El Baneh; Ba'ina; Ba'ineh; el Bi'na; al Be'neh; Beth Anath(?) - Greek Church of St. Barbara
Church Name, type, function
Site Name:
El Baneh; Ba'ina; Ba'ineh; el Bi'na; al Be'neh; Beth Anath(?)
Identification:
The name of the village appears in the Jerusalem Talmud ('Orlah 63b, transl. Schwab, p. 356; Neubauer, GTalm., pp. 235-6). There are at least two places that are identified with Beth Anatha biblical place, one of them -- is El Baneh (another - Bu'eina). Beth Anatha was a House of response, one of the fenced cities of Naphtali ( Joshua 19:38; Judges 1:33). The name signifies the "house" or "temple" of Anath, a goddess of the Canaanites.
Church name:
Greek Church of St. Barbara
Functional Type:
Unknown
Dedication:
St. Barbara
Church type:
Unknown
Location
Coordinates, ITM system:
225,589.00
759,535.00
Coordinates, ICS system:
175.00
260.00
Geographical region:
Western Galilee
Distance from nearest settlement:
In the modern settlement Bi'ne
Distance from Roman roads:
1 km to the north from the road between Ptolemais and Lake of Tiberias and further to Syria
Provincial affiliation:
Palaestina II
Bishopric:
Ptolemais
Source of knowledge
Literary sources:
Literary sources
Archaeological remains
Surveyed site
Surveyors:
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
Guerin | ca. 1870s |
Conder and Kitchener | ca. 1870-80s |
Bagatti, SBF | 1964 |
History:
Halachah ('Orlah 63b) says: "It is forbidden to help pagans to sow plants of different species, but this is permitted in neighboring cities that seem to be annexed into the Holy Land, such as Baina and Baima and their environs" (the rule for the preventing of mixture of seeds).
Bibliograpy:
General description
State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:
All the surveyors noted that the late Greek Orthodox church was built on the remains of the Early-Byzantine church, using some of its details. Guerin had supposed that the dedication to St. Barbara was preserved from the Byzantine times.
Description
Small finds
Small finds illustrative material:
Architectural Evolution
| Phase no. | Century |
|---|---|
Phase 1 | Early Christian / Byzantine |
Abandonment | Unknown |
Post conquest history comments:
A modern Greek church was built over the remains of the Early Byzantine church.