Jerusalem (Mt. Sion) - HOLY SION monastery

Vertical tabs

Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Jerusalem (Mt. Sion)

Identification:

The church marks the traditional location of the event of the "Last Supper" (Matthew 26, 17-29; Mark 14, 12-5; Luke 22, 7-38). The site was also venerated as the place where the apostles gathered after the ascent of Jesus (Acts 1, 12-14) and where the event of "Speaking in Tongues" on the Pentacost took place (Acts 2, 1-4). The church became a focus of the cult of St. James whose alleged remains were interred there in 351 CE (Di Segni 2006: 382-383).

Monastery name:

HOLY SION monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Urban

Source of sacredness:

New Testament site

Sacred Objects

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

221,858.00

631,080.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

171,858.00

131,079.00

Geographical region:

Jerusalem (extra-mural)

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Level ground on a hill.

Soils:

Limestone and terra rosa.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Mention of the monastic cells built around the church on Mount Sion, from a mid-5th cent. literary description of the Holy Land.
2	Mention of Marcianus, priest at the holy Resurrection and abbot of holy Sion, ca. AD 510.
3	Mention of a monastery for women near the basilica of Holy Sion, from an itinerary of ca. AD 570.
4	Description of the monastic cells based on Eucherius, from a geographical work compiled AD 702-703.
5	Mention of the two recluse nuns among the personnel of the Holy Sion, from an official report ordered in AD 808.

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Broshi	1971-1972

Bibliograpy:

Vincent, L. H. and Abel, F. M., 1922
Broshi, M., 1976	81-88
Wilkinson, J., 1977	137
Schick, R., 1995	335-36
Di Segni, L., 2007	381-401

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The site was excavated twice with few remains of the monastery identified. The remains consisted of three mosaic pavements, an apse, a long and narrow structure and a large cistern.

General description

Churche/s:

Remains of an apse were found and later removed. Also, remains of a fine mosaic pavements, two of which were uncovered in the earlier excavations and a third in the later excavations.

Water installations:

A large cistern was found in the excavations. The cistern was roofed by a dome that rested on four vaults and a central marble column.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Pottery	Many fragments of pottery dating mainly to the Early Islamic period were found mostly in the cisterns.
Stone vessels	Three stone molds for casting jewellery.

Detailed description

Components

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
basilical		Jerusalem (Mt. Sion) - HOLY SION	Ground floor

Water installations:

Cisterns

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

General outline:

The monastery of Holy Zion was founded in the beginning of the fifth century. The remains consist of a long and narrow structure, three mosaic pavements and a cistern.

Dating material:

Literary sources; the mosaic pavement found in the excavations was dated to the fifth century CE.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Early

General outline:

According to the literary sources, the church was damaged by fire and repaired.

Dating material:

Literary and architectural evidence.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

Early

Phase date

Century:

Unknown

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use

Post conquest history comments:

The monastery continued to function into the Early Islamic period. According to the excavator, another long and narrow structure (21 x 4 m) constructed over the earlier Byzantine street served the monastic community in the Early Islamic period. The Commemoratorium de casis Dei mentions two hermits living in the precinct at the begining of the ninth century (Wilkinson 1977: 137) A new church and monastery were erected by the Crusaders in the twelfth century, when the former establishments were probably in ruin.