‘Atiqot - Publications of the Israel Antiquities Authority

‘Atiqot 78 (2014) ISBN 2948-040X

A Byzantine Monastery and Islamic-Period Settlement Remains at Horbat Ma‘on (Hebrew, pp. 13*–62*, English summary, pp. 162–163)
Pirhiya Nahshoni and Gregory Seriy
Keywords: Persian period, Christianity, marble, historical sources, metal
At Horbat Ma‘on, located in the northwestern Negev, three areas were opened (A–C) and six strata (I–VI) were discerned. The strata date from the Late Roman–early Byzantine to the Late Islamic (fourteenth century CE) periods. In Stratum V, dated to the late Byzantine period, a well-planned complex was erected, consisting of several buildings and at least two streets. The finds included local and imported pottery vessels. Gypsum stoppers were found in one of the rooms, two of them bore the embossed forms of a lion and a cross. The architecture and finds from Stratum V indicate that this must have been a civil center in the Byzantine period. In Stratum IV, dated to the end of the Byzantine period, a church was built. The finds included a bread stamp adorned with a cross and an inscription mentioning the name Stephen. The nature of the architecture and the finds from Strata IV and V point to the existence of a monastery and a church dedicated to St. Stephen at the site.