Shavei Zion - South Church - South Church
Church Name, type, function
Location
Source of knowledge
Archaeological remains
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
Prausnitz | 1955, 57, 60, 63 |
General description
Description
A wide staircase was leading up to the atrium, that was surrounded by porticos. The western gateway was erected south of the center of the atrium, yet opposite and in line with the main door leading into the central nave of the church. The western facade of the enclosing wall of the atrium was at least 30 m. long.
The narthex floor was covered with a mosaic which was dated by an inscription to the 5th century.In Phase I the terraced outer narthex and the continuation towards the north of the narthex formed one large continuous porch which turned and continued in an easterly direction alongside the northern wall of the domus. In Phase II a stylobate with two columns separates between the narthex and the exonarthex. The exonarthex extended much to the north relative to the narthex and the domus. From this extension a corridor led to the east, parallel to the northern wall of the church. The narthex, at its northern end, also had an entrance to this corridor.
A flight of steps lead from the atrium to the church itself, which, together with the northern courtyard and adjacent buildings, were erected on top of the hill. The excavators assumed that the church probably had eleven entrances: three in the western wall (including the main central entrance); six side entrances, symmetrically arranged, in northern and southern walls, three in each wall; and two entrances in the eastern wall, one from each side of the apse.
All walls were built of local sandstone cut into squares and rectangles. The exterior walls were not plastered while the interior walls were coated with painted plaster with geometrical designs. The interior walls were also decorated with inlays of white marble, green granite and red porphyry.
The church domus was divided into a nave and two aisles by two colonnades of five columns each, with Corinthian capitals. The church floor was covered by mosaic carpets. The central and eastern parts of the nave show a number of repairs in the mosaic floor, resulting from modifications in the arrangement of space in front of the bema.
The aisles had openings in their eastern ends.
The location of the altar is recognized by imprints in the floor of the bema. In Phase I the bema occupied two inter-colunniations and a solea, flanked by two secondary tables, extended farther west into the nave. In Phase II the chancel, made of marble, was extended to occupy the third inter-colunniations, the two secondary tables, set above crosses, were encompassed by the chancel screen, and a third table, without a cross underneath, was added in the SW corner of the bema, next to its western entrance.
Small finds
Detailed description
Structure
| Total |
|---|
5 |
Attached structures
Architectural Evolution
| General outline | Dating material | Phase no. | Century | Within century |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Basilical church with an external apse, Phoenician type bema and an attached room on the NE, that seemingly served as a martyrion. At this phase, the chancel was made of wood and occupied the eastern third of the nave. It had a narrow solea passage in its center, protruding into the nave. Two altar tables above crosses were flanking the solea. | The church was erected in the end of the 4th century CE-beginning of the 5th c. The date is based on glass vessels and Late Roman pottery (LR pseudo-sigillata oil-lamps, LR platters and shallow bowls, oil lamp decorated with a jeweled cross within a circle). Aviam (2004: 144) is of the opinion that it should be dated to the 5th, begining of 6th c. | Phase 1 | 4th-5th c. | |
Atrium and narthex were added. The chancel screen was made of marble and occupied the entire eastern half of the nave, encompassing the two secondary tables. A third table, with no cross underneath, was added in the SW corner of the bema near its entrance.
The northeastern martyrium was enlarged to measure 5 m. south to north and at least 6 m. west to east. Additional rooms were built to the north of the church. | According to the inscription in the outer narthex, the church was rebuilt and enlarged at 486 CE. After that, the church was repaired twice, probably as a result of damages caused by earthquakes. | Phase 2 | 5th c. | Late |
The church was destroyed by fire in the Persian invasion of 614. | Abandonment | 7th c. | Early |