Hazor Ashdod (Khirbet Banaya) - Monastery

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Hazor Ashdod (Khirbet Banaya)

Monastery name:

Monastery

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Village

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

17,287.00

63,010.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

12,286.00

13,010.00

Geographical region:

Shephelah

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Azotos

Topographical location:

Level ground

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 9 km (Azotos)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 1 km (Asor)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 4 km east of the road connecting Gaza with Lod-Diospolis.

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Bibliograpy:

Yeivin, S., 1960	45
Avi-Yonah, M., 1970	265
Ovadiah, A., 1970	71-2
Editor, 1975	308
Ovadiah, A., 1975	552-57
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982	133
Bagatti, B., 1983	166-67
Ovadiah, R. and Ovadiah, A., 1987	67-9
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994
Schick, R., 1995
Di Segni, L., 1997	469-72
Bagatti, B., 2002
Dayan, A., 2015	137

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

The only part of the monastery to be investigated was the church. No other structures have been reported. The identification of the site as a monastery is based on an inscription located at the foot of the bema. The undated inscription mentions, among others, the hegumen Paul, thereby providing the monastic association (Di Segni 1997: 469-470).

State of certainty:

Archaeologicaly definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

A basilica was excavated. Remains of the monastery were not investigated.

General description

Churche/s:

The basilica (15 x 10.2 m) had a round, external apse which did not survive. The floor of the church was paved in a polychrome mosaic. An inscription located at the foot of the sanctuary steps mentions the hegumen Paul.

Small finds

Detailed description

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
basilical			Ground floor

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

A church was excavated but no other monastic structures.

Dating material:

Based on epigraphy.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Early

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

General outline:

The site was probably abandoned before the early eighth century.

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

Post Arab conquest history:

Abandoned