Christian Settlements and Monasteries in the Northern Judaean Shephelah and the Western Samaria Hills during the Byzantine Period

By (author) Ayelet Dayan

Book cover: Christian Settlements and Monasteries in the Northern Judaean Shephelah and the Western Samaria Hills during the Byzantine Period

Extent: 132 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Medieval Studies, Religious Studies

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(April 2025)

ISBN: 9781803279411

6.85 x 9.65 inches

Price: $42.00

In stock

This study examines Byzantine-period monasteries in the northern Judaean Shephelah and western Samaria Hills. It presents newly uncovered Christian sites, distinguishes site types, and explores monastery foundations, interactions with nearby settlements, and classification criteria.


This study focuses mainly on the archaeological aspects of monasteries in the northern Judaean Shephelah and the western Samaria Hills during the Byzantine period. Many Christian sites have been uncovered in these two regions in the past years during salvage excavations and routine monitoring and inspection activities conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority. Some of these have not been systematically investigated and are presented here for the first time. In addition, all the locations where Christian archaeological remains and finds have been brought to light in these two geographic regions during the study period are presented. An effort has been made to draw a distinction between the different sites in terms of their type and function in order to determine whether they were villages, farmsteads, estates, monasteries, or some other type of settlement. The book examines the monasteries, the date of their foundation, the reasons for their establishment, and their interactions with the settlements in their broader area, with holy sites, pilgrimage sites, and pilgrim routes. In addition, the study proposes criteria according to which the different types of monasteries can be classified.

Preface

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Land of Israel in the Byzantine Period: General Background

Monasticism in the Byzantine Period: General Introduction

Types of Monasticism and Monasteries

Architectural Traits of the Monasteries: Structure and Layout

Monastic Life

Previous research

Chapter 2: The Sites

Introduction to the sites

Presentation and Description of the Sites

The Naḥal Ḥadera area

 The Baḥan Area

The Sebaste Area

Antipatris and its Area/From Antipatris to Diospolis

The Modiʻin Area/From Diospolis to Jerusalem

From Lydda to Jaffa and Ashdod

Ashdod and Surroundings

The Qiryat Gat Area

The Emmaus/Nicopolis area

Zakharia

 

Chapter 3: The Nature of the Sites and Their Distribution

The Spatial Distribution of the Sites

Defining Settlement Types and Monasteries

A Comparison of the Distribution of Sites in Different Areas of the Holy Land

 

Chapter 4: Discussion and Conclusions

Relations Between Monasteries and Neighbouring Settlements

The Impact of Historical Events on the Geographical Distribution of Monasteries

Criteria for Identifying a Monastery

Selected Sites that Could be Monasteries

References

  • By (author) Ayelet Dayan