Bir al Hamam - Chapel
Church Name, type, function
Site Name:
Bir al Hamam
Church name:
Chapel
Functional Type:
Monastic
Dedication:
Unknown
Church type:
Chapel
Location
Coordinates, ITM system:
174,834.00
1,178,531.00
Coordinates, ICS system:
224,830.00
678,548.00
Geographical region:
Samaria Hills
Topographical location:
The Monastery, overlooking Nablus is located on the upper northwestern slope of Mount Gerizim, approximately 1km to the west of the Church of Mary Theothokos
Distance from nearest settlement:
Ca. 1 km. to the south of Neapolis
Provincial affiliation:
Palaestina I
Bishopric:
Neapolis
Source of knowledge
Epigraphy:
Archaeological remains
Excavated site
Excavators:
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
Department of Archaeology at An-Najah National Uni | 2001 |
General description
State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:
A mosaic paved chapel located at the elevated, southern part of the monastery. Access was through a broad staircase leading to a doorwy in the northern wall, located near its NW corner. The altar and the chancel screen are presently overlaid over the mosaic floor; the altar plate - upside down, with the four square depressions for its legs facing up. It rests over a single monolitic pedestal. A Greek mosaic inscription, facing east, is located next to the wall, at the very eastern end of the hall. A square room is located to its east (the "Eastern Room" according to Taha et alii. 2015, interpreted by Abu Alsaud 2018 as a storeroom). A doorway, later blocked, connected the prayer hall with a spacious hall to its north ("Reunion Room" according to Taha 2015; interpreted by Abu Alsaud (2018) as a a refectory. The hall, accessed as well by the broad staircase, was also paved by colorful mosaics (less preserved than those of the chapel). Two fragmentary Greek mosaic inscriptions in tabulae ansatae, one at its center, the other near the doorway that connecting both halls, were uncovered there. A third opening connected the "Reunion Room" with the "Souhern Room" / "Storeroom".
Description
Illustrative material:
Façade and entries:
Access by a broad staircase leading to an opening in the north wall, near the NW corner.
Lateral walls:
A second doorway connected the prayer hall with the "Reunion Room", annexed to the chapel on the north.
Bema, chancel screen and apse:
The altar and the chancel screen are laid over the mosaic floor; the altar plate - upside down, with the square depressions for its legs facing up (an erronouse reconstruction). It is presently supported by a single, well shaped pedestal.
According to the present restoration of the chancel screen, there is no post at the northern side of the passage. The photos (Taha et alii, pp. 44-45) show a wide chancel post lying horizontally on the northern pedestal that retained an arch. If added to the standing screen, this would make the passage much too narrow. It therefore seems that originally all screen pieces were set in a wider hall.
Small finds
Small finds:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
Other | Broken ostrich egg |
Small finds illustrative material:
Detailed description
Structure
Orientation:
Facing east
Materials applied (walls):
Limestone
Church Head/Chevet:
n/a
Central Apse Category:
quadrangular
Altar remains:
plate
Altar type:
Monopodium
Altar reliquiarium type:
No altar reliquiarium
Attached structures
Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon:
Simple rectangular room
Prothesis chapel / Diakonikon description:
A spacious hall is located to the north of the chapel, labelled by Taha et alii 2015 "Reunion Room", and interpreted by Abu Alsaud (2018) as a refectory. It was accessed, like the chapel, from the broad staircase. A doorway near its SW corner connected it with the chapel. A third door, near its SE corner, connected it with the "Eastern Room". The floor was mosaic paved (less well preserved than that of the chapel). Two Greek inscriptions, facing east, both in tabula ansata and in a fragmentary state, were incorporated in the floor. One next to its western opening, the other - in its center.
Sacristy / skeuophylakion:
Simple rectangular room
Sacristy / skeuophylakion description:
Thus should be interpreted the "Eastern Room" (Taha et alii) / "Storeroom (Abu Alsaud). A door, opening to the inside, connected it with the "Reunion Room". It was blocked in Phase 2. It was excavated down to bedrock, below its original floor level (as is reflected in one of the photos and from the EW section.
Architectural Evolution
| General outline | Dating material | Phase no. | Century |
|---|---|---|---|
Mosaic paved chapel with a quadrangular sanctuary and a spacious, mosaic paved hall, labelled "Reunion Room" by Taha et alii 2015, and "Refectory" by Abu Alsaud 2018, attached to its north. | The style of the mosaics suggest a late sixth and early seventh century date.
| Phase 1 | 6th-7th c. |
Doorways between the "Reunion Room" / "Refectory" and the chapel blocked. Passage between this hall and the "Eastern Room" was likewise blocked. Six pilasters to carry arches for the roof were set over the mosaic floor of the chapel. | Phase 2 | Unknown | |
Ayyubid coins uncovered in the western wing, near the oven, suggest that this part of the monastery might have been used by later occupants. But the chapel was abandoned earlier; the exact date being unknown. | Abandonment | Unknown |
Conclusions:
The identification of the "Northern Hall" as a refectory should be discarded, due to the absence of benches, or menzae. A continuous wall also separated it from the western wing, where the kitchen and the oven were located.
The original chancel screen was wider than the present one, lying over the eastern part of the prayer hall, that was earlier connected with the "Northern Hall". The only alternative where the wide chancel screen could stand is the "Reunion Room". Its mosaic floor and the two inscriptions, one at its entrance and the second - in its center, indicate the importance of this hall. If so, this hall served in Phase 1 as the monastic chapel, and the hall to its south served as its oratory, or diakonikon!. A similar layout is encountered in the Dominus Flevit monastic chapel on Mt. of Olives. The wider hall there, that had a chancel screen and an altar, is identified in a Greek inscription in front of the chancel as ekklesia, the second hall, smaller and without a chancel screen and an altar, is identified by a Greek inscription there as eukterion / oratory.
The absence of any pilaster attached to its extant, southern wall, suggest that the "Northern Hall" was roofed by wooden beams resting on the lateral walls; likewise the chapel to its south, to which pilasters were added only in Phase 2, when the passage between the two halls was blocked. It seems that the architectural modification was a result of ceiling collapse. Perhaps resulting from an earthquake. The wider, "Northern Hall", was also set on looser ground (see the N-S cross section). The collapse seems to had led to its abandonment; the doors connecting it with the "Eastern Room" and to the hall to its south were blocked. The southern hall became the new chapel; six pilasters that carried three arches were placed along its walls in order to better retain the ceiling. The chancel screen and the altar were moved here, and an excessive chancel piece, becoming redundant in the narrower hall, was set aside. The "Eastern Room" - the former skeuophylakion of the original chapel, was blocked off in Phase 2.