Beit Sahur; Keniset er Rawat; Shepherds' Field - TURRIS ADDER; Shepherds' Field

Vertical tabs

Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Beit Sahur; Keniset er Rawat; Shepherds' Field

Identification:

Originally founded as a memorial church at the site identified as the place where the shepherds recieved the news of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2: 8-14). An added tradition (Hire. On. 43: 22-23; Epist 108 [Epist. Paula]. CSEL 55,, p. 316) was to the biblical Migdal Eder (Gen. 35:21). According to a newer tradition in the seventh century, the site was the burial place of the three shepherds who were the first to view the infant Jesus (damn., LS II, 6, 1-2, CCSL 175, p. 208) (Tzaferis 1973).

Monastery name:

TURRIS ADDER; Shepherds' Field

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Para Urban

Pilgrims

Source of sacredness:

Old Testament site

New Testament site

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

22,158.00

62,329.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

17,158.00

12,329.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Level ground

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

8 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

1 km (Bethlehem)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 6 km east of the road leading southwards from Jerusalem.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Anecdotes about the ascetic Posidonius living "beyond the Field", from a collection written AD 419-420.
2	Mention of the monastery "of the Flock", from an 8th cent. guidebook for pilgrims.

Epigraphy

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guérin	1868-1869
SWP	1871-1877

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Tzaferis	1972

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1869	214-23
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	103-4
Corbo, V. C., 1955‎	89-92
Milik, J. T., 1960-1961	127-89
Ovadiah, A., 1970	102
Tzaferis, V., 1972	24
Tzaferis, V., 1973	421-22
Tzaferis, V., 1973	120-22
Tzaferis, V., 1973	248-51
Tzaferis, V., 1973	118-9
Tzaferis, V., 1975	5-52
Wilkinson, J., 1977	170
Schiller, E., 1980	103-4
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982	144-7
Bagatti, B., 1983
Raba, J., 1986	50
Ovadiah, R. and Ovadiah, A., 1987	24-5
Tzaferis, V., 1993	204-6
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	252-3
Schick, R., 1995	384
Bagatti, B., 2002
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	103-6

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The church and several rooms were excavated.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Beit Sahur- plan (Corbo 1954: 90, Fig. 28a).

General description

Enclosing walls:

The monastery was enclosed in a wall (40 x 30m).

Churche/s:

The monastic church, a basilica (30 x 15 m) was constructed over earlier churches, partially with reused stones. It was paved in polychrome mosaics (geometric patterns and grapevines). This basilica was apparently destroyed in the early seventh century CE, attested by ash marks on the floor. A new church was built following the destruction, almost identical in plan to the previous one.

Dwellings:

A complex of rooms was constructed around the basilica in the seventh century CE, when the site became a monastery, some possibly serving as dwellings for the monks.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Inscription - see under epigraphy
Pottery	A large amount of shards dated to 4th to 7th centuries
Coins	Found in the defunct burial chamber.
Jewelry	Pendant crosses and many glass beads found in the defunct burial chamber.
Oil lamps	Found in the defunct burial chamber.

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
1,200	Medium

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Enclosing wall

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

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

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

The site became a monastery in the seventh century CE. Rooms were built around the basilica.

Dating material:

An inscription dated to the time of the Arab conquest.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

First half

General outline:

Abandoned before the twelfth century.

Dating material:

Literary source. The Russian Abbot Daniel, who visited in 1106-1107, reported that the monastery was in ruins.

Phase date

Century:

11th c.

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use

Post conquest history comments:

The monastery apparently functioned until the eleventh century. By the time of the visit of Abbot Daniel (1106-1107 CE) it already lay in ruins.