Bir el Qattar - SPELAION

Vertical tabs

Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Bir el Qattar

Identification:

Identified as the Monastery of the Cave founded by Sabas in 508 CE (Cyril, V. Sab 37 [ed. Schwartz 126]). The first to identify it as such was Furrer (1880: 235), the surveys and excavation that followed confirmed the identification (Hirschfeld 1990: 37-39, no. 23; Patrich 1991).

Monastery name:

SPELAION

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Desert

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

23,420.00

62,580.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

18,420.00

12,580.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

The monastery is built on a steep cliff in three levels.

Soils:

Rocky limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 17 km (Jerusalem).

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 12 km south of the road connecting Jerusalem and Jericho.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Sabas establishes a monastery around his seclusion cave, AD 508.
2	Shepherds are punished for invading monastery land and repent after the milk of their flocks dries up.
3	Rain miraculously falls on the monastery of the cave but not on the other monasteries of Sabas, AD 520.
4	A woman from Scythopolis donates curtains (altar screens) to Castellion and Spelaion.
5	Sabas retires to a cave to the west of Castellion, 30 stadia away from his Great Laura, AD 497, where he would later found a coenobium.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Bronze lamp with a Christian acclamation, invocation of the Lord, and a dedicatory inscription of abbot Zacharias and deacon Sisinius.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Schick	1880
van Kasteren	1890
Patrich	1981-1982
Hirschfeld	1982

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Patrich	1983

History:

The Monastery of the Cave was established by Sabas in 508 CE as recounted by Cyril of Scythopolis (V. Sab. 37, 126; V. Iohannis 9, 208). As opposed to many other monasteries in the Judean Desert, the monastery continued to function well into the Early Islamic period. Probably due to the decline in the number of monks, leadership of Spelaion was joined with that of the Monastery of Castellion, located nearby and a common abbot served the two monasteries. During this period, the monastery was also known as the "Cave of St. George" (V. Stephani Sabaitae IX.1, 352 [ed. Garitte]).

Bibliograpy:

Furrer, K., 1880	234-6
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883
van Kasteren, J. P., 1890	110-12
Vailhé, S., 1900	19-48; 75-8; 272-92
Pierri, P. G., 1947	12-5
Corbo, V. C., 1958	235-57
Compagnoni, P., 1978
Hirschfeld, Y., 1987
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990	38-9
Patrich, J., 1991	429-48
Patrich, J., 1994
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	90
Patrich, J., 1995	146-53
Di Segni, L., 2005	173, 227
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	117-19

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The remains of built paths, water channels and reservoirs can be seen as far as 400-600 m from the center of the monastery, along with boundary walls, an isolated building, a lime kiln and quarries.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Monastery of the Cave - view from the northeast (Malka 2012 II: 118, no. 232.2).

Figures

Bir el Qattar, Spelaion - general plan of the site (Malka 2012 II: 118, no. 232.1).

spelaion- plan of the upper level of the monastery (Patrich 1991: 440, Fig.7).

Spelaion- molded corinthian capital from sabas cave(Patrich 1991:pl.50).

Reconstruction, general view. Patrich 1995.

General description

Paths:

A constructed path leads along the northern bank of the wadi from the “Road of the Monasteries” to the complex. A path connecting the monastery of the cave with the monastery of Castellion passed along the ancient aqueduct, reinforced in places by a retaining wall. Within the monastery itself, remains of a path that ran along the various structures was discerned. The path connected the entrance gate with the southeastern corner of the central cistern. Staircases were also built to connect the different levels.

Enclosing walls:

A boundary wall was built at a distance of 400-500 m from the core of the monastery, to mark its territory. The wall is ca. 0.6 m thick. Parts of the boundary wall are visible near the two reservoirs. The monastery was surrounded by walls on the north, west and east sides. The southern side was protected by the cliff and the retaining walls of the complex.

Gate/s:

The paths leading to the monastery converge at the upper level indicating the main entrance to the complex. A second, smaller gate may have existed in the northern wall where a path leading towards the quarries begins. A rock cut staircase leads from the wadi to an open space and a flight of stairs up to the lower gate.

Tower/s:

A tower-like structure (5.3 x 9 m) stands at the top of the hill south-east of the monastery. This structure may have marked the boundary of the monastery on the east. The upper level (ca. 90 x 20-25 m) contains the enclosure walls with a defensive tower, its foundations having been preserved, and a second tower, which may have served as a gatehouse in the northeastern corner of the wall.

Churche/s:

Sabas’ cave was converted into a chapel (see below: caves). At a later stage, a church was built below the cave. Depressions, probably for the support of the ceiling beams were found cut into the rock. 2.8 m below this, a white mosaic floor with geometric patterns was discerned. The estimated measurements of the church are 12 x 5-6 m.

Dwellings:

The eastern structures close to the edge of the cliff may have served as the residential wing of the monastery. Three dwelling caves were located in the middle level of the complex.

Refectory:

The central building: to the south of the church, near to the lower entrance gate of the monastery, at a lower level, are the foundations of a large building (14 x 14 m). This structure may have served as the main service building of the monastery, containing the kitchen, bake house, food storerooms, refectory etc.

Storage facilities:

see above (refectory)

Cave/s:

One cave is located in the western end of the monastery's middle level. Against its eastern side is a seepage of water from the upper level which has given the Arabic name of the place, Bir el Qattar (“the well of the drops”). Two additional caves are located in the cliff separating the upper and the middle levels. One of these caves is the “Cave of Sabas” after which the monastery was named. The cave has a maximal depth of 10 m and is about 4 m wide. A railing wall was built at its mouth, supported by a wall which seals cracks in the rock. A small chapel was established inside the cave. On the rock wall, a molded Corinthian capital can be discerned. Nearby, drawings of crosses and indecipherable inscriptions in red paint were preserved.

Kitchen:

See above (refectory)

Hostelry:

Remains of a rectangular structure (14.5 x ca. 5 m) on the opposite bank of the streambed may have served to shelter pilgrims.

Water installations:

On the upper level of the monastery a cistern (7 x 9 m x 5 m deep) was built in the foundation of the defensive tower that formed part of the wall. Four cisterns are located in the middle level: a large cistern (4 x 14 m, ca. 5 m deep), the southeastern corner of which has been preserved. This cistern has a feeding channel of impressive build. A second, L shaped cistern with a maximum width of 3.2 m and a depth ca. 3.5 m, was constructed in a cave at the western end of this level. A third, smaller cistern is located to the east of the entrance to the lower dwelling cave and two more are indicated by their arched roofs to the east of the central cistern. A cistern (2.2 x 2.3 m) is found on the side of the stairs leading to the lower gate. Below the monastery at Bir Abu Shu’la, there is a large reservoir, cut into the chalk. The reservoir (15.5 x 12.3 m) is plastered in hydraulic plaster typical of the Early Islamic period and is therefore of a later stage than the establishment of the monastery (Patrich 1992: 436). Two additional reservoirs are located in the wadi northeast of bir Abu Shu’la, these are at some distance from the monastery itself. A cistern was built south of the monastery (8 x 5 x ca. 4 m deep, capacity ca. 160 m3 ). This was probably used to irrigate the garden of the monastery, located below, in the streambed. A 350 m long channel runs below the main path from the northwest. This fed the upper cistern of the monastery. A second channel (ca. 500 m) arrived from the north.

Garden:

The existence of the monastery garden is indicated by the remains of several lines of walls built in the streambed.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

A lime kiln is located south of the tower-like structure, just above the streambed. Four small quarries were noted north and northeast of the monastery. These probably supplied building material for the structures of the monastery.

Small finds

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Size class
Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Materials applied (roofing):

tiles

Components

Enclosing wall

Border marks

Gate/s:

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
cave
unknown			Ground floor

Refectory

Dwelling type:

caves

Storage facilities – warehouses

Kitchen

Hostelry

Built paths

Retaining walls

Garden

Water installations:

Cisterns

Channels

Spring

Painted plaster

Inscribed crosses

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

General outline:

Founded by Sabas in 508 CE.

Dating material:

Literary (see Literary Sources)

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Early

General outline:

A church was added below the Cave of Sabas.

Phase date

Century:

Unknown

General outline:

The monastery continued to exist after the Arab conquest at least into the second half of the eighth century. At this time it was under a common leadership with the monastery of Castellion.

Dating material:

Literary (see Literary Sources)

Phase date

Century:

8th c.

Within century:

Second half

Post Arab conquest history:

Still in use