Wadi Suweinit; el- Maqtara; el Aleiliyat - FIRMINUS

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Wadi Suweinit; el- Maqtara; el Aleiliyat

Identification:

The identification of the site with the monastery founded by Firminus, a pupil of Sabas' was suggested by Legrange (1899:94). Based on the location and the finds, this identification has been accepted by all scholars.

Monastery name:

FIRMINUS

Monastery type:

Laura

Monastery category:

Desert

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

226,500.00

640,950.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

176,496.00

140,949.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Topographical location:

Cliff

Soils:

limestone

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 10 km (Jerusalem)

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 1.5 km (Machmas)

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 7 km east of the road connecting Jerusalem and Shechem-Neapolis.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Mention of Firminus, future founder of a laura in the area of Machmas, among the disciples of Sabas, ca. AD 483.
2	After Sabas' and Firminus' death, Origenism spreads in the laura, ca. AD 535.
3	Story of Abba Zosimus and the repentant robber, from an early 7th cent. collection of anecdotes.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Crosses with Greek Christian acclamations, painted on the eastern wall of one of the caves of the complex.
2	CPA inscriptions quoting Psalms, painted on the walls outside and inside Cistern A.
3	CPA dedicatory inscription of Silas the priest, in the mosaic pavement a ruined building 1400 m east of the cluster of caves at el-ʿAleiliyat.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Lagrange	1889
Dalman	1904
Marcoff and Chitty	1928
Lombardi	1958
Corbo	1960
Desreuaux, Humbet and Nodet	1978
Patrich, Arubas and Naor	1985
Hirschfeld	1987
Magen and Finkelstein	1993

History:

Cyril of Scythopolis reports that Firminus, one of Sabas' pupils founded the laura near the village of Machmas (V. Sab. 16 [ed. Schwartz, 99. 23-24]). The laura can be counted among the larger of the Judean Desert monasteries considering that 40 cells were surveyed and the structures and installations associated with it are spread over a large area. Some of the dwelling caves had been in use in an earlier period and served as hiding complexes during the revolts of the Jews against Rome (Patrich, Arubas and Naor 1986: 45-50).

Bibliograpy:

Lagrange, M. J., 1895	88-96
Dalman, G., 1904	166-68
Dalman, G., 1905	165-66
Marcoff, M. and Chitty, D. J., 1929	167-78
Lombardi, G., 1958-1959	275-79
Corbo, V. C., 1960	137-41
Meinardus, O., 1964-1965	225
Ovadiah, A., 1970	60
Desreumaux, A., Humbert, J. -B. and Nodet, E., 1978	417-19
Humbert, J.-B., 1978	417-19
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982	131
Patrich, J., 1983	107-109
Patrich, J., 1984	61-62
Patrich, J. and Rubin, R., 1984	381-87
Patrich, J., 1987/88	66-70
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990	44-45
Hirschfeld, Y., 1992	117; 141; 169; 173
Magen, Y. and Finkelstein, I., 1993	192-93
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	60
Rubin, R., 2003	81-96
Di Segni, L., 2005	150
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	274-75

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The monastery of Firminus is spread over a very large area. First to be identified as belonging to the laura were the caves known as el-Aleiliyat, located in the steep part of Wadi Suweinit. Other parts of the laura were discovered in later surveys. The core of the laura is on the edge of the wadi's northern cliff. In the core, structures including the remains of a church were found.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Firminus - plan and cross section of tower (Hirschfeld 1992: 174, Fig. 93).

Firminus- plan and section of the church (Hirschfeld 1992)

General description

Paths:

A network of paths connected the cells with the core of the laura.

Courtyards:

A small central courtyard in the core of the laura was surrounded by the chapel, dwelling cells and a cistern.

Tower/s:

A tower (known as el-Maqtara) stands in the west of the laura. The tower is well constructed (8.6 x 9.4 m). Indentations in the entrance indicate that the tower was closed by means of a door. The interior was divided into rooms.

Churche/s:

The chapel (17x7 m) is located on the eastern side and may have had a second story. A small, well preserved chapel was found near the spring of 'Ein Suweinit. The chapel (8.5 x 8 m), paved with a white mosaic, contains a Syriac inscription mentioning the priest Silas.

Dwellings:

About 20 cells (average size 4 x 6 m) were found around the church complex. The cells are an average of 45 m apart. Twenty additional cells were located eastward on both banks of the wadi.

Burials:

Two cave tombs were found. One, ca. 1 km east of the core, had deep broad chambers and a small chapel. A second cave, is some 2.5 km from the core, among the cells. A fragment of stone chancel screen found in the cave suggests that there may have been a funerary chapel.

Cave/s:

Some of the dwellings were located in caves. Three "hanging caves" with structures beneath them are found in the center of the laura.

Water installations:

Most of the cells had their own cisterns and an additional cistern was located in the core area.

Garden:

Most of the cells had small garden plots in their vicinity.

Agricultural and industrial installations:

Agricultural terraces extend about 2.5 km along the southern bank of Wadi Suweinit.

Small finds

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Size class
Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Components

Tower/s

Courtyard/s

Monastery church:

Church type	Diakonikon	Link to church section	Church location
single nave			Ground floor

Dwelling type:

cells

caves

Tombs type:

Burial chamber

Built paths

Retaining walls

Garden

Water installations:

Cisterns

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Abandonment

General outline:

The remains include structures, caves used as dwellings, cisterns and other installations, and remains of a chapel which may have had a second story above it.

Dating material:

The monastery was founded by Firminus, a disciple of Sabas, probably around 515 CE, based on Cyril of Scythopolis (V. Sab. 16 [ed. Schwartz, 99, 23-24]).

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

Within century:

Early

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Post Arab conquest history:

Abandoned

Post conquest history comments:

The monastery was abandoned in the Early Islamic period. The caves were used by Shepherds in later periods.