A CHURCH AND WATER RESERVOIR BUILT BY EMPRESS EUDOCIA. Y. Hirschfeld

Transcription

1 A CHURCH AND WATER RESERVOIR BUILT BY EMPRESS EUDOCIA Y. Hirschfeld On the descent eastward from the Mount of Olives, adjacent to the ancient road leading from Jerusalem to Jericho, lies the site of Qasr Ali (Phot.1). The site is located atop a small hill about 6 kilometers east of Jerusalem (map ref. 1767/1349). The ruins of Qasr Ali were discovered in 1934 by the German scholar Alfons Schneider, who identified them as a church and a water reservoir built by Empress Eudocia. 1 The history of the site is presented by Cyril of Scythopolis (c ), Byzantine Beit Shean, who wrote the biographies of seven leaders of the monastic movement in the Judean Desert.According to Cyril, a church dedicated to St.Peter, and a large reservoir nearby, were built by Empress Eudocia in 459, a year before her death. 2 The reservoir was meant to quench the thirst of wayfarers, among them many pilgrims descending to baptismal sites on the Jordan River or coming up from the river to the Holy City. Cyril mentions only the church and the reservoir; further archaeological study in 1982 revealed the existence of living quarters and a tower beside the church. 3 This article presents the 1982 findings and the historical background of the site. Description of the Site The findings indicated that the site was a small monastic complex comprised of four detached elements that together created one 1. A.M. Schneider, Zu einigen Kirchenruinen Palästinas, Oriens Christianus 31 (1934), The ruins were surveyed at the end of the nineteenth century by van Kasteren, who did not identify the site. See: J.P. van Kasteren, Aus der Umgegend von Jerusalem, ZDPV 13 (1890), pp Kyrillos von Skythopolis, Leben des Euthymius 35 (ed. E. Schwartz, Leipzig 1939, p.53). 3. The survey and trial excavation were directed by the author on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of Israel and the staff officer for archaeology in Judea and Samaria, with the assistance of Rivka Kalderon, Erez Cohen (surveyor), and youth groups from Jerusalem, see: Y. Hirschfeld, Monastery of St.Euthymius, Survey and Excavations, Excavations and Surveys in Israel 3 (1984), pp LA 40 (1990) ; tavv

2 288 Y. HIRSCHFELD Fig.1: Plan of the site. architectural entity (Phot.2). The four structures occupy an area measuring m; thus, the total area comes to about 3,600sqm (Fig.1). The central element is the church building, at the highest point of the site. Its external dimensions are m. Judging from the dimensions of the church, it seems likely that it was a basilica. On its western side are the remains of an atrium with a cistern in the center (the cistern measures m and is about 4 m deep). An exploratory examination revealed a section of the church s mosaic floor. The floor is well-made (with 54 tesserae per 10 sq cm). Fragments of roof tiles and marble from the church were also found. The potsherds found were dated to the Byzantine period. East of the church was a square wing, measuring 24 m on each side. This was probably the monks living quarters. An exploratory examination revealed that it was divided into rooms. The excavations exposed a section of a mosaic floor, containing 30 tesserae per 10 sq cm and designed in a geometric pattern of black, red, and white tiles. The appearance of the rubble indicates that the area east of the rooms served as an inner courtyard. A section of a white mosaic floor was found outside the structure; it is rather crude, with 20 tesserae per 10 sq cm.

3 A CHURCH AND WATER RESERVOIR 289 Fig.2: Cross-section of the remains of the reservoir (looking east). Southeast of the church, on a lower level, are the remains of a large water reservoir (33 m long and 15 m wide), one of the largest found in the Judean Desert (Phot.3). The walls are relatively well preserved, to a height of 1-4 m. They are m thick. On the outside, the walls consist of ashlars covering a thick core of debesh (a mixture of small fieldstones and cementing material). On the inside, the walls are covered with thick layers of reddish hydraulic plaster, which contains crushed potsherds. The reservoir consists of two long, narrow spaces that were roofed by stone vaults (Fig.2). The southern chamber is 28 m long and 34 m wide. The northern chamber is shorter: 3 x 16.9 m. A settling pool, for the deposit of unwanted material, is in the northwestern corner of the reservoir. Judging from the remains found at the site, the total height of the reservoir, from its floor to the top of the roof vault, was at least 6 m. Thus the volume was at least 875 sq m. From a technical standpoint, this reservoir is very similar to the large reservoirs built in Dara (northern Syria) during the reign of Emperor Anastasius ( ). 4 The fourth element was a well-built, towerlike structure, 14.3 m long and 7.4 m wide (Phot.4), apparently divided into two rooms. The walls are constructed of relatively large ashlars. The structure probably marked the southwestern extremity of the monastery area. Further south are remains of the main road descending from Jerusalem to Jericho. The archaeological evidence uncovered at the site enables a reconstruction of the appearance of this monastery (Fig.3). The reconstruction 4. C. Mango, Byzantine Architecture, Milan 1974, p.39.

4 290 Y. HIRSCHFELD Fig.3: Proposed reconstruction of the monastery beside the St.Peter Church (drawn by Leen Ritmeyer). shows the character of the complex as a monastery beside a memorial church - that is, the dominance of the church building and its separation from the other elements. This type of complex not only had a religious function, but also served as a way station, supplying shade, a place to rest, drinking water, and perhaps some assistance to the pilgrims. Monasteries next to Memorial Churches Monasteries of this kind, found throughout Palestine, were generally meant to serve the needs of pilgrims coming to the holy places from all over the Byzantine Empire and were usually situated near the roads taken by pilgrims. An example of a monastery built at the end of a pilgrim route is the Monastery of St.Catherine, adjacent to the Church of the Holy Bush in southern Sinai G.H. Forsyth, The Monastery of St.Catherine of Mount Sinai: the Church and the Fortress of Justinian, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 22 (1968), pp.3-19.

5 A CHURCH AND WATER RESERVOIR 291 Fig.4 Memorial churches and monasteries on the pilgrim road descending to the Jordan River. Another example, closer to the Judean Desert, is the monastery attached to the Kathisma Church, south of Jerusalem, which was erected at the place where the Holy Family rested during its flight to Egypt. 6 The monastery lies halfway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and was meant to provide services to the faithful wishing to rest and pray on their way from one place to the other. The Kathisma complex was erected by a Roman noblewoman, Icelia, in the mid-fifth century. 7 Remains of four monasteries of this type are known within the Judean Desert; all of them are situated along the pilgrim road descending from Jerusalem to the traditional site of Jesus baptism in the Jordan River (Fig.4). The first is the monastery of St.Peter s Church (Qasr Ali). The second is the monastery of St.Adam s Church (Khan Saliba) on the descent to the Jericho Valley. The third and fourth are the monasteries of Galgala (Ghalghala) in the Jericho Valley and John the Baptist (Qasr el-yahud) on the Jordan River. 8 It is noteworthy that the distances be- 6. P.Testini, The Kathisma Church and Monastery, in: Y. Aharoni, The Excavations at Ramat Rahel, Seasons 1959 and 1960, Rome 1962, pp.73-92; idem. The Church and Monastery of the Kathisma, in: ibid, Rome 1964, pp Kyrillos von Skythopolis, Leben des Theodosios (ed. E. Schwartz, Leipzig 1939, p.236). 8. Y. Hirschfeld, The Judean Desert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period: Their Development and Internal Organization in Light of Archaeological Research, unpublished dissertation, Jerusalem 1987, pp (in Hebrew, but soon to be published in English by Yale University Press).

6 292 Y. HIRSCHFELD tween the sites are more or less equal (7 km on average) and suit the pace at which the pilgrims advanced. Historical Background of the Site The only source for the history of the site of Qasr Ali is Cyril of Scythopolis, who wrote: Blessed Eudocia built a huge number of churches to Christ, and more monasteries and homes for the poor and elderly than I am able to count.one of the churches founded by her, named after St.Peter, lies opposite the monastery of the great Euthymius, at a distance of about twenty stades. Having ordered a large cistern to be constructed in it, she paid a visit in the holy season of Easter to inspect the work on the cistern, and gazing across, she saw the laura of the great Euthymius spread out before her, with monastic cells scattered over the desert. She felt strong compunction and reflected on the text of Scripture that says, How fair are your dwellings, O Jacob, and your tents, O Israel. 9 The precise site noted in this passage indicates that the church was built in honor of Euthymius, who was famous as a holy man and a miracle-worker. This was where the empress hoped to meet the holy man she admired; however, Euthymius, responding to her request to meet with her, said: Do not expect to see me again in the flesh. Why are you, my child, distracted about many things? I believe that before winter you will go to dwell with the Lord. 10 Indeed, before the year was out, Eudocia died in Jerusalem (October 20, 460). The church and the water reservoir were thus among the last construction projects of this famous empress, who may be ranked as one of the greatest builders in the history of the land. Eudocia, the daughter of the philosopher Leontes, was born in Athens and was named Athenais. After completing a classical education, she married Emperor Theodosius II in 421. In the course of the ceremony, she was baptized with a new name: Aelia Eudocia. The royal court, which was imbued with a religious atmosphere, was dominated at the 9. English translation by R.M. Price, Kalamazoo, Michigan, p.43 (Cistercian Studies, forthcoming). I wish to thank J. Binns for giving me permission to use the text prior to its publication. 10. Idem.

7 A CHURCH AND WATER RESERVOIR 293 time by the emperor s older sister, Pulcheria. The imperial family donated large sums of money for Church activities in the Holy Land. Theodosius himself presented the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem with the Crux Gemmata, a large, gold, jewel-studded cross, which was placed on the Rock of Golgotha. 11 Eudocia, first came to Jerusalem as a pilgrim in 438 or 439. On her way there, the empress astounded the people of Antioch with her rhetorical skills and her knowledge of the works of Homer. At the same time, she dedicated a church in Antioch. 12 This combination of classical scholarship and Christian piety was expressed in a poem written by the empress which is inscribed on a marble slab recently found in the Roman baths at Hammat Gader. 13 After her first trip to Jerusalem, Eudocia lost her status in the imperial court due to family intrigues and was forced into exile. She returned to Jerusalem in 441 or 442, and for twenty years was considered the patroness of the holy places. Despite her high station and numerous possessions, Eudocia lived an ascetic life. Among the many construction projects initiated by Eudocia in Palestine were the rebuilding of the wall around Mount Zion and the construction of a church dedicated to St.Stephen, the first martyr, north of Damascus Gate. Her exile from the palace did not prevent her from using the imperial properties in the country. Near the town of Jamnia (Yavneh), she financed the construction of a hospital with a nearby church. Monasteries were built on her estates near Jerusalem and Beit Guvrin. She had a tower built atop Jebel Muntar, south of the Monastery of Euthymius; this was later handed over to monks and served as the core of a monastery. 14 This background enables us to understand Eudocia s motivations for building the church and water reservoir northwest of the Monastery of Euthymius. The church was an expression of her admiration for the 11. E.D. Hunt, Holy Land Pilgrimage in the Later Roman Empire, AD , Oxford 1982, pp For the golden cross set with gems, see: J. Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims before the Crusades, Jerusalem 1977, p K.G. Holum, Theodosian Empresses - Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity, Berkeley 1982, pp J. Green and Y. Tsafrir, Greek Inscriptions from Hammat Gader: A Poem by the Empress Eudocia and Two Building Inscription, IEJ 32(1982), pp D.J. Chitty, The Desert A City, Oxford 1966, pp See also Hunt (above note11), pp

8 294 Y. HIRSCHFELD monks of the Judean Desert, headed by Euthymius. The water reservoir was intended to serve the monks as well as the pilgrims who traveled along the ancient Roman road. These structures manifest the combination of Christian piety and practical generosity that characterized Eudocia s activities in the Holy Land. It is reasonable to assume that the church and water reservoir were built at the same time as the tower and living quarters, together creating a small monastery complex. The monks who lived in the monastery provided services to the thousands of pilgrims who traveled from Jerusalem to the baptismal sites on the Jordan River and back up to the Holy City during the Byzantine period and even afterward. The Georgian calendar mentions the site as the fourth milestone from Jerusalem to Jericho, which may mean that it continued to function as a way station for pilgrims as late as the tenth century. 15 Yizhar Hirschfeld Hebrew University of Jerusalem 15. J.T.Milik, Notes d epigraphie et de topographie Palestiniennes, Revue Biblique 67(1960), p.580 (No.71). The Georgian calendar was published by G. Garitte: Le Calendrier Palestino-Georgian du sinaiticus 34 (Xe siecle), Bruxssels 1958, p.75 (No.30), 209, It is not clear whether the site was inhabited in the time of the Calendar (tenth century) or not. In order to solve this problem, excavations on a larger scale must be conducted at the site.