Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T09:58:22.824Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Early roman-period Nazareth and the sisters of Nazareth convent

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

Ken Dark
Ken Dark*
Affiliation:
Ken Dark, FSA, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, UK. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

First discovered by accident in 1884 – and thereafter informally investigated by workmen, nuns and clergy, for several decades – the archaeological site at the Sisters of Nazareth convent in central Nazareth has remained unpublished and largely unknown to scholarship. However, work by the Nazareth Archaeological Project in 2006–10 showed that this site offers a full and important stratified sequence from ancient Nazareth, including well-preserved Early Roman-period and later features. These include a partially rock-cut structure, here re-evaluated and interpreted on the basis of both earlier and newly recorded data as a first-century ad domestic building – perhaps a ‘courtyard house’ – the first surface-built domestic structure of this date from Nazareth to be published, and the best preserved. The site was subsequently used in the Roman period for burial, suggesting settlement contraction or settlement shift.

Résumé

D'abord découvert par accident en 1884 – puis étudié de manière informelle par des ouvriers, des nonnes et des membres du clergé pendant plusieurs décennies – le site archéologique du couvent des Sœurs de Nazareth, au centre de Nazareth, n'a pas fait l'objet de publications et est resté en grande partie inconnu des chercheurs. Cependant, le travail du Nazareth Archaeological Project, entre 2006 et 2010, a montré que ce site offre une séquence stratifiée complète et importante du vieux Nazareth, avec notamment des vestiges bien préservés des époques romaines et ultérieures. Ils incluent une structure partiellement taillée dans la roche, ici réévaluée et interprétée d'après des données enregistrées précédemment et récemment comme étant une habitation du premier siècle de notre ère – peut-être une maison bâtie autour d'une cour intérieure – première habitation construite en surface de cette époque à Nazareth ayant l'objet d'une publication et étant bien préservée. Ce site a ensuite été utilisé à la période romaine à des fins funéraires, ce qui suggère une contraction ou un déplacement des habitations.

Zusammenfassung

Die 1884 erstmals und rein zufällig entdeckte Ausgrabungsstätte beim Kloster der Nazarethschwestern im Zentrum von Nazareth wurde ursprünglich von Arbeitern, Nonnen und Klerus über mehrere Jahrzehnte hin informell untersucht, ohne dass dazu etwas veröffentlicht wurde, wodurch die Anlage der Wissenschaft weitgehend unbekannt blieb. Die zwischen 2006–10 vom Nazareth Archaeological Project durchgeführte Arbeit zeigt nun, dass diese Stätte eine umfassende und äußerst bedeutsame stratifizierte Abfolge des alten Nazareth, einschließlich gut erhaltener Überreste aus römischer und späterer Zeit aufweist. Dazu gehörte u.a. einzum Teil in den Fels geschlagenes Gebäude, das hier anhand früherer und neu aufgenommener Daten als ein Wohnhaus aus dem ersten Jahrhundert n.Chr. neu bewertet und interpretiert wird. Es handelt sich dabei wahrscheinlich um ein ,,Atriumhaus” – das erste und besterhaltene an der Oberfläche erbaute Wohngebäude dieses Datums in Nazareth, das nun veröffentlicht wird. In der Folge wurde das Gelände in römischer Zeit als Grabstätte verwendet, was eine Verdichtung bzw. Verlagerung der Bodensetzung nahelegt.

Type
Research papers
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 92 , September 2012 , pp. 37 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adan-Bayewitz, D 1993. Common Pottery in Roman Galilee: a study of local trade, Ramat Gan: Bar-Ilan University Press Google Scholar
Adan-Bayewitz, D 2003. ‘On the chronology of the common pottery of northern Roman Judaea/Palestine’, in One Land – Many Cultures: archaeological studies in honour of Stanislao Loffreda OFM (eds G C Bottini, L di Segni and L D Chrupcala), 5–32, Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press Google Scholar
Alexandre, Y 2006. ‘Excavations at Mary's Well, Nazareth’, Israel Antiq Authority Bull, 1 May 2006Google Scholar
Aviam, M 2004a. Jews, Pagans and Christians in the Galilee. 25 Years of Archaeological Excavations and Surveys: Hellenistic to Byzantine periods, Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press Google Scholar
Aviam, M 2004b. ‘First-century Jewish Galilee: an archaeological perspective’, in Edwards 2004, 7–27Google Scholar
Aviam, M Syon, D 2002. ‘Jewish Ossilegium in Galilee’, in What Athens has to do with Jerusalem: essays on Classical, Jewish and Early Christian Art and archaeology in honor of Gideon Foerster (ed L V Rutgers), 151–187, Leuven: Peeters Google Scholar
Avigad, N 1971. Beth She'arim: report on the excavations during 1953–8, New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press Google Scholar
Avigad, N 1976. Beth She'arim. Volume 3: Catacombs 12–23, New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press Google Scholar
Bagatti, B 1937. ‘B. Note Archeologiche. I. – gli scavi presso Le Dame Di Nazaret’, Studi Francescani, 4, 253–266 Google Scholar
Bagatti, B, with E Alliata (trans E Hoade) 1969. Excavations in Nazareth: from the beginning until the twelfth century, Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing PressGoogle Scholar
Bagatti, B, with E Alliata (trans R Bonanno) 2002. Excavations in Nazareth: from the twelfth century until today, Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing PressGoogle Scholar
Berlin, A M 2002. ‘Romanization and anti-Romanization in pre-Revolt Galilee’, in The First Jewish Revolt: archaeology, history and ideology (eds A M Berlin and A Overman), 57–73, New York and London: Routledge Google Scholar
Corbo, V (trans S Saller) 1969. The House of Saint Peter at Capharnaum, Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press Google Scholar
Dark, K R 2007. Archaeological Recording at the Sisters of Nazareth Convent in Nazareth, 2006, London: Late Antiquity Research Group Google Scholar
Dark, K R 2008a. Nazareth Archaeological Project: a preliminary report on the fourth season in 2007, London: Late Antiquity Research Group Google Scholar
Dark, K R 2008b. ‘The Roman-period and Byzantine landscape between Sepphoris and Nazareth’, Palestine Explor Q, 140 (2), 1–16 Google Scholar
Dark, K R 2009. Nazareth Archaeological Project: a preliminary report on the fifth season in 2008, London: Late Antiquity Research Group Google Scholar
Dark, K R 2010. Nazareth Archaeological Project: a preliminary report on archaeological work at the Sisters of Nazareth convent in 2009, London: Late Antiquity Research Group Google Scholar
Dark, K R 2012. Nazareth Archaeological Project: a preliminary report on archaeological work at the Sisters of Nazareth convent in 2010, London: Late Antiquity Research Group Google Scholar
Dark, K R forthcoming. ‘The Byzantine Church of the Nutrition in Nazareth rediscovered’, Palestine Explor Q Google Scholar
De Nazareth, M 1956. ‘La maison de Saint Joseph à Nazareth’, Cahiers de Joséphologie, iv (2), 243–271 Google Scholar
Desmarais, R 1966. ‘Un lieu de culte “Au Saint De Nazareth”’, unpublished thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of OttawaGoogle Scholar
Diez Fernandez, F 1995. ‘Enquête sur le mystérieux sanctuaire de la Nutrition’, Le Monde de la Bible, 90, 20–26 Google Scholar
Edwards, D R 2001. ‘Cana, Khirbet’, in Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (eds A Negev and S Gibson), 109–110, New York: Continuum Google Scholar
Edwards, D R 2002. ‘Khirbet Qana: from Jewish village to Christian pilgrim site’, in The Roman and Byzantine East III (ed J H Humphrey), J Roman Archaeol Suppl Ser 49, 101–32, Portsmouth, RIGoogle Scholar
Edwards, D R (ed) 2004. Religion and Society in Roman Palestine: old questions, new approaches, New York and London: Routledge Google Scholar
Eugenio, A P et al (ed and trans M P Silas) 1997. Nazareth, 2nd edn, Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press Google Scholar
Finegan, J 1992. The Archaeology of the New Testament, rev edn, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press Google Scholar
Gal, Z 1991. ‘A stone-vessel manufacturing site in the Lower Galilee’, ‘Atiqot, 20, 25–26 (in Hebrew; English summary at 179–80)Google Scholar
Galor, K 2000. ‘The Roman–Byzantine dwelling in the Galilee and the Golan: “house” or “apartment”?’, in Miscellanea Mediterranea (ed R R Holloway), 109–124, Providence, RI: Brown University Google Scholar
Galor, K 2003a. ‘Wohnkultur im römisch-byzantinischen Palästina’, in Zeichen aus Text und Stein. Studien auf dem Weg zu einer Archäeologie des Neuen Testaments (eds S Alkier and J Zangenberg), 183–208, Tübingen and Basel: Tanz Google Scholar
Galor, K 2003b. ‘Domestic architecture in Roman and Byzantine Galilee and Golan’, Near E Archaeol, 66 (1–2), 44–57 Google Scholar
Hachlili, R 2005. Jewish Funerary Customs, Practices and Rites in the Second Temple Period, Leiden and Boston: Brill Google Scholar
Hartal, M Amos, E 2006. ‘Nazerat ‘Illit, Har Nadav (East)’, Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel (e-journal), 118, 〈http://www.hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.asp?id=354&mag_id=111〉 (26 June 2012)Google Scholar
Hirschfeld, Y 1995. The Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman and Byzantine Period, Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society and Franciscan Printing Press Google Scholar
Kauffmann, J 2005. The Nazareth Jesus Knew, Nazareth: Nazareth Village Google Scholar
Kloner, A Zissu, B 2007. The Necropolis of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period, Leuven and Dudley, Mass: Peeters Google Scholar
Livio, J-B 1980. ‘Les fouilles chez les religieuses de Nazareth’, Le Monde de la Bible, 16, 26–34 Google Scholar
Mansur, A 1923. ‘An interesting discovery in Nazareth’, Palestine Explor Fund Q Statement, 55 (2), 89–91 Google Scholar
Meyers, E 2002. ‘Aspects of everyday life in Roman Palestine with special reference to private domiciles and ritual baths’, in Jews in the Hellenistic and Roman Cities (ed J R Bartlett), 193–219, London: Routledge Google Scholar
Peskowitz, M 2004. ‘Gender, difference and everyday life: the case of weaving and its tools’, in Edwards 2004, 129–245Google Scholar
Range, P T 1923. Nazareth, das Land der Bibel, Leipzig: Hinrichs Google Scholar
Reed, J L 2000. Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus: a re-examination of the evidence, Harrisburg, Pa: Trinity Press Google Scholar
Richardson, P 2004. Building Jewish in the Roman East, Suppl J Stud Judaism 92, Leiden and Boston: Brill CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, P 2006. ‘Khirbet Qana (and other villages) as a context for Jesus’, in Jesus and Archaeology (ed J H Charlesworth), 120–144, Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans Google Scholar
Schumacher, G 1889. ‘Recent discoveries in Galilee’, Palestine Explor Fund Q Statement, 21 (1), 68–78 Google Scholar
Strange, J F, Longstaff, T R W Groh, D E 2006. Excavations at Sepphoris. Volume One: University of South Florida probes in the Citadel and Villa, Leiden and Boston: Brill Google Scholar