Kefar 'Othnai - Megiddo Prison

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Kefar 'Othnai

Identification:

Written also as Kafar 'Othnay, or Capercotani. It was a Jewish and Samaritan village located near the military camp of the 6th Roman Legion Ferata, which was located near Maximianopolis and biblical Tel Megiddo.

Church name:

Megiddo Prison

Functional Type:

Aula Ecclesiae

Church type:

Other

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

218,006.00

719,607.00

Location:

Village/Town

Geographical region:

Samaria Hills

Topographical location:

Located to the north from the Samarian Hills, on the fringes of the Jezreel Valley, to the north of the Manasseh Heights.

Distance from nearest settlement:

Near modern Megiddo prison.

Distance from Roman roads:

Next to a crossroad leading from Legio to Caesarea, Ptolemais, Neapolis, Diocaesarea and Scythopolis.

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina II

Bishopric:

Legio-Maximianopolis

Source of knowledge

Literary sources

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Dedicatory mosaic inscription of a table by Akeptous, at the western side of the southern mosaic panel of the prayer hall.
2	Commemorative inscription of four women, at the eastern side of the southern mosaic panel of the prayer hall.
3	Dedicatory mosaic building inscription of Gaianus the centurion, at the northern end of the northern panel of the prayer hall.

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Y. Tepper, IAA	2005

Bibliograpy:

Tepper, Y. and Di Segni, L., 2006

Di Segni, L. and Tepper, Y., 2008

Adams, M.J. and Tepper, Y., 2014

Patrich, J., 2016

Bowersock, G., 2018

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

A mosaic paved hall in the SW part of a simple courtyard house. In the center of the house a table (trapeza) resting on a stone pedestal was located. Benches were extended around its walls. One of the three Greek inscriptions mentioned a trapeza dedicated to "the god Jesus Christ". An octagonal medallion with two fishes (a common Christian symbol) is depicted in one of the mosaic carpets. The inscriptions were differently oriented, but around one common center the trapeza. Two bread ovens were located in the courtyard of the house.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy	Patrich summarized the reading of the Greek dedicatory inscriptions after Lea DI Segni reading: "One of them is a dedicatory inscription by Gaianus (A Latin name derived perhaps from Arabic Ghayan – according to Di Segni). It reads: “Gaianus, also called Porphyrius, centurion (ekatontarches), our brother, has made the pavement at his own expense as an act of liberality. Brutius has carried out the work (tr. L. Di Segni)”. A second inscription is a dedication of a table (trapeza in the Greek), to the God Jesus Christ (Ihesou Christou), in commemoration, by the Godloving woman named Akeptous. It reads: “The God-loving Akeptous has offered the table to the God Jesus Christ as a memorial (tr. L. Di Segni)... <> Of particular interest is the fact that a Roman centurion was a member of this congregation. ” ((Patrich 2016: 269).
Pottery	Vessels of Late Roman period
Stamps	Two bread stamps, which indicate that the Christian occupants of the house were backing officially-stamped bread for two units of the Roman legion stationed in the military camp
Stone vessels
Coins	Golden coins of the 3rd century
Metal objects	Knife and spearhead

Small finds illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

The house is oriented across the north-south axis mainly. The inner space was centralized by the location of trapeza.

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Altar type:

Stone, table-like

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

Phase name (as published):

Late Roman

General outline:

Early 3rd century CE

Dating material:

The numismatic and pottery finds indicate that the hall with its mosaic floor were built in the early 3rd c.

Phase date

Century:

3rd c.

Within century:

Early