven-line mosaic building inscription of the metropolitan Andreas, in the upper mosaic pavement of the narthex, July 598 / 613 / 628.
3	Four-line paraphrase of I Chronicles within a rectangular frame, in the corner of the mosaic pavement of the small room flanking the baptistery on the south.

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Mazor and Bar Nathan	1992–1994

History:

Identified by Di Segni (2022), as St. Basil church that existed already in 428.

Bibliograpy:

Mazor, G. and Bar-Nathan, R., 1994

Mazor, G. and Bar-Nathan, R., 1998

Patrich, J., 2006

Di Segni, L., 2022

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Basilical church with a protruding apse an annexed hall on the north (recognized by a patch of a mosaic floor in its SE corner; its northern wall and the larger part of its western wall were not preserved). Two rooms serving as a baptismal unit are located to the east of the hall, but there is no interconnecting passage. An atrium and a narthex extended to the west. Remains of adjacent non-excavated rooms might have belonged to a hostelry, or a monastery of the spoudaioi serving in its liturgy, The church preserved only at the foundations level, including mosaic floors with three inscriptions.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Narthex:

The narthex is indicated by a row of columns standing on stylobate in front of the church. The columns had marble capitals adorned with crosses. Two Greek inscriptions are preserved on the mosaic floor of the narthex. In one of them, dated to the end of the 6th - early 7th c., a metropolites named Andreas is mentioned.

Façade and entries:

The western wall of the basilica preserved only at the foundations level. The only entrance that was preserved is the one leading from the narthex to the northern aisle. Apparently there were a two other entrances, leading into the nave and to the southern aisle.

Nave:

The nave measures 5.5 X 16.3 m and is separated from the aisles by two rows of three columns. The floor of the hall was apparently paved with a mosaic with geometric patterns but the floor was poorly preserved.

Aisles:

The aisles measure 4.4 X 16.4 m. They are dead-end, with an opening outside in the eastern end of the northern aisles.

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

The apse is external, semi-circular, 5.4 m in diameter, surrounded from the east by stone pavement. An empty tomb was uncovered in its eastern side.

Small finds

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Materials applied (roofing):

tiles

timber

Narthex:

Yes

Aisles:

Number of nave columns in a row:

Total
3

East end:

External apse, round

Church Head/Chevet:

single opening flanking the apse (mon-aps V )

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Bema type:

U shaped without lateral openings

Elevation of Bema above nave:

1 step up

Altar remains:

no remains

Ambo:

Apse shape:

Hemispherical

Synthronon:

Burial loci

Burials loci:

An empty tomb was found in the eastern side of the apse.

Baptism

Loci:

Attached structures

Annex/es on the north:

The basilica is flanked on the north by a quadrangular hall recognized by a patch of colorful mosaic floor in its SE corner. The northern wall and much of the western wall of the apse did not survived. A two-rooms baptismal unit is located to its east, but there is no interconnecting passage. The baptistery was accessed from the outside through a doorway in the eastern end of the northern aisle.

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon:

Quadrangular chapel

Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon description:

Two doorways in the northern wall of the basilica lead into a large rectangular room with remains of colored mosaic floor. This room apparently used as a side chapel.

Baptistery:

Simple rectangular room

Baptistery description:

A two-rooms baptismal unit is located to its east of the hall annexed to the church on the north, but there is no interconnecting passage. The entrance to the baptistery was from the south, from the paved area behind the apse, accessed through a doorway in the eastern end of the northern aisle of the church. The southern room was paved with a mosaic floor with geometric patterns. In the corner of the room there is a baptismal font sunk into the floor. No connection with the northern room is extant. It is reasonable to suggest a circuit starting in the annexed northern hall, proceeding to the northern room that might had served as undressing room, proceeding to the southern room with the font, and then returning to the church via the doorway in the eastern end of the northern aisle.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A mosaic paved room with an inscription preceded the construction of the first church in the 1st half of 5th c. It served as the early cathedral of the city. The earlier room might have marked the burial place or execution site of martyr Basilius (Di Segni 2022).

Dating material:

Kyrion of Tiberias, a priest of St. Basilius, joined the Laura of Euthymius in 428 (Cyril of Scythopolis, V. Euthymii 16, ed. Schwartz 1939: 25-26). The church was left outside the city wall, built in the beginning of the 6th c. Damaged by the Samaritan revolt (529-32) CE and restored. A mosaic floor was laid at the late 6th - early 7th c in its narthex (= Subphase A below).

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

First half

Subphases

Subphase A Date

6th-7th c.

Dating material:

Stones from the walls were robbed in the Umayyad period; the church might have been abandoned earlier, following the Muslim conquest.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

Mid

Post Arab conquest history:

Abandoned

Conclusions:

A mosaic paved room with an inscription preceded the construction of the basilica. St Basilius church already existed in the early 5th c. Left outside the city wall that was built in the early 5th c. Damaged during the Samaritan revolt and restored. Narthex repaved by the metropolitan Andreas at the end of the 6th c. or early 7th c.