Khirbet Mugheifir - ELIAS; EUNUCHS (?)

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Monastery name, type, category

Site Name:

Khirbet Mugheifir

Identification:

Kh. Mugheifir was identified as one of two monasteries founded before 473 CE around the cell of Elias (V. Euthy. 51, 15 [ed. Schwartz]). One of These monasteries was given to a group of eunuchs and named for them, the Monastery of the Eunuchs (J. Mosch. Pratum, 136 [Eng. tr. J. Wortley: 111]). It is not known for certain which of the two monasteries of Elias was the one called the Monastery of the Eunuchs. Féderlin suggested identifying the northern monastery of the two as that of the Eunuchs but gave no argument for this (Féderlin 1907: 198-199). Identification of the two sites, located on two opposite banks of the riverbed, is based on their proximity to Jericho and to each other.

Monastery name:

ELIAS; EUNUCHS (?)

Monastery type:

Cenobium

Monastery category:

Desert

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

245,088.00

638,872.00

Coordinates, ICS system:

195,984.00

138,863.00

Geographical region:

Southern Jordan Valley

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Regio Jericho

Topographical location:

Level ground on the northern bank of Wadi Khaur Abu Dhaha.

Soils:

Marl

Distance from nearest bishop-seat:

ca. 2 km (Jericho); 24 km east of Jerusalem.

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 2 km (Jericho)

Distance from Roman roads:

The site is located near the intersection between the Jordan Valley road leading north to Beth Shean-Scythopolis and the road leading eastwards towards Amman-Philadelphia.

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Elias, future patriarch of Jerusalem, builds himself a cell outside the city of Jericho, ca. AD 460s.
2	The exiled patriarch Elias dies in Aila, AD 518.
3	One of Elias' monasteries becomes the Monastery of the Eunuchs, ca. AD 528.
4	Story of Abba John, priest of the monastery of the Eunuchs, from an early 7th cent. collection of anecdotes.

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Conder and Kitchener	1871-1877
Drake	1874
Féderlin	1903
Bar-Adon	1967-68

History:

Two monasteries were built around a cell occupied by Elias near Jericho as reported by Cyril of Scythopolis (V. Euth. 32 [ed. Schwartz 51. 17-18]). This took place sometime before 474 CE, the year in which Elias was appointed priest at the church of the Anastasis in Jerusalem. One of these, apparently at Kh. el Mugheifir, was handed over to a group of eunuchs and named "The Monastery of the Eunuchs" (Moschus, Pratum 136 [PG 3000 A]).

Bibliograpy:

Drake, C. F. T., 1874	73
Palmer, E. H., 1881	350
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883	178
Vailhé, S., 1900	18-19
Federlin, L., 1903	196-99
Augustinović, A., 1951	184-89
Bar-Adon, P., 1972	115
Hirschfeld, Y., 1990	22-23
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	189
Sion, O., 1996	245-64
Di Segni, L., 2005	111-12
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	286-87

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

State of certainty:

Archaeologically and Literarily definitive

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

SWP reported scattered stones, fragments of frescoes, Greek letters, tesserae and a plastered cistern. Later surveys listed the components at the site as consisting of a church, a large water reservoir, cisterns and remains of other structures.

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Figures

Kh. Mugheifir- general plan (Magen and Kagan 2012 I: 287, no. 147).

General description

Churche/s:

Remains of a church were identified at the site, including fragments of marble, roof tiles and tesserae.

Water installations:

A large reservoir and cisterns were identified at the site. Remains of an aqueduct leading from the west were reported by SWP.

Small finds

Small finds:

Category	Description
Pottery
Other	Roof tiles
Other	Tesserae

Detailed description

Dimensions:

Total area (sqm)	Size class
12,000	Large

Structure

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Brick

Materials applied (roofing):

tiles

Components

Monastery church:

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

Water installations:

Cisterns

Aqueduct

Architectural evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

General outline:

Founded sometime before 473 CE around the cell of Elias, a disciple of Euthymius.

Dating material:

Based on Cyril of Scythopolis (V. Euthy. 32 [ed. Schwartz 51. 17-18]; ibid. 42 [61. 30-62]). See Literary Sources section.

Phase date

Century:

5th c.

Within century:

Second half

General outline:

The monastery was transferred at some point, possibly in the sixth century to a group of eunuchs and its name was changed. Any architectural changes that may have taken place are unknown.

Dating material:

Based on John Moschus (Pratum 136). See Literary Sources section.

Phase date

Century:

6th c.

General outline:

The monastery was probably abandoned in the early seventh century.

Phase date

Century:

7th c?

Within century:

Early