 Pyramidal tomb at Horvat Midras | |
  Horvat Midras Shown within Israel | |
| Location | Adullam Grove Nature Reserve, Israel |
|---|---|
| Region | Judaean Foothills |
| Coordinates | 31°39′18″N34°56′15″E / 31.65500°N 34.93750°E /31.65500; 34.93750 |
| Palestine grid | 193/618 |
| Type | settlement |
| Height | 333 m |
| History | |
| Periods | Earliest remains: Ancient settlement:
Later phases:
Late agricultural activity: |
| Cultures | Second Temple Judaism,Byzantine culture |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
| Public access | Yes |
Horvat Midras (Hebrew:חורבת מדרס), orKhirbet Drūsye[1] inArabic, is anarchaeological site located in the centralJudaean Lowlands, in modern-dayIsrael. It contains the remains of an ancient settlement situated on the slopes of a spur near an ancient road that once connectedJerusalem with the southern coastal plain. Today, the site lies within theAdullam Nature Reserve.
Continuous occupation at Horvat Midras is attested from theHellenistic period until theHasmonean conquest ofIdumaea in the late 2nd century BCE, after which it was briefly abandoned. It was re-established in the 1st century BCE and grew to become one of the largest and most affluent rural settlements in the region during theSecond Temple period. The site, home to aJewish population, remained inhabited through theFirst Jewish Revolt (66–70 CE) and up to theBar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 CE). Later in the same century, a cultic complex was established at the site. During theByzantine period, Horvat Midras was home to a smallChristian village. Subsequent habitation occurred in theearly Islamic,Ayyubid,Mamluk, and earlyOttoman periods.
One of the most notable finds at Horvat Midras is a monumental family tomb from the late Second Temple period, consisting of a podium topped by astepped pyramid. Unique in the rural landscape of ancientJudea, it represents a rare example of a rural "display tomb"—a status symbol likely commissioned by a wealthy family, possibly one whose influence rose through ties with theHerodian dynasty. Other major finds includehiding complexes,rock-cut tombs,columbaria,mikvehs (Jewish ritual baths), and an elaborateByzantine church with well-preservedmosaics.
Horvat Midras is located in the central Judaean Lowlands, on the slopes of a spur south of Nahal Hakhlil, at an elevation of 333 metres.[2] The site lies in a fertile area,[1] approximately 800 metres east of the ancientRoman road that once connectedGaza,Ashkelon,Beit Guvrin, and Jerusalem—now roughly followed by modernHighway 38.[2][3] Today, the site is situated within the Adullam Nature Reserve.[3] The nearest modern settlement isMoshavTzafririm, withKibbutzBeit Guvrin located about 6 kilometres to the southwest.[3]
In earlier surveys, notably thePEF Survey of Palestine and the 1930sSurvey of Palestine, the site was referred to asDruseh orDurusiya.[1]
Scholars associate the site withDrusias, a place mentioned inPtolemy'sGeography, a treatise on cartography dating from the 2nd century CE.[4] This identification was first proposed by French scholarFélix-Marie Abel in 1938[5] and was later developed by archaeologists Boaz Zissu and Amos Kloner.[6][7]
Zissu and Kloner proposed that the name may have been given during the reign ofHerod the Great (r. 37–4 BCE), whose family originated fromIdumaea (southernJudaea), suggesting it could have been named in honor ofDrusus, the adopted son of EmperorAugustus.[7][3][4] This interpretation aligns with Herod's known practice of dedicating places and structures to members of the imperial family, as seen in the example of the "Drousion" tower—also named after Drusus—inCaesarea, a city itself named after Augustus.[6][7]
Archaeologist Guy D. Stiebel has raised doubts about this theory, noting that the site is not mentioned byJosephus—a key source for theHerodian period—and lacks archaeological evidence of Herodian construction, both of which undermine the case for a Drusus-related naming.[6] Instead, he proposes thatDrousia derives from theGreek wordδρῦς, meaningoak tree, combined with the suffix–ιάς, commonly used in place names. He links the name to the oak-rich environment of the Judean Foothills and draws parallels with other ancient settlements named after natural features.[6]
It has been suggested that Horvat Midras was the hometown ofBen Drusai, a figure mentioned in theTalmud,[a] with his name derived from this location. However, this identification is disputed, and alternative interpretations of his name have been proposed.[9]
Settlement at Horvat Midras likely began in the LateIron Age orPersian period, though only pottery sherds have been securely attributed to these early phases.[1] More definitive evidence of occupation appears from the early Hellenistic period through the Hasmonean conquest of Idumaea in the late 2nd century BCE, after which the site was abandoned.[1]
Horvat Midras was re-established during the Early Roman period, likely under the rule ofHerod (c. 37–4 BCE).[1] Archaeological evidence indicates aJewish population,[10] and the site developed into one of the largest and most affluent villages in the Judean Foothills.[11] During this period, Horvat Midras appears to have reached its greatest extent, covering approximately 30 acres.[1] The site remained occupied from the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE) until its destruction during the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 CE),[1][3] and may have been among the 985 settlements reportedly destroyed during the latter, as recorded byCassius Dio.[10]
A notable feature from the Early Roman period at Horvat Midras is a monumental funerary structure (nefesh) topped with a stepped stone pyramid, situated at the summit of the hill.[12][b] It is considered unique in the rural landscape of ancient Judea and represents a rare example of a rural "display tomb"—a burial monument designed not only for commemoration but also for visibility and public recognition, features typically found in urban contexts, notably in Jerusalem.[c] The structure consists of a square podium measuring 10 by 10 meters, constructed from dressedashlar blocks and founded directly onbedrock.[15] The pyramid that crowns the podium originally brought the total height of the monument to approximately seven meters.[13] Its elevated position—visible from all directions, including up to 6.25 km away and from the nearby road—along with its imposing design, suggests it served as a prominent status symbol for the wealthy family buried nearby,[16] possibly an elite household whose influence grew through connections with the Herodian dynasty.[17]
Four undergroundhiding complexes were investigated at Horvat Midras,[18] resembling hundreds of similar systems found beneath Jewish settlements in the Judean Foothills.[19] System #6 links three ancient pits—two of which served as water cisterns—through a network of crawlspaces.[18] System #20 stretches over 100 meters; It contains a columbarium, two storerooms, and twomikva'ot (Jewish ritual baths), all interconnected by tunnels and small hiding chambers. One of thesemikva'ot was likely intended for residents of an overlying building, and it was sealed off when the hiding tunnels were later cut through its walls.[18] Pottery fragments, including storage jars, cooking pots, astone cup handle, a ridgedoil lamp, and coins—among them aFirst Jewish Revolt coin (second-yearprutah) and coins from the reign ofDomitian—date the usage of these spaces to the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.[18]
System #30 consists of a series of ancient water cisterns, later adapted as hiding places.[18] It features a storage chamber supported by two pillars and two small rooms, all accessed via a sloped tunnel.[18] System #31 links multiple cisterns through a winding tunnel system and includes twomikva'ot.[19] Artifacts recovered from this system include coins from the time ofVespasian.[19] Another notable find is a silverpendant depicting a woman's face wearing a horned crown, likely representing the Egyptian goddessIsis.[19] The pendant had been deliberately defaced, consistent with Jewishdefacement of pagan images, a practice referenced in theMishnah and seen elsewhere in Bar Kokhba-period finds.[19]
At least fifteenrock-cut tombs were excavated in the vicinity of the site, most dating to the Second Temple period.[20] The discovery of numerous ossuaries suggests that burial customs in the Judean Foothills were similar to those in Jerusalem and other regions.[20] One burial complex is particularly elaborate, featuring a vaulted entrance chamber with plastered and painted walls, leading to two inner chambers—one with burial niches (kokhim), sealed in antiquity with a round rolling stone, and the other containing arched loculi (arcosolia).[21] Within thearcosolia were stoneossuaries, most of which were found broken, though one ossuary and a limestone sarcophagus survived intact in their original positions. Pottery fragments dating to the late Second Temple period and the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt were found at the tomb.[21]
In the aftermath of theJewish–Roman wars, the site remained largely uninhabited.[3] In the 2nd century CE, a cultic complex was constructed at the site.[1] Later, in the 4th century, a burial cave was hewn, which appears to have remained unused.[3] Abasilica paved with white mosaics was also constructed, likely in connection with the cave.[3]
During the Byzantine period (particularly in the 5th and 6th centuries), Horvat Midras was a small Christian village, possibly also housing amonastic community.[10]
In the 6th century, a church was built within the remains of an earlier basilica, remaining in use until the 8th century.[1][2][22] It features a centralnave flanked by two sideaisles (stoa), divided by two parallel rows of four imported light gray marble columns withCorinthian capitals.[23] The church's floors are richly decorated with colorful mosaics, including animal motifs in the nave and apse, andgeometric patterns in the aisles, using stones of various colors throughout.[23] At the church's eastern end stands a roundedapse, flanked by two rooms—one with a gray marble floor (south) and the other with a plain mosaic (north).[23] The use of high-quality materials points to a wealthy patron, possibly theBishop of Eleutheropolis or someone closely connected to his office.[3]
A tomb beneath the church and a chamber south of the apse, possibly for storingrelics, suggest the site was designed to attractpilgrims.[2] These elements suggest that the church was designed to attract pilgrims.[2]
Several Byzantine-period burial caves have been identified in the area.[24] One, located just south of the elaborate Second Temple period tomb, is a small cave with threearcosolia, decorated with red-painted crosses and Greek inscriptions.[24] These included theIX monogram, an abbreviation forJesus Christ (Greek:Iēsous Christos), and the Greek lettersAlpha and Omega, symbolizing the phrase "I am the beginning and the end" (Revelation 1:17).[24]
Following theMuslim conquest, the church at Horvat Midras remained in use, though its carved crosses were deliberately plastered over, and access to the tomb and adjacent installations was rerouted to bypass the main sanctuary.[25][3] Archaeologists suggest that this phase may represent either continued Christian use, shared occupation by Christians and Muslims, or use by recent converts to Islam.[4][3]
After the749 Galilee earthquake, the church was destroyed, and a modest rural settlement developed on the site, likely in the late eighth or ninth century. Architectural elements from the earlier complex were reused asspolia, and Abbasid-period domestic pottery recovered from thenarthex confirms that the building had lost its religious function.[23]
Following several centuries of abandonment, Muslims reoccupied the site in the Ayyubid period.[26] Under Ayyubid andMamluk control (13th–15th centuries), Horvat Midras was a small agricultural village. Excavations revealed substantial Mamluk-period architecture and abundant ceramic material, indicating that the settlement prospered at this time.[1] The site’s productive phase came to an end in the early Ottoman period, when it was gradually abandoned as a permanent village and transformed into a seasonal habitation ('izbeh).[3]
Archaeological and historical evidence shows that by the mid-16th century, habitation at the site was limited to the reuse of earlier Roman and Byzantine structures for herding and small-scale cultivation, with excavations revealing sheep pens, makeshift shelters, and Ottoman pottery indicative of transient rural occupation.[27] Recorded asDarusiyya inOttoman tax registers, the settlement fell underHebron's subdistrict (nahiya), with the 1525/6 census (932AH), when the villagers also cultivated fields at a place calledBayt Hawran.[28] The village's economy was based onsubsistence agriculture, including the cultivation of cereals, olives, figs, almonds, and grapes.[29]
By the 1550s,Darusiyya had ceased functioning as a permanent village, becoming a seasonal settlement ('izbeh).[30] In 1553/4 (961 AH) the village was described as derelict, while in 1562/3 (970 AH) and 1596/7 (1005 AH) it was again reported as inhabited.[28] Following this, the village was deserted, and its lands were granted to another group, possibly from theHebron Hills.[31] During the later Ottoman period, the site was used mainly as pastureland, reflecting a broader regional shift toward pastoral mobility in response toBedouin incursions, internal village disputes, and administrative changes in early Ottoman Palestine.[27]
Early documentation of Horvat Midras includes surveys byVictor Guérin in 1868 and the Palestine Exploration Fund in the 1880s.[11]Claude Reignier Conder andHerbert Kitchener of the PEF documented "Heaps of stones, foundations. A ruinedbirkeh, and several caves".[32]
In the mid-20th century,Levi Rahmani conducted surveys (1958–59), followed by further investigations of burial caves and underground installations byAmos Kloner andAmos Frumkin from the 1970s to the early 1990s, often in response toantiquities looting.[11] Two rock-cut tombs were uncovered in 1976 and 1988.[10] A 1981 survey documented 56 caves and underground systems carved into the kirton bedrock beneath all parts of the settlement. These included columbaria, water cisterns, quarries, storage chambers, and hiding complexes.[18]
In 1991, archeologist Zvi Ilan examined a structure in the northern part of the site built of finely dressed ashlar stones, which he suggested may be the remains of anancient synagogue.[10] Small architectural elements with relief decoration were found nearby. As of 2012, the structure had not yet been excavated, and its function remains uncertain.[10]
In 2010–2011, theIsrael Antiquities Authority conducted excavations at the site following illegal digging.[3][11] The project was led by archaeologists Amir Ganor and Alon Klein, with Rina Avner and Boaz Zissu contributing to the study of the mosaics and hiding complexes, respectively.[3]
Horvat Midras was revisited in a renewed academic expedition led by theHebrew University of Jerusalem. The excavation was directed by Orit Peleg-Barkat, with Gregg E. Gardner of theUniversity of British Columbia later joining as co-director.[11] The project included survey seasons in 2015 and 2016, followed by four excavation seasons between 2016 and 2022, focusing on evaluating the site's monumental architecture and its relationship to local elite identity and funerary practices.[11]
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