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Monastery of Euthymius

Annotated Aerial View of Euthymius Monastery

Used with permission from BibleWalks.com


Names
Transliterated Name Language Name
Monastery of Euthymius English
Laura of Euthymius English
Lavra of Euthymius English
Khan el-Ahmar Arabic
Introduction
Identification

Euthymius' Monastery (Khan el-Ahmar) is located in the industrial zone of Mishor Adummim, about 10 km (6 mi.) east of Jerusalem (map reference 1819.1333). Cyril of Scythopolis (Beth-Shean), the biographer of Euthymius, provides an exact topographical description of the monastery. It was located, according to him, on a small hill surrounded on the east and west by two especially beautiful valleys that meet and converge on the south side.

History

History

The Monastery of Saint Euthymius was founded in 428 as a laura (q.v. Monasteries). This laura was unique in its status and central location, and the number of its monks quickly rose to fifty. According to Cyril's description, a garden containing a reservoir was planted next to the laura's church and the bakery. In accordance with Saint Euthymius' will, the monastery was reestablished as a cenobium , containing a church and a refectory, as well as a tower, and surrounded by a wall. The cenobium was dedicated in 482 CE.

Twenty years after the Arab conquest of Palestine, in the summer of 659, the monastery was severely damaged by an earthquake that also destroyed Jericho and the monastery of Saint John the Baptist overlooking the Jordan River [JW: this refers to the Jordan Valley Quake(s)]. Most of the remains visible at the site today belong to the repairs of the earthquake damages carried out by the monks in the late seventh or early eighth century CE. In the early ninth century, the monastery was attacked by desert nomads, the Saracens, but continued to exist. The tombs of Euthymius and of other holy fathers are mentioned in the work of a Russian pilgrim, Abbot Daniel, in 1107 (PPTS IV, 3, 35-36). In the twelfth century, extensive restoration and construction works were carried out in the monastery, including the repaving of the church, the building of a chapel over the tomb of Euthymius, and he construction of additional rooms and halls. The restored monastery is described in the work of Johannes Phocas, a pilgrim who visited the monastery in 1185 (PPTS V, 3, 25). The site was abandoned in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century and presumably became a caravanserai serving Muslim pilgrims going up to Jerusalem from the traditional tomb of Moses, Nebi Musa, in the Hyrcania Valley east of the monastery.

Historical Summary

Summarizing the history of the monastery of Euthymius, four main dates of construction are clear:
  1. 428: dedication of the laura church. Solitary cells, a bakery, a water cistern with a double opening, and a garden were founded alongside the church. From this date on, the laura expanded and the number of its monks reached fifty. In the year of Euthymius' death (473) the original seclusion cave was transformed into a vaulted underground tomb.

  2. 482: reconstruction of the monastery as a walled coenobium. The grave of Euthymius remained at the center of the monastery. The Old Laura church was demolished and in its stead a refectory was built with a new church over it. A large water reservoir was excavated alongside the monastery, surrounded by walled farming plots. A tower and gatehouse indicated the boundaries of the monastery's estates. Two hostels, one in Jerusalem and the other in Jericho, were owned by the monastery.

  3. 659: severe damage was caused by an earthquake. In the wake of the damage, most of the monastery's components were rebuilt, except for the underground tomb which survived from the Byzantine period.

  4. About 1150: large-scale restoration and construction of the monastery. The central church was paved, a chapel was built over the grave of Euthymius, as well as a new refectory and rooms; the wall was restored.

Exploration

TThe Monastery of Saint Euthymius was the first monastery in the Judean Desert in which archaeological excavations were conducted. It was excavated from 1927 to 1930 by D. Chitty, on behalf of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. Chitty concentrated on uncovering the church and the structure of the adjoining crypt. In the 1970s, Y. Meimaris excavated here, extending the previously excavated areas. In 1987, excavations were resumed by Y. Hirschfeld and R. Birger-Calderon, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The monastery's successive stages were uncovered and the tower structure in its north wing was partially excavated.

Maps, Aerial Views, and Plans
Maps, Aerial Views, and Plans

Maps

  • Fig. 3 - Location Map from
    Fig. 3

    Satellite monasteries around the monastery of Euthymius

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    Hirschfeld (1993)
  • Fig. 4 - Location Map from
    Fig. 4

    The monastery and it's surroundings

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    Hirschfeld (1993)

Aerial Views

  • Annotated Satellite Image of
    Annotated Satellite Image (google) of the area around Euthymius Monastery

    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    the area around Euthymius Monastery from BibleWalks.com
  • Annotated Aerial View of
    Annotated Aerial View of Euthymius Monastery

    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    Euthymius Monastery from BibleWalks.com
  • Monastery of Euthymius in Google Earth
    Monastery of Euthymius

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth
  • Monastery of Euthymius on govmap.gov.il
    Monastery of Euthymius

    click on image to explore this site on a new tab in govmap.gov.il

Plans

Normal Size

  • Fig. 5 - General plan of the site
    Fig. 5

    The monastery of Euthymius, general plan of the site.

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    from Hirschfeld (1993)
  • Plan of Euthymius Monastery
    Plan of Euthymius Monastery

    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    from BibleWalks.com
  • Plan of Euthymius Monastery
    Plan of Euthymius Monastery

    Stern et al (1993)
    from Stern et al (1993)
  • Fig. 6 - Sketch plan of the monastery
    Fig. 6

    The monastery of Euthymius, sketch plan.

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    from Hirschfeld (1993)
  • Fig. 7 - Detailed plan of the church
    Fig. 7

    The church of the monastery, detailed plan

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    of the monastery from Hirschfeld (1993)

Magnified

  • Fig. 5 - General plan of the site
    Fig. 5

    The monastery of Euthymius, general plan of the site.

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    from Hirschfeld (1993)
  • Plan of Euthymius Monastery
    Plan of Euthymius Monastery

    Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
    from BibleWalks.com
  • Plan of Euthymius Monastery
    Plan of Euthymius Monastery

    Stern et al (1993)
    from Stern et al (1993)
  • Fig. 6 - Sketch plan of the monastery
    Fig. 6

    The monastery of Euthymius, sketch plan.

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    from Hirschfeld (1993)
  • Fig. 7 - Detailed plan of the church
    Fig. 7

    The church of the monastery, detailed plan

    Hirschfeld (1993)
    of the monastery from Hirschfeld (1993)

Chronology
Jordan Valley Earthquake - 659/660 CE

Hirschfeld (1993:354) reported on the results of excavations at the Monastery of Euthymius. He dated seismic destruction based on reconstruction evidence and the report of its destruction in the Maronite Chronicle (see Textual Evidence section).

The severity of the destruction in the monastery of Euthymius may be deduced from the results of the excavations. During our excavation at the site, it became clear that most of the monastery – except for the crypt, whose vaults remained intact, and another vault which survived at the north end of the church – was rebuilt after the earthquake of 659. At this stage, the basilical church was reconstructed over the vaults; the latter are not Byzantine, as Chitty suggests, but early Muslim.39 The floor of the church was decorated with fine mosaic patterns. These have also been dated, on the basis of their style, to the early Muslim period, i.e., following the earthquake of 659. Reconstruction of the monastery probably took place not long after the earthquake, in the second half of the 7th century.
Footnotes

39. Chitty seems to have dated the church to 482, even before beginning the excavation, see: Chitty and Jones, “The Church” (above, note 1), pp. 175-176. This was done despite the fact that the mosaics of the church were dated by the Dominican archaeologist Père Savignac to the 7th-8th centuries (ibid.). The early dating of the church was reiterated by Chitty later, see: Chitty, “The Monastery” (above note 1), p. 194

Textual Evidence
Jordan Valley Earthquake - 659/660 CE - The Maronite Chronicle

Quick Summary

The Maronite Chronicle lists three earthquakes

  • The first earthquake occurred in the second hour (~8 am) on a Friday in June 659 CE and was described as a violent earthquake in Palestine where many places collapsed.
  • A second earthquake is described as occurring in the 8th hour (~2 pm) on Sunday 9 June 659 CE. No details about location or seismic effects were given.
  • The third earthquake suffers from some chronological inconsistencies and, unlike the first two earthquakes, does not specify details such as hour, day of the week, and date. It appears to have taken place in 660 CE but may be a false event which copied in seismic effects from one or both of the the first two earthquakes. It was described as an earthquake and a violent tremor where the greater part of Jericho fell, including all its churches, the House of Lord John at the site of our Saviour’s baptism in the Jordan was overthrown, and the monastery of Abba Euthymius as well as many convents of monks and solitaries and many other places also collapsed.

Detailed Analysis

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Palmer et al (1993)

/p. 69/ .. .Mu'awiya, Hudhayfa, the son of his sister, and Mu'awiya gave orders that he be‘put to death.

‘Ali, too, threatened to go up once again against Mu'awiya, but they struck him while he was at prayer in al-Hira133 /p. 70/ and killed him.134 Mu'awiya (then) went down to al-Hira, where all the Arab forces there proffered their right hand to him,135 whereupon he returned to Damascus.

In AG 970, the 17th year of Constans, on a Friday in June,136 at the second hour, there was a violent earthquake in Palestine, and many places there collapsed.

In the same month the bishops of the Jacobites, Theodore and Sabukht137 came to Damascus and held an inquiry into the Faith with the Maronites138 in the presence of Mu'awiya. When the Jacobites were defeated, Mu'awiya ordered them to pay 20,000 denarii and commanded them to be silent. Thus there arose the custom that the Jacobite bishops should pay that sum of gold every year to Mu'awiya, so that he would not withdraw his protection and let them be persecuted by the members of the (Orthodox) Church. The person called ‘patriarch’ by the Jacobites fixed the financial burden that all the convents of monks and nuns should contribute each year towards the payment in gold and he did the same with all the adherents of his faith. He bequeathed his estate to Mu'awiya,139 so that out of fear of that man all the Jacobites would be obedient to him.

On the ninth of the same month in which the disputation with the Jacobites took place, on a Sunday at the eighth hour, there was an earthquake.140

In the same year King Constans ordered his brother Theodosius to be put to death - quite unjustly and without any fault on his part, according to what many people said. Many were grieved at his violent end and they say that the citizens chanted slogans {Gr. phonas} against the King, calling him a second Cain, murderer of his brother. In great anger he left his son Constantine on /p. 71/ his throne and himself set out for the north, taking the queen and the whole Roman fighting force with him, against foreign peoples.

In AG 971, Constans’s 18th year, many Arabs gathered at Jerusalem and made Mu'awiya king141 and he went up and sat down on Golgotha; he prayed there, and went to Gethsemane and went down to the tomb of the blessed Mary to pray in it. In those days, when the Arabs were assembled there with Mu'awiya, there was an earthquake and a violent tremor and the greater part of Jericho fell, including all its churches, and of the House of Lord John at the site of our Saviour’s baptism in the Jordan every stone above the ground was overthrown, together with the entire monastery. The monastery of Abba Euthymius as well as many convents of monks and solitaries and many other places also collapsed in this (earthquake).

In July of the same year the emirs and many Arabs gathered and proffered their right hand to Mu'awiya. Then an order went out that he should be proclaimed king in all the villages and cities of his dominion and that they should make acclamations and invocations {Gr. phonas, kleseis} to him. He also minted gold and silver, but it was not accepted, because it had no cross on it. Furthermore, Mu'awiya did not wear a crown like other kings in the world. He placed his throne in Damascus and refused to go to Muhammad’s throne.

The following year there was frost in the early morning of Wednesday, 13 April, and the white grapevines were withered by it.142

When Mu'awiya had acquired the power which he had aimed at and was at rest from the (civil) wars of his people, he broke the peace settlement with the Romans and refused to accept peace from them any longer. Rather he said, ‘If the Romans want /p. 72/ peace, let them surrender their weapons, and pay the tax {Ar. jizya}.’

[one folio missing] this section starts by describing a battle
Footnotes

133 Arabic sources say he was killed at a mosque in Kufa; ‘Ali is, however, described as governor of al-Hira by a Palestinian Christian writing c.680 (Brock, ‘An early Syriac’Life’, p. 313/319). [R.H.]

134 Arabic sources are generally agreed that ‘Ali was killed in Ramadan 40 (January 661 = AG 972). Our chronicler may have been misled by the fact that ‘the Syrians acknowledged Mu'awiya as caliph in Dhu ’l-Qa‘da 37 (April 658=969)’ (Tabari, 11, p. 199), or he may be better informed than we. Theophanes, p. 347 also places ‘Ali’s death earlier than the accepted date, in 659/60. [R.H.]

135 By this is probably meant the glancing gesture of right palm against right palm by which Arabs today seal a contract; see text No. 10 under AG 967.

136 7 June, AD 659.

137 {Syr. SBKWT).

138 Literally: ‘those of the House of Lord Maron.’

139 Literal1y he made himself a legator of Mu'awiya {Syr. wa-'bad napseh mawr' tono d-Mu'awiya}.

140 9 June, AD 659, was indeed a Sunday.

141 Allegiance was rendered to Mu'awiya in Jerusalem after the death of ‘Ali in the year 40 (February 661=972: Tabari, II, p. 4); ‘the people as a whole’ recognized him after ‘Ali’s‘ son, Hasan had made peace with him and turned matters over to him in the year 41, five days before the end of the month of Rabi' I (31 July 661=972) (Tabari, II, p. 199). Again, our chronicler may have inside information, but one suspects that he has brought forward Mu'awiya’s accession and tour in Jerusalem to coincide with the earthquake of 659, the latter being in his mind an evident indication of God’s disapproval of the former event. Note that the entry for ‘the following year’, a severe frost, falls in 662, not 660. [R.H.]

142 The weekday shows that this was AD 662

English from Penn (2015)

. . . and Muʻāwiya, his nephew H̱udaifa. Muʻāwiya issued a command concerning him and he was killed. Then ʻAlī also threatened to rise up against Muʻāwiya again. They struck him while he was praying at Hira and killed him. Muʻāwiya went down to Hira, the entire Arab army there gave him allegiance, and he went back to Damascus.

In the year 970 [659 c.e.], the seventeenth year of Constans, at the second hour on a Friday in the month of June, there was a devastating earthquake in the land of Palestine, in which many places collapsed.

In the same month, the Jacobite bishops Theodore and Sabuk came to Damascus, and before Muʻāwiya they debated the faith with those of Mār Maron [i.e., the Maronites]. When the Jacobites were defeated, Muʻāwiya commanded them to give up twenty thousand denarii and be silent. And it became customary for the Jacobite bishops to give Muʻāwiya that [much] gold annually lest [his] protection of them slacken and they be punished by the [Maronite] clergy. He who was called patriarch by the Jacobites annually established what share of that gold the inhabitants of all the monasteries and convents would pay. Likewise, he established [the share] for the [other] followers of his faith. And he made Muʻāwiya heir [to his estate] so that out of fear of [Muʻāwiya] all the Jacobites would submit to him. On the ninth of the month during which the disputation with the Jacobites took place, at the eighth hour on a Sunday, [there was] an earthquake.

In the same year, the emperor Constans issued a command and his brother Theodosius was killed—wrongly, for he was innocent, as many say. Many were distressed by his murder. It is said that the citizens [of Constantinople] made public denunciations against the emperor and called him a second Cain, a committer of fratricide. Greatly angered, [Constans] left his son Constantine on the throne, took his queen and all the Romans’ war-waging troops, and departed to the north against foreign peoples.

In the year 971 [660/61 c.e.], the eighteenth of Constans, many Arabs assembled in Jerusalem and made Muʻāwiya king. He ascended and sat at Golgotha. He prayed there, went to Gethsemane, descended to the tomb of the blessed Mary, and prayed there. In those days, while the Arabs were assembling there with Muʻāwiya, there was a tremor and a devastating earthquake. Most of Jericho collapsed, as did all of its churches. Mār John’s house by the Jordon, where our savior was baptized, was uprooted from its foundations. So too the monastery of Abba Euthymius, along with the dwellings of many monks and solitaries, as well as many [other] places, collapsed during [the earthquake].

In the same year, in the month of July, the emirs and many [other] Arabs assembled and gave allegiance to Muʻāwiya. A command went out that he should be proclaimed king in all the villages and cities under his control and that they should make invocations and acclamations to him. He struck both gold and silver [coinage], but it was not accepted because it did not have a cross on it. Muʻāwiya also did not wear a crown like other kings in the world. He established his throne in Damascus but did not want to go to Muh. ammad’s throne.

The next year, on Wednesday morning, the thirteenth of April, ice fell and the white vines withered in it.

When Muʻāwiya became king, as he wanted, and had a respite from civil wars, he broke the truce with the Romans and no longer accepted a truce from them. Rather, he said, “If the Romans seek a truce, let them give up their weapons and pay the tax.”

[folio missing in the manuscript]

French translation from Nau (1899)

Folio 12

Mu'awiyah I had him killed. Ali threatened to attack Mu'awiyah I again, he was beaten in Hirta [or nearby Kufa ?] during his prayer and he was killed. Mu'awiyah I went down to Hirta and all the Arab troops there submitted to him after which he returned to Damascus.

In the year 970, in the 17th year of Constans II, on a Friday in the month of Khaziran (June) at the second hour, there was a violent earthquake in Palestine and many villages were destroyed.

IN THE SAME MONTH THE JACOBITE BISHOPS THEODORE (2) AND SUBUKHT (3) WENT TO DAMASCUS, BEFORE MOAWIAU (ie Mu'awiyah I), AND HELD A DISPUTE ABOUT THE FAITH WITH THE MARONITES.

The Jacobites were defeated and Mu'awiyah I condemned them to pay twenty thousand dinars; then he ordered them to be quiet, and the Jacobite bishops continued to pay the same amount of money every year to Mu'awiyah I so that he would not stop protecting them and so that the sons of the Church were not persecuted. The Patriarch decided which contribution for this sum of money all convents of monks and nuns should make to him each year as well as all the faithful, then he undertook to make a present of this sum to Mu'awiyah I, so that for fear of him, all the Jacobites would obey him.

On the ninth of the month in which the dispute with the Jacobites took place, a Sunday (4), there was an earthquake.

In the same year, the Emperor Constant had his brother Theodosius killed unjustly, because he was innocent, as many have reported (5). This murder caused great emotion and it is said that the inhabitants of the (imperial) city complained the emperor. calling him a second Cain and [guilty of] fratricide (6). He was very irritated, left the empire to his son Constantine, and left, with the empress and the elite of the army, for the countries of the North among unknown peoples (7).

In the year 971, which is Constant's eighteenth, the Arabs gathered in great numbers in Jerusalem, and appointed Mu'awiyah I king there. He went up to Golgotha ​​and prayed there. He also went to Gethsemane, went down at the tomb of Blessed Mary and prayed there. At this time, while the Arabs were gathered around Mu'awiyah I there was a violent earthquake which overturned most (of Jericho) with all its churches. And near the Jordan the church of John who baptized the Savior was destroyed as well as the entire monastery. This earthquake also overthrew the monastery of Father Euthymius with many dwellings of monks or cenobites and many villages.

That same year, in the month of Thamouz (8), the emirs and many Arabs met and took an oath to Mu'awiyah I, and it was ordered that all the villages and towns in its empire should proclaim him king and prepare for him a throne and ovations. He also minted gold and silver coins but they did not accept them because there was no cross on it. Moreover Mu'awiyah I did not take a crown like other kings of the world. He placed the seat (of his empire) in Damascus, and would not go to that of Mahomet [i.e. Mecca].

The following year, ice arrived on the 13th of Nisan (9), so that the green vines were burnt. [Note by JW: in Palmer et al (1993)'s translation this date is specified as Wednesday 13 April. They note that 13 April fell on a Wednesday in 662 CE - verified via CHRONOS]

When Mu'awiyah I reigned as he wanted and had appeased the war that existed among his people, he broke the peace with the Romans and no longer made any treaty with them saying: "If the Romans want peace, they should give me their weapons and pay tribute."
Footnotes

(1) 658-659 CE.

(2) He is the Patriarch of Antioch (649-667). Cf. B. H. C. E. I., p. 282.

(3) Bishop of Kennesrin, B. H. C. E., p. 276. - One can believe that the Maronites then made use of the questions written by Jean Maron against the Jacobites and which we have translated above.

(4) The 9th of this month was indeed a Sunday. N.

(5) Theophanes also places this murder in 658-659 CE. N.

(6) Cf. B. H. C. S., p. 106, 1. 17-27.

(7) He retired to Rome and Syracuse.

(8) June.

(9) April.

Chronology
1st Earthquake
Year Reference Corrections Notes
10 am Friday 7 June 659 CE In AG 970, the 17th year of Constans, on a Friday in June, at the second hour, there was a violent earthquake in Palestine, and many places there collapsed none The first earthquake occurred in the second hour (~8 am) on a Friday in June (Haziran) during A.G. (aka Seleucid Year - A.S.) 970 (1 Oct. 658 to 30 Sept. 659 CE) which (in June) corresponds to 659 CE. However, the year for this event is also specified as the 17th year of Constans II's rule which dates to May 657 - Aug. 658 CE and thus places the year in 658 (for June). Due to the correct date and weekday presented below, it would appear that 659 CE is the correct year.
2nd Earthquake
Year Reference Corrections Notes
~2 pm Sunday 9 June 659 CE On the ninth of the same month in which the disputation with the Jacobites took place, on a Sunday at the eighth hour, there was an earthquake none A second earthquake is described as occurring in the 8th hour (~2 pm) on Sunday 9 June the month when the Jacobite Bishops went to Damascus to visit Mu'awiyah I and complain about/debate the Maronites. Julian day calculations indicate that 9 June 659 CE fell on a Sunday and the text indicates that the second earthquake occurred in the same month and year as the first earthquake. This dates the first earthquake to Friday 7 June 659 CE. This second earthquake could be an aftershock to the first earthquake. The author also specifies that the earthquake took place during the same year in which Constans II killed his brother which historians seem to date to 659 or 660 CE.
3rd Earthquake
Year Reference Corrections Notes
660 CE In AG 971, Constans’s 18th year, many Arabs gathered at Jerusalem and made Mu'awiya king ... when the Arabs were assembled there with Mu'awiya, there was an earthquake and a violent tremor none The third earthquake suffers from chronological inconsistencies and, unlike the first two earthquakes, does not specify details such as hour, day of the week, and date. The earthquake is described as taking place a year later during A.S. 971 (1 Oct. 659 to 30 Sept. 660 CE), during Constan II's eighteenth year (May 658 - Aug. 659 CE), and when Mu'awiyah I was declared King. This describes his accession as Caliph on Haram esh-Sharif (aka Temple Mount) in Jerusalem - presumably in the Congregational Mosque of the time. Ambraseys (2009) following Grumel (1958: 380) and others date this accession to A.H. 41 (May 661 to April 662). Marsham (2013) also places the accession in 661 CE at the conclusion of the First Fitna (aka the first Muslim Civil War). Marsham (2013) further suggests that the Maronite Chronicler may have moved Mu'awiyah I's accession from 661 CE to 660 CE to make it coincide with the earthquake.

In Palmer et al (1993)'s translation, the date for the spring frost (specified as occurring in the following year) is specified as Wednesday 13 April. 13 April fell on a Wednesday in 662 CE (confirmed via CHRONOS). Moving back a year, this would then place Mu'awiyah I's accession in 661 CE in agreement with most historians. This in turn supports the thesis that the Maronite Chronicle moved Mu'awiyah I's accession from 661 CE to 660 CE to make it coincide with the earthquake.
The third earthquake could have in fact been the same earthquake as one of the first two earthquakes due to an effort by the author of the Maronite Chronicle to rearrange dates and create forced synchronicities in order to make a theological point. To explain the potential for forced synchronicities, a bit of background is helpful. The Maronites adhered to a monothelete theology and maintained an independent status at Mount Lebanon and its coastline after the Muslim conquest of the Levant, keeping their religion and their distinct West Aramaic language intact until the 19th century. The Jacobites, on the other hand, followed a competing miaphysite theology and submitted to Islamic rule. The Maronite chronicler, who is loyal to the Byzantines, is critical of both the Jacobite Christians’ theology and their submission to Muslim rulers. The Maronite Chronicler may also be hostile to Islamic rule. The third earthquake report follows a historical event - when Mu'awiyah I is declared Caliph on Temple Mount. By following a historical event with an earthquake or making it coincide with an earthquake, the chronicler is showing God's disapproval. As noted by Marsham (2013)
the accession rituals of Muʿāwiya appear to have deliberately been juxtaposed with natural disasters — earthquakes follow two of the pledges of allegiance and a withering spring frost, which destroyed grapevines, is placed adjacent to a third account. The use of natural disasters to indicate God’s disapproval is a common feature of late antique and early medieval chronography. Indeed, here it appears that the compiler may have altered both his chronology and selection of material in order to achieve this effect. However, selecting and organizing material for polemical reasons is different from fabricating it, and there are good reasons to think that the account is accurate in most of its details.
Seismic Effects

1st Earthquake
  • there was a violent earthquake in Palestine, and many places there collapsed
2nd Earthquake
  • there was an earthquake - location unspecified
3rd Earthquake Locations

1st Earthquake
  • Palestine
2nd Earthquake
  • location unspecified
3rd Earthquake Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Hoyland, R. (2019). Seeing Islam as others saw it, Gorgias Press.

Marsham (2013) The Architecture of Allegiance in Early Islamic Late Antiquity: The Accession of Mu‘awiya in Jerusalem, ca. 661 CE in Beihammer, A., et al. (2013). Court Ceremonies and Rituals of Power in Byzantium and the Medieval Mediterranean: Comparative Perspectives, Brill.

Nau, F. (1899). "Opuscules maronites." Revue de l'Orient chrétien 4.

Palmer, A., et al. (1993). The Seventh Century in the West-Syrian Chronicles, Liverpool University Press.

Penn, M. P. (2015). When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam, University of California Press.

Seismic Effects
Jordan Valley Earthquake - 659/660 CE

Effect Location Image(s) Description
Collapsed Structures      Most of the monastery
Plan of Euthymius Monastery

Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
The severity of the destruction in the monastery of Euthymius may be deduced from the results of the excavations. During our excavation at the site, it became clear that most of the monastery – except for the crypt, whose vaults remained intact, and another vault which survived at the north end of the church – was rebuilt after the earthquake of 659. - Hirschfeld (1993:354)

Intensity Estimates
Jordan Valley Earthquake - 659/660 CE

Effect Location Image(s) Description Intensity
Collapsed Structures including walls    Most of the monastery
Plan of Euthymius Monastery

Used with permission from BibleWalks.com
The severity of the destruction in the monastery of Euthymius may be deduced from the results of the excavations. During our excavation at the site, it became clear that most of the monastery – except for the crypt, whose vaults remained intact, and another vault which survived at the north end of the church – was rebuilt after the earthquake of 659. - Hirschfeld (1993:354) VIII +
Although the archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224), Intensity was probably higher (e.g. IX) since the contemporary report of collapse in the Maronite chronicle and evidence for a near total rebuild suggest extensive destruction.

Notes and Further Reading
References

Articles and Books

Hirschfeld (1993:354) EUTHYMIUS AND HIS MONASTERY IN THE JUDEAN DESERT Liber Annus 43 339-371 - open access at archive.org - also available at the wayback machine

Meimaris,Y. E. (1989) The Monastery of Saint Euthymios the Great at Khan el-Ahmar, in the Wilderness of Judaea: Rescue Excavations and Basic Protection Measures, 1976-1979, Preliminary Report, Athens 1989.

Websites

Euthymius Monastery at biblewalks.com

Bibliography from Stern et al (1993)

Main publication

Y. E. Meimaris, The Monastery of Saint Euthymios the Great at Khan el-Ahmar, in the Wilderness of Judaea: Rescue Excavations and Basic Protection Measures, 1976-1979, Preliminary Report, Athens 1989.

Other Studies

D. J. Chitty and A. H. M. Jones, PEQ 61 (1929), 98-102, 175-178; 62 (1930), 43-47, 150- 153; 64 (1932), 188-203

Y. Hirschfeld, ESI 3 (1984), 80; id., The Judean Desert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period, New Haven (in prep.)

R. Birger and Y. Hirschfeld, ESI7-8 (1988-1989), 110

Y. E. Meimaris (Review), LA 40 (1990), 524-526.

Bibliography from Stern et al (2008)

Y. Hirschfeld, The Judean Desert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period, New Haven CT 1992; id., LA 43 (1993), 339–371

V. Eshed, Paleoanthropological Research on Four Byzantine Populations (M.A. thesis), Tel Aviv 1993

I. Hershkovitz (et al.), LA 43 (1993), 373–385; id. (& R. Yakar), International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 5 (1995), 61–77

J. Patrich, Abas, Leader of Palestinian Monasticism: A Comparative Study in Eastern Monasticism, 4th to 7th Centuries (Dumbarton Oaks Studies 32), Washington, D.C. 1995, 162–163

H. Goldfus, Tombs and Burials in Churches and Monasteries of Byzantine Palestine (324–628 A.D.), 1–2 (Ph.D. diss.), Ann Arbor, MI 1998, 176–205

S. Santelli et al., Les Dossiers d’Archéologie 240 (1999), 86–87

F. Mébarki, MdB 131 (2000), 60

L. Di Segni, The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church from the 5th Century to the Present (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 98; ed. J. Patrich), Leuven 2001, 31–36

P. Donceel-Voûte, La mosaïque gréco-romaine 9: Actes du 9. Colloque International pour l’Étude de la Mosaïque Antique et Médiévale, Roma, 5–10.11.2001, Paris 2002, 151–170.

Wikipedia pages

Monastery of Euthymius



Euthymius