Jerusalem (Mount of Olives) - near Bethphage (Ancona?)

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Jerusalem (Mount of Olives)

Identification:

The church was tentatively identified by Vincent and Abel (1914:390) with the Ancona church near Bethphage mentioned by Theodosius (TS 21).

Church name:

near Bethphage (Ancona?)

Functional Type:

Monastic

Church type:

Basilical - Annex\es on the north

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

223.13

631.83

Coordinates, ICS system:

173.13

1,131.80

Location:

Para-urban

Geographical region:

Jerusalem Mount of Olives

Topographical location:

On Mount of Olives, ca. 250m to the east of the Eleona and 150m south of the Russian Tower of et-Tur, near Bethphage.

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Mention of a church on Mount Olivet in a place called Ancona, Bethphage of the Gospels, from an itinerary of ca. AD 518-530.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Dedicatory mosaic inscription of two clergy and three monks set in a tabula ansata, in the annex to the north of the church.

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Bliss and Dickie, PEF	1894

Bibliograpy:

Bliss, F. J., 1895
Bliss, F. J. and Dickie, A. C., 1898
Séjourné, P. M., 1895
Thomsen, P., 1908
Horning, R., 1909
Vincent, L. H. and Abel, F. M., 1914
Abel, F. M., 1927	2367
Ovadiah, A., 1970

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Only the northern half of the basilica survived and was excavated. The whole southern part was destroyed. Reconstructed measurements of the basilica are 23.60 X c. 15m. (external dimensions). Two interconnected rooms, mosaic paved with an inscription set beyond the southern border of the mosaic, facing south are attached to the apse on the north and three other rooms are attached to the northern aisle on its western part. Two tombs were uncovered in the east end of this aisle. The mosaic floor of the chancel was partially preserved, depicting medallions that underwent iconoclasm.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Façade and entries:

Three entrances in the western wall (only the northern entrance has been found).

Nave:

The nave (7.4 m wide) was separated from the aisles by two rows of five columns standing on stylobates.

Aisles:

Each aisle is 3.6 m wide. At the east end of the northern aisle two graves were found.The northern aisle was paved with a coloured mosaic floor with geometric patterns.

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

Internal hemispherical apse (with remains of a synthronon?). The chord of the apse is about 5 m. The depth about 3 m. U-shaped bema, contained within the nave and raised 33 cm (one step?) above it. In the center of the apse floor a soft limestone reliquary was sunk. The area of the bema and apse was paved with coloured marble pavement with geometric and stylised floral patterns.

Lateral spaces:

The northern aisle ends in its eastern part with a rectangular compartment (10 X 4.6 m), divided into two parts. The northern one might have been a martyrial chapel. An inscription for the rest of two clergy man and three monks were uncovered in the southern of the two rooms.

Small finds

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Atrium:

Water cistern:

Narthex:

Aisles:

Number of nave columns in a row:

Total
5

East end:

Internal apse

Church Head/Chevet:

monoapsidal with open lateral rooms or spaces (mon-aps I)

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Bema type:

U shaped without lateral openings

Elevation of Bema above nave:

1 step up

Altar remains:

no remains

Altar reliquiarium type:

Depression in the floor

Altar location:

Inside the apse

Ambo:

Apse elevation:

Flush with the bema

Apse shape:

Hemispherical

Pastophoria

Pastophoria loci:

N & S

Description and function of northern:

A rectangular unit (10 X 4.6 m) divided into two rooms attached to the central apse from the north. A Greek burial inscription in tabula ansata set into the mosaic floor of the rectangular unit; six names are mentioned: a priest, a deacon and and 4 monazontes.

Burial loci

Burials loci:

At the east end of the northern aisle two graves were found, containing the remains of skeletons.

Attached structures

Annex/es on the north:

Three small chambers attached to the north-east side of the basilica.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

Basilical church with internal apse.

Dating material:

Fifth or early sixth century, based on the shape of the letters in the inscription.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Late

Dating material:

Traces of iconoclasm in one of the medallions of the mosaic floor of the chancel indicate that the church was apparently still in use in the 8th c.

Phase date

Century:

8th c.

Within century:

Mid

Iconoclastic evidence

Iconoclastic evidence:

Yes

Iconoclastic evidence comments:

Traces of iconoclasm in one of the medallions of the mosaic floor of the chancel

Post Arab conquest history:

Unmodified