13741 - Sussita - Cathedral

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Sussita - Cathedral

Church Name, type, function

Site Name: 
Sussita
Identification: 
In 1885 the Cathedral was identified and surveyed by G. Schumacher.
Church name: 
Cathedral
Functional Type: 
Parochial
Dedication: 
The annexed baptistery is dedicated to Sts. Cosmas and Damianus.
Church type: 
Basilical - Annex\es on N & S

Location

Coordinates, ITM system: 
262,206.00
742,686.00
Geographical region: 
Golan Heights
Topographical location: 
On top of a hill, in the city center.
Distance from nearest settlement: 
Inside the city
Distance from Roman roads: 
n/a
Provincial affiliation: 
Palaestina II
Bishopric: 
Hippos

Source of knowledge

Epigraphy: 

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site
Surveyors: 
NameDate
G. Schumacher
1885
C. Epstein, M. Nun
1937
A. Kowalewska and M. Eisenberg
2021
Excavated site
Excavators: 
NameDate
R. Amiran, M. Dothan, M. Avi-Yonah et al.
1949-1952
C. Epstein
1952-1955
Mr. Ran Abramovitch
2003
History: 
In 1937 Claire Epstein and Mendel Nun with members of kibbutz En-Gev surveyed again the site first identified in 1885 by G. Schumacher. In 1949-1952 several archaeological seasons, including urban survey and remapping of the city, were organized under the direction of R. Amiran, M. Dothan, M. Avi-Yonah, A. Schulman, E. Anati, with the participation of C. Epstein, B. Shimron, M. Nun, M. Nestadt on behalf of Israel Department of Antiquities. In 2003 during the fourth archaeological season of the Hippos-Sussita Excavations Season (Zinman Institute of Archaeology, Haifa University) the southern aisle of the Cathedral and the northern part of the Baptistery Chapel were exposed again. In 2022 the northern part of an unknown chapel, annexed on the south, was exposed by the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, Haifa University.
Bibliograpy: 
Schumacher, G., 1886
Epstein, C. and Shimron, B. , 1949
Epstein, C. and Shimron, B., 1950
Epstein, C. and Shimron, B., 1951
Anati, E., 1957
Shulman, A., 1957
Avi-Yonah, M., 1957
Avi-Yonah, M., 1957
Epstein, C., 1970
Ovadiah, A., 1970
Ovadiah, A. and de Silva, C. G., 1982
Epstein, C. and Tzaferis, V., 1991
Epstein, C., 1993
Bagatti, B., 2001
Segal, A., 2003
Segal, A., 2007
Łajtar, A., 2013
Michel, A., 2019
167-168.
Kowalewska, A. and Eisenberg, M., 2023
Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered: 
During the years 1952-5 the church complex and the annexed basilical baptistery were almost completely uncovered. The dimensions of the mono-apsidal basilica are 22,7x19 m, without the apse and the atruim; the apse - at least, additional 5.5 m in length). The dimensions of the annexed tri-apsidal basilica with a baptismal font are 15x13,4 m, including the apses. The southern aisle of the Cathedral, paved by opus-sectile tiles, was entirely exposed in 2021 season. The 2021 work focused also on entirely uncovering the southern wall, as well as the eastern portico of the church’s atrium.  The most important new information gleaned from the 2021 excavations was the existence of early construction phases of the cathedral. The excavation of the cathedral’s southern wall revealed that an additional row of rooms lay to the south of the main church area, among them a chapel with a cross-shaped baptismal font. A western room was paved with a well preserved mosaic floor, and an eastern room with an opus sectile floor.

Description

Illustrative material: 
Atrium: 

Only the north-western corner was exposed. The entire dimensions are not known.

Façade and entries: 

The main basilica has three entries in the western wall: 1,1 m -- 2.2 m --1.1 m wide. Near the threshold of the central entry in the basilica there is an inscription reading: ἐκκλησία.

Lateral walls: 

Poorly preserved up to 50-70 cm. Their thickness is ca. 0.80 m. The northern wall of the main basilica is the southern wall of the annexed baptistery. A 0.80 m wide entry led in from the northern aisle.

Nave: 

The width of the nave of the central basilica is 8,4 m. The width of the nave of the annexed basilica is 5 m.

Aisles: 

Both basilicas have two aisles. The width of the aisles of the cathera is 3.5 m; they have dead-ends on the east. The width of the aisles of the annexed basilica is 3 m.

Bema, chancel screen and apse: 

The main basilica has a single hemispherical apse. It is narrower than the nave (6.8 m wide) and not deep (4 m deep). A high synthronon with 6 steps (the last one is wider than the rest), was built along the apse. The bema is U-shaped with openings to both aisles in its eastern ends. It is one step higher than the nave and extends across the width of the nave and the adjacent intercolumnia.

The annexed basilical baptistery is tri-apsidal. The central apse horse-shoe in shape, is 4.6 m wide and 3 m deep. The lateral apses are 2.4-2.7 m wide and 2 m deep.

Lateral spaces: 

The aisles of the cathedral are deads-end. 

Small finds

Small finds: 
Category
Coins
Comments, discussion and summary: 

Cathedral is one of the biggest churches in the Galilee and Golan. Surely it is the most embellished one. The unique architectural feature is the annexed tri-apsidal basilica, which function as a baptistery. 

Detailed description

Structure

Materials applied (walls): 
Limestone
Basalt
Atrium: 
Yes
Water cistern: 
Yes
Narthex: 
No
Aisles: 
2
Colonnades / Arcades: 
Colonnade
Number of nave columns in a row: 
Total Extant in N Extant in S
9
9
3
Capital types: 
Corinthian
East end: 
External apse, round
Church Head/Chevet: 
dead end aisles (mon-aps III)
Central Apse Category: 
apsidal
Altar remains: 
no remains
Altar reliquiarium type: 
No altar reliquiarium
Ambo: 
No
Apse shape: 
Hemispherical
Synthronon: 
Yes
Synthronon remains: 
grades
Synthronon location: 
Against the apse
Synthronon description: 
Synthronon is constructed of limestone blocks, while the walls are built of basalt. It is 6 steps high; the lower 5 steps are narrow (ca. 0.22 m), the higher one is 1.1 m wide.

Baptism

Font structure: 
Masonry built
Internal shape: 
cruciform
Ben-Pechat type: 
4a

Attached structures

Att structures photos and planes: 
Secondary basilica: 
Apsidal
Secondary basilica description: 
Tri-apsidal baptismal basilica. See below under "Baptistery".
Baptistery: 
Basilical
Baptistery description: 
Basilical in shape and abutting the cathedral on its north, with an interconnecting doorway. Tri-apsidal. Each of the two colonnades have three columns. The capitals are Corinthian. The font is located in the center of the main apse. It is sunk, coated with pinkish plaster. Circular on the outside and cruciform on the inside. The walls are curved (width 1.16 m; depth 0.47 m). An additional baptismal font, built of bricks, was uncovered in 2021 in a chapel annexed to the Chathedral on the south.

Architectural Evolution

Phase name (as published)General outlineDating materialIconoclastic evidenceIconoclastic evidence commentsPhase no.CenturyWithin century
The most important new information gleaned from the 2021 excavations was the existence of the early construction phases of the cathedral. No date was so far provided. Seemingly it should be dated to the 5th or 6th c.
Phase 1
5th-6th c.
-
591

A mosaic inscription in the attached baptistery is dated to 654 according to the Pompeian era of the city, equivalent to 591 CE. But the baptistery seems to be a later addition to the cathedral, as its floor is considerably higher than the floor of the basilica. Hence, the basilica can be several decades earlier.  

Yes
The image of the dolphin at the rear side of the chancel panel was defaced, probably, by Christians before reusing ti in the church.
Phase 2
6th c.
Late
-
The church was destroyed, most probably, by an earthquake, as all the columns were toppled in an identical direction (north-east -- south-west in axis). It is assumed that this was the earthquake of 749, but no finds were published to ascertain this assumption.
Yes
Chancel screen panel has a defaced dolphin at the rear side. Most probably, it was Christian iconoclasm, for the adaptation of the plate for the church.
Abandonment
8th c.
Mid
Post Arab conquest history: 
Unmodified