The Metal Assemblage from the Church of the Glorious Martyr in Ramat Bet Shemesh: Test Case for Reconstruction of Interior Design, Functionality, and Liturgical Arrangement of the Byzantine Churches in the Judean Shephelah, 2023
The purpose of this work is the examination of the metal assemblage that were uncovered in the Ch... more The purpose of this work is the examination of the metal assemblage that were uncovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr. This metal assemblage is used as a test case, through which the interior design and functionality of the various church spaces will be tested and, in addition, a comparison of the church in contrast to other churches in the Judean Shephelah and the surrounding areas will be made, in order to examine the liturgical set-up of the Byzantine churches. The Church of the Glorious Martyr is located in the Judean Shephelah, about 25 km southeast of Jerusalem and near the main road that connects Beit Govrin to Jerusalem. This road served the pilgrims who moved through the area and churches were built along it to serve both the pilgrims and the local communities of believers. The metal assemblage from the church of the Glorious Martyr in Ramat Beit Shemesh, unlike other sites, is unique in its preservation, the diversity of the items represented in it and the number of items that were uncovered during the excavation. It should be emphasized that in this church very impressive assemblages of interior design parts (glass, metals, etc.) have been preserved, assemblages that are usually missing in the archaeological record. The Byzantine period until its abandonment in the ninth century CE (the Abbasid period) and maintained its importance. This contrasts with other sites that were abandoned at the beginning of the Muslim period and suffered from looting and secondary use of the items, after their abandonment. The first chapter of this work presents the introduction, in which I will refer to the importance of the assemblage of metals uncovered in the excavation of the Church of the Glorious Martyr and its contribution to its research, and in addition - the methodology of examining the assemblage will be presented. The second chapter presents the site and the environmental context together with the history of research and the geographical-historical background of the research area (the Judean Shephelah). In addition, this chapter presents and describes the Church of the Glorious Martyr and the main finds that were uncovered during the excavation and of the church and in addition - the background of Christian-Byzantine construction in the Judean Shephelah. In the third chapter of this work, the metal assemblage that was discovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr will be presented. The various items that make up the metal assemblage were divided into several groups that represent the nature of use of the items and their function, such as work and construction tools such as nails and marble clamps, jewelry and decorative items such as finger rings and bracelets, objects used for trade such as weights and more. After that - the items will be presented in a catalog, containing all the metal items that were uncovered during the excavation. During the construction of the catalog, the technical data relating to each and every item was recorded - its dimensions (when possible), the type of metal the item is made of (lead, bronze or iron), decorations if any and the location where the item was discovered during the excavation. The fourth chapter of this work presents the discussion, in which the reasons for the extraordinary preservation of the metal assemblage that was uncovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr - an assemblage that survived robbery and the circulation of items from which other sites of the period suffered. In addition - the spatial distribution of the metal items in the church will be presented, based on their division into groups, while examining the spatial distribution of the items in the context of the design of the various spaces of the church and their function. In the last part of this chapter, there will be a comparison of the Church of the Glorious Martyr with other churches that were discovered in the Judean Shephelah and churches in the surrounding areas, especially those where metal assemblages from the excavations were discovered and published, this will allow to learn about the different uses of the metal assemblages in the various churches and to compare them. It seems that in many of the excavated churches, the metal assemblages were few and some did not survive due to a poor state of preservation, orderly abandonment or robbery that the sites underwent after their abandonment.
The Metal Assemblage from the Church of the Glorious Martyr in Ramat Bet Shemesh: Test Case for Reconstruction of Interior Design, Functionality, and Liturgical Arrangement of the Byzantine Churches in the Judean Shephelah, 2023
The purpose of this work is the examination of the metal assemblage that were uncovered in the Ch... more The purpose of this work is the examination of the metal assemblage that were uncovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr. This metal assemblage is used as a test case, through which the interior design and functionality of the various church spaces will be tested and, in addition, a comparison of the church in contrast to other churches in the Judean Shephelah and the surrounding areas will be made, in order to examine the liturgical set-up of the Byzantine churches. The Church of the Glorious Martyr is located in the Judean Shephelah, about 25 km southeast of Jerusalem and near the main road that connects Beit Govrin to Jerusalem. This road served the pilgrims who moved through the area and churches were built along it to serve both the pilgrims and the local communities of believers. The metal assemblage from the church of the Glorious Martyr in Ramat Beit Shemesh, unlike other sites, is unique in its preservation, the diversity of the items represented in it and the number of items that were uncovered during the excavation. It should be emphasized that in this church very impressive assemblages of interior design parts (glass, metals, etc.) have been preserved, assemblages that are usually missing in the archaeological record. The Byzantine period until its abandonment in the ninth century CE (the Abbasid period) and maintained its importance. This contrasts with other sites that were abandoned at the beginning of the Muslim period and suffered from looting and secondary use of the items, after their abandonment. The first chapter of this work presents the introduction, in which I will refer to the importance of the assemblage of metals uncovered in the excavation of the Church of the Glorious Martyr and its contribution to its research, and in addition - the methodology of examining the assemblage will be presented. The second chapter presents the site and the environmental context together with the history of research and the geographical-historical background of the research area (the Judean Shephelah). In addition, this chapter presents and describes the Church of the Glorious Martyr and the main finds that were uncovered during the excavation and of the church and in addition - the background of Christian-Byzantine construction in the Judean Shephelah. In the third chapter of this work, the metal assemblage that was discovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr will be presented. The various items that make up the metal assemblage were divided into several groups that represent the nature of use of the items and their function, such as work and construction tools such as nails and marble clamps, jewelry and decorative items such as finger rings and bracelets, objects used for trade such as weights and more. After that - the items will be presented in a catalog, containing all the metal items that were uncovered during the excavation. During the construction of the catalog, the technical data relating to each and every item was recorded - its dimensions (when possible), the type of metal the item is made of (lead, bronze or iron), decorations if any and the location where the item was discovered during the excavation. The fourth chapter of this work presents the discussion, in which the reasons for the extraordinary preservation of the metal assemblage that was uncovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr - an assemblage that survived robbery and the circulation of items from which other sites of the period suffered. In addition - the spatial distribution of the metal items in the church will be presented, based on their division into groups, while examining the spatial distribution of the items in the context of the design of the various spaces of the church and their function. In the last part of this chapter, there will be a comparison of the Church of the Glorious Martyr with other churches that were discovered in the Judean Shephelah and churches in the surrounding areas, especially those where metal assemblages from the excavations were discovered and published, this will allow to learn about the different uses of the metal assemblages in the various churches and to compare them. It seems that in many of the excavated churches, the metal assemblages were few and some did not survive due to a poor state of preservation, orderly abandonment or robbery that the sites underwent after their abandonment.
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The Church of the Glorious Martyr is located in the Judean Shephelah, about 25 km southeast of Jerusalem and near the main road that connects Beit Govrin to Jerusalem. This road served the pilgrims who moved through the area and churches were built along it to serve both the pilgrims and the local communities of believers.
The metal assemblage from the church of the Glorious Martyr in Ramat Beit Shemesh, unlike other sites, is unique in its preservation, the diversity of the items represented in it and the number of items that were uncovered during the excavation. It should be emphasized that in this church very impressive assemblages of interior design parts (glass, metals, etc.) have been preserved, assemblages that are usually missing in the archaeological record. The Byzantine period until its abandonment in the ninth century CE (the Abbasid period) and maintained its importance. This contrasts with other sites that were abandoned at the beginning of the Muslim period and suffered from looting and secondary use of the items, after their abandonment.
The first chapter of this work presents the introduction, in which I will refer to the importance of the assemblage of metals uncovered in the excavation of the Church of the Glorious Martyr and its contribution to its research, and in addition - the methodology of examining the assemblage will be presented.
The second chapter presents the site and the environmental context together with the history of research and the geographical-historical background of the research area (the Judean Shephelah). In addition, this chapter presents and describes the Church of the Glorious Martyr and the main finds that were uncovered during the excavation and of the church and in addition - the background of Christian-Byzantine construction in the Judean Shephelah.
In the third chapter of this work, the metal assemblage that was discovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr will be presented. The various items that make up the metal assemblage were divided into several groups that represent the nature of use of the items and their function, such as work and construction tools such as nails and marble clamps, jewelry and decorative items such as finger rings and bracelets, objects used for trade such as weights and more. After that - the items will be presented in a catalog, containing all the metal items that were uncovered during the excavation. During the construction of the catalog, the technical data relating to each and every item was recorded - its dimensions (when possible), the type of metal the item is made of (lead, bronze or iron), decorations if any and the location where the item was discovered during the excavation.
The fourth chapter of this work presents the discussion, in which the reasons for the extraordinary preservation of the metal assemblage that was uncovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr - an assemblage that survived robbery and the circulation of items from which other sites of the period suffered. In addition - the spatial distribution of the metal items in the church will be presented, based on their division into groups, while examining the spatial distribution of the items in the context of the design of the various spaces of the church and their function. In the last part of this chapter, there will be a comparison of the Church of the Glorious Martyr with other churches that were discovered in the Judean Shephelah and churches in the surrounding areas, especially those where metal assemblages from the excavations were discovered and published, this will allow to learn about the different uses of the metal assemblages in the various churches and to compare them. It seems that in many of the excavated churches, the metal assemblages were few and some did not survive due to a poor state of preservation, orderly abandonment or robbery that the sites underwent after their abandonment.
The Church of the Glorious Martyr is located in the Judean Shephelah, about 25 km southeast of Jerusalem and near the main road that connects Beit Govrin to Jerusalem. This road served the pilgrims who moved through the area and churches were built along it to serve both the pilgrims and the local communities of believers.
The metal assemblage from the church of the Glorious Martyr in Ramat Beit Shemesh, unlike other sites, is unique in its preservation, the diversity of the items represented in it and the number of items that were uncovered during the excavation. It should be emphasized that in this church very impressive assemblages of interior design parts (glass, metals, etc.) have been preserved, assemblages that are usually missing in the archaeological record. The Byzantine period until its abandonment in the ninth century CE (the Abbasid period) and maintained its importance. This contrasts with other sites that were abandoned at the beginning of the Muslim period and suffered from looting and secondary use of the items, after their abandonment.
The first chapter of this work presents the introduction, in which I will refer to the importance of the assemblage of metals uncovered in the excavation of the Church of the Glorious Martyr and its contribution to its research, and in addition - the methodology of examining the assemblage will be presented.
The second chapter presents the site and the environmental context together with the history of research and the geographical-historical background of the research area (the Judean Shephelah). In addition, this chapter presents and describes the Church of the Glorious Martyr and the main finds that were uncovered during the excavation and of the church and in addition - the background of Christian-Byzantine construction in the Judean Shephelah.
In the third chapter of this work, the metal assemblage that was discovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr will be presented. The various items that make up the metal assemblage were divided into several groups that represent the nature of use of the items and their function, such as work and construction tools such as nails and marble clamps, jewelry and decorative items such as finger rings and bracelets, objects used for trade such as weights and more. After that - the items will be presented in a catalog, containing all the metal items that were uncovered during the excavation. During the construction of the catalog, the technical data relating to each and every item was recorded - its dimensions (when possible), the type of metal the item is made of (lead, bronze or iron), decorations if any and the location where the item was discovered during the excavation.
The fourth chapter of this work presents the discussion, in which the reasons for the extraordinary preservation of the metal assemblage that was uncovered in the Church of the Glorious Martyr - an assemblage that survived robbery and the circulation of items from which other sites of the period suffered. In addition - the spatial distribution of the metal items in the church will be presented, based on their division into groups, while examining the spatial distribution of the items in the context of the design of the various spaces of the church and their function. In the last part of this chapter, there will be a comparison of the Church of the Glorious Martyr with other churches that were discovered in the Judean Shephelah and churches in the surrounding areas, especially those where metal assemblages from the excavations were discovered and published, this will allow to learn about the different uses of the metal assemblages in the various churches and to compare them. It seems that in many of the excavated churches, the metal assemblages were few and some did not survive due to a poor state of preservation, orderly abandonment or robbery that the sites underwent after their abandonment.