17325 - El-Bira - Church

Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

El-Bira

Identification:

Kh. el-Bire; Kh. el-Bīra; Kh. el-Bireh

Church name:

Church

Functional Type:

Parochial

Dedication:

Unknown

Church type:

Basilical - Free standing basilica

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

19,309.00

59,374.00

Geographical region:

Judean Desert fringes

Topographical location:

on a low hilltop

Distance from nearest settlement:

ca. 5.5 km northwest of ed-Daheriya

Distance from Roman roads:

ca. 5 km to the south from the road connected Hebron with the Mediterranean shore and ca. 7-8 km to the north from the road connected Hebron with Beer Sheva

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Eleutheropolis

Source of knowledge

Archaeological remains

Surveyed site

Surveyors:

Name	Date
Guerin	1860s
Conder and Kitchener	1860s
Kochavi et als.	1967/8

Bibliograpy:

Guérin, V., 1869	364
Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1881	SWP III: 423
Abel, F. M., 1938	1933-38 II: 446
Kochavi, M. and Ovadiah, R., 1972	30, 74, no. 211
Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994	90
Bagatti, B., 2002	84
Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012	242-3

Abbreviation for Journals and Series

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

Ruins of a basilical church were revealed. The church was built in a shape of three-aisled basilica (naos measured ca. 14x7 m), completed with the single apse on its eastern side. Narthex and atrium (?) were abutting from the western side. Plenty of architectural members were scattered and reused in the nearby houses.

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

Atrium:

Anticipated atrium, asymmetrical, abutting to the narthex from the western side

Narthex:

Rectangular hall of narthex (trapezoid), abutting to the naos from western side

Façade and entries:

There were three entrances on its western wall, leading into the nave and aisles.

Lateral walls:

Large, well elaborated ashlars

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

Sindle semicircular apse within the anticipated western straight wall and between two pastophoria (?)

Small finds

Small finds illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Facing east

Materials applied (walls):

Limestone

Atrium:

Yes

Narthex:

Yes

Aisles:

2

Colonnades / Arcades:

Colonnade

Number of nave columns in a row:

Total	Extant in N	Extant in S
8	4	4

Church Head/Chevet:

monoapsidal with open lateral rooms or spaces (mon-aps I)

Architectural Evolution

Phase name (as published)	Phase no.	Century
Byzantine	Phase 1	Early Christian / Byzantine
Unknown	Abandonment	Unknown