Choziba Monastery - SS. John and George of Choziba
Church Name, type, function
Site Name:
Choziba Monastery
Identification:
Deir Mar Jiryis. For more details on identification, see: Vailhé 1897–98; Thomsen 1907: 116; Abel 1938: 300; Chitty 1966: 150–152; Wilkinson 1977: 154; TIR: 104.
Church name:
SS. John and George of Choziba
Functional Type:
Monastic
Dedication:
SS. John and George of Choziba
Church type:
Cave chapel
Location
Coordinates, ITM system:
240.20
639.72
Coordinates, ICS system:
190.20
1,139.70
Geographical region:
Judean Desert
Topographical location:
On the northern bank of Wadi Qelt, close to its source in Jericho.
Distance from nearest bishop-seat:
ca. 19 km northeast of Jerusalem.
Distance from nearest settlement:
ca. 2.5 km west of modern Jericho.
Distance from Roman roads:
Near the road between Jerusalem and Jericho.
Provincial affiliation:
Palaestina I
Bishopric:
Regio Jericho
Source of knowledge
Literary sources:
Literary sources
Epigraphy:
Archaeological remains
Surveyed site
Surveyors:
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
Marti | 1870s |
Clermont-Ganneau | 1870 |
Conder and Kitchener | 1870-80s |
Meinardus | 1960s |
Meimaris | 1970s |
Patrich, Arubas, Agur, Kali | 1980s |
Bibliograpy:
192-8 | |
278-79, no. 142 |
General description
State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:
Monastery, currently active. Early remains include a chapel (12 X 5.65 m) erected inside a cave. The north and east sides are hewn from the rock, and the west and south walls were built. Adjacent to it is a hewn burial chamber of St. George of Choziba; mosaic floor with geometric patterns.
Description
Illustrative material:
Façade and entries:
The entrance to the chapel is from the south-west corner, from a corridor.
Lateral walls:
The walls are 0.65 m thick.
Bema, chancel screen and apse:
The apse is internal, rounded, approx. 1.15 m deep and 2.3 m wide. Its north half is hewn from the rock. North of the apse is a hewn niche.
Small finds
Small finds illustrative material:
Detailed description
Structure
Orientation:
Facing east
Materials applied (walls):
Limestone
East end:
Internal apse
Central Apse Category:
apsidal
Apse shape:
Hemispherical
Cult of relics
Cult of relics loci:
elsewhere
Reliquiaries: shapes and contents:
In the southern wall, in a niche, George of Choziba is buried and over the niche is his skull; in the northern wall is a reliquary with the skulls of fourteen martyred monks from the period of the Persian conquest in 614.
Architectural Evolution
| General outline | Dating material | Phase no. | Century | Within century |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apsidal chapel with adjacent crypt. Part of a monastery. | According to Anthony of Choziba, the hermitage and the chapel were established by five Syrian monks at the first half or mid fifth century. | Phase 1 | 5th c. | Mid |
The monastery was modified several times but is still in use. During the Early Islamic period most of the hermit cells were abandoned. | Abandonment | 7th c? |
Post Arab conquest history:
Modified