Qaṣr ‘Antar; Qasr el-‘Abd - Chapel
Church Name, type, function
Site Name:
Qaṣr ‘Antar; Qasr el-‘Abd
Identification:
Variant names: Kῠsr ‘Antar; Juwar el-Qaṣr; Kasr el-'Abd
Bagatti suggests that the site can be identified with the monastery-laura of Romanus the Monophysite, who is mentioned by Cyrillus of Scythopolis in his "Life of St. Euthimius" and in his "Life of Saba". The monastery had a brief life, from 454-484 according to Cyrillus, or from 451-456/7 according to the Monophysite sources. The monastery was destroyed due to theological combats and was never rebuilt.
According to M. Chernin (forthcoming), the chapel served as the memorial place of prophet Amos, where his relics were kept, being maintained in later centuries. The prophet (8th c. BCE) was active in the vicinity of Tecoa. His relics, near Tecoa, are first mentioned by Epiphanius of Salamis in his "Life of the Prophets" (4th century CE), already before Qasr Antar monastery was founded. According to Chernin, the relics were venerated by the Early-Byzantine pilgrims in the chapel of Qasr Antar. According to sources dated to 14th-17th century they were also known to rare Christian pilgrims. Probably, there was a community, that guarded the place.
Church name:
Chapel
Functional Type:
Monastic
Dedication:
Prophet Amos
Church type:
Chapel
Location
Coordinates, ITM system:
22,190.00
61,501.00
Geographical region:
Hebron Hills
Distance from nearest settlement:
The site is located at the end of a spur ca. 1 km south of the village of Tekoa'
Provincial affiliation:
Palaestina I
Bishopric:
Jerusalem (?)
Source of knowledge
Literary sources:
Literary sources
Archaeological remains
Surveyed site
Surveyors:
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
Guerin | ca. 1860 |
Marcoff and Chitty | 1928/29 |
Bagatti and Corbo | 1944 |
Kochavi | 1967 |
Bagatti, Loffreda | 1968 |
Hirschfeld | ca. 1980 |
Shkolnik, Tchernin, Ghasanov, Tarkhanova | 2017 |
Excavated site
Excavators:
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
M. Marcoff and D.J. Chitty on behalf of the BSAJ | 1928/9 |
Bibliograpy:
General description
State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:
A rectangular chapel (15.4x10.6 m) with an internal apse (3.9 m in diameter) and two niches that flank the apse. The eastern third of the chapel is separated by a wall. An opening in the northern corner of the apse afforded access to a burial cave hewn underneath. It comprises a corridor and a small burial chamber (2.8x2.3 m). During the 2017 survey along the southern wall a mikhrab was revealed, that indicates the transformation of the chapel into the mosque in the Early-Islamic period. There are some white tesserae of a crude mosaic floor.
Description
Illustrative material:
Façade and entries:
Not revealed
Lateral walls:
The lateral walls, including the western one, are very thick (1.80-5 m), while the eastern one is comparatively thin. They are constructed of crudely dressed stones reinforced with small stones and lime. The traces of the other wall are noticeable to the east from the chapel. So thick walls, most probably, indicate, that the chapel was originally rebuilt from the small Roman tower. Only the eastern wall was specially built for the chapel. The thickness of the walls was mentioned by Bagatti, who compared this feature to the Church of St. Euthymius in Khan el-Akhmar and in the Church of Mensa Christi in 'Ein Ha Shi'ah. Ovadiah suggested that such thick walls were necessary for holding arches.
Bema, chancel screen and apse:
Internal apse (3.9 m in diameter) flanked by two niches. The southern niche was still extant during the first visit of Bagatti, but in 1968 it was found dismantled by squatters.
Small finds
Small finds:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
Pottery | Byzantine |
Small finds illustrative material:
Detailed description
Structure
Materials applied (walls):
Limestone
Atrium:
No
Water cistern:
Yes
Narthex:
No
East end:
Internal apse
Church Head/Chevet:
n/a
Central Apse Category:
apsidal
Altar remains:
plate
Cult of relics
Cult of relics loci:
elsewhere
Reliquiaries: shapes and contents:
Chernin has suggested that the church was dedicated to the prophet Amos. According to Bagatti the two niches flanking the apse seved the cult of relics, housing two reliquaries.
Burial loci
Burials loci:
An opening in the northern corner of the apse afforded access to a burial cave hewn underneath. It comprises a corridor and a small burial chamber (2.8x2.3 m).
Architectural Evolution
| Phase name (as published) | General outline | Dating material | Phase no. | Century | Within century |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Byzantine | Bagatti considered that according to the finds and to the historical sources the monastery existed for a brief period of time: 454-484 or 451-456/7.
| pottery | Phase 1 | 5th c. | Second half |
The chapel was converted into the mosque | Abandonment | 5th c. | Late |
Conclusions:
After the last survey of 2017 on behalf of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria pottery of different periods was revealed, indicating that continued its existence during the Early-Islamic period, the chapel, most probably, was replaced by a mosque (M. Chernin). Mameluke pottery was also found. The site is on constant robbing of squatters.