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
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