Jerusalem (Old city) - New Church of the Theotokos (Nea Church monastery)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Jerusalem (Old city)

Identification:

The remains of the large complex constructed by Justinian were discovered in the Jewish quarter in N. Avigad's excavations. The recovery of a foundation inscription left no doubt as to the identification of the site as the Nea church and monastery. The abbot mentioned in the inscription is also known from the literary sources.

Monastery name:

New Church of the Theotokos (Nea Church monastery)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Urban

Pilgrims

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

222,057.00

631,217.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

172,049.00

131,220.00

Geographical region:

Jerusalem (Old City)

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

The site is located on a steep slope south of Jerusalem's Old City.

Soils:

Limestone and terra rosa.

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

0 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

0 km (Jerusalem)

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Mention of two hospices built by the Emperor Justinian in the detailed description of the building of the New Church, AD 532-543.
2	The Origenist administrator Theodore Ascidas appoints John the Eunuch abbot of the New Church, ca. AD 544.
3	Mention of the basilica of St Mary and of its congregation of monks, hospices and hospital, from an itinerary of ca. AD 570.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Building inscription of Justinian I within tabula ansata moulded in plaster on the wall of a cistern.

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Avigad	1969-1983

History:

The church and its monastery, a foundation of the emperor Justinian, was dedicated in 543 CE (V. Sab. 86, 193).

Bibliograpy:

Bagatti, B., 1968	103-5
Avigad, N., 1977	145-51
Avigad, N., 1980
Avigad, N., 1983
Avigad, N., 1993	128-35
Schick, R., 1995	332-33
Avni, G., 2010	35-48
Voltaggio, M., 2011	197-210
Ben-Shlomo, D., 2012	251-54
Di Segni, L., 2012	396-99
Brosh, N., 2012	400-25

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

Discussion:

The date of destruction of the Nea complex, like many other monasteries and churches was attributed to the Persian occupation of Jerusalem and/or the Arab conquest. Following recent research, doubt has been cast on the amount of damage inflicted on the religious foundations in Jerusalem and elsewhere by the Persians (Avni 2010), and hence for the date that the Nea was destroyed and abandoned.

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The meagre remains of the immense church include parts of the pastophoria, the atrium, the narthex and a section of the northern wall of the basilica. Remains of the monastery, the pilgrims' hospice and the hospital that are known from the literature (Procopius, Buildings, V, 6) have not been located.

General description

Churche/s:

The monastery was attached to the NEA church (see Churches section).

Hostelry:

The hospice is known from the sources only. A second hospice belonging to the Nea may have been located north of the city. This is suggested by an inscription uncovered recently (Di Segni and Gellman 2017: 35-36).

Hospital:

The hospital is known from the sources only.

Water installations:

A large cistern was built south of the church covered by six vaults. A dedicatory inscription was found in the wall dated to 549/550 CE.

Small finds

Comments, discussion and summary:

Remains of the monastery were not recovered. The inscription found in the vaulted cistern is dated to 549/550 CE. Avigad suggested that the inscription may have dedicated not only the cistern but possibly the monastery which possibly stood above it (Avigad 1980: 245)

Detailed description

Components

Monastery church:

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

Hostelry

Hospital

Water installations:

Cisterns

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

The Nea church was inaugurated in 543 CE. The complex included, apart from the church, a monastery, a hostel, a hospital and a library. Remains of the church, with its large reservoir have been excavated in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem.

Dating material:

Epigraphy, architecture, literary and pictorial sources (the Madaba map).

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Mid

General outline:

The Nea church with its attached monastery were badly damaged or destroyed in the Persian invasion. Although the church was restored,the monastery itself may have ceased to function during that time or after the Arab conquest.

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Within century:

First half