• from Chat GPT 5.1, 23 November 2025
• sources: Gideon Foerster in Stern et. al. (1993 v.2)

The excavation undertaken at Khirbet en-Nitla in February 1954 consisted of five small exploratory pits. In four of these, Byzantine or Early Arab walls were revealed, although the type of buildings to which they belonged could not be determined. In the fifth pit, a church was unearthed that had existed from the fourth or fifth century until the ninth century CE and had undergone numerous architectural modifications during that period.

The first church was a basilica built of ashlars. Excavated remains included parts of the south wall, sections of a rectangular apse, fragments of a mosaic pavement, part of the atrium foundations, and portions of the monastery and diaconicon. Much of the nave and northern aisle had been destroyed. The decorated apse floor, badly damaged, included hexagons, squares, and a six-line Greek inscription. This church was erected in the fourth or fifth century and may have been destroyed during the Samaritan revolt in 529.

The second church comprised a single hall covering roughly the area of the southern aisle of the earlier basilica. The diaconicon of the first church became its apse. Reduced size may reflect diminished financial support. It may have been destroyed during the Persian invasion under Khosrau II in 614.

The third church was constructed immediately after the destruction of its predecessor. Although its walls do not survive, its plan could be inferred from foundation trenches and mosaic fragments. Smaller than the earlier structures, it was a small chapel with a narthex, built of dried, plaster-coated brick. The narthex had a white mosaic pavement with an inscription at the entrance. This church apparently was destroyed by the earthquake of 749.

The fourth church, built shortly thereafter, was also only a chapel of dried brick covered with plaster. Its area was slightly enlarged to the north and south, but the overall plan remained similar to that of the third church, and its mosaic pavement was reused. Small chambers on the south attest to a small monastery. This church was not destroyed but converted into a storage room for the fifth church, which was built above it.

The fifth church formed a small chapel constructed as a second story over the earlier building. A row of six square pillars set along the east–west axis supported the upper story. Entry was via an exterior stairway built against the northern wall of the fourth church. Built of dried brick and equivalent in area to the fourth church, it collapsed of its own accord in the ninth century. Debris included architectural fragments and fallen mosaic pieces. Finds such as a bituminous limestone altar pillar, glass window fragments, nails, a bronze shovel, and a small pottery incense burner were also recovered.

Near the church, modest dwellings were found that were contemporaneous with the various phases of construction. Ceramic finds indicate settlement continuing after the abandonment of Tulul Abu el-‘Alayiq. Material from both sites demonstrates a continuity of occupation from the end of the Hellenistic to the Arab period.

• from Gideon Foerster in Stern et. al. (1993 v.2)

Phase	Period	Date	Description
First Church	Basilica	4th–5th c. CE	"The first church was a basilica built of ashlars. Sections of the south wall, parts of a rectangular apse, fragments of a mosaic pavement, part of the foundations of the atrium, and parts of the monastery and diaconicon were excavated. Most of the foundations of the nave and of the northern aisle had been destroyed. The width of the rectangular apse indicated that the nave had been wider than the aisles. The mosaic floor of the apse, which had been severely damaged, was decorated with a pattern of hexagons and squares and with a six-line Greek inscription in the center. At the facade of the church foundations for pillars and a stylobate were discovered. This church was erected in the fourth or fifth century and possibly was destroyed at the time of the Samaritan revolt in 529."
Second Church	Hall church	6th–7th c. CE	"The second church contained a single hall that covered approximately the area of the southern aisle of the first church. The diaconicon of the first church became the apse of the second. This church may have been smaller than its predecessor because of insufficient financial support. The church may have been destroyed during the invasion of the Persian king Khosrau II in 614."
Third Church	Chapel with narthex	7th–8th c. CE	"The third church was constructed immediately after the destruction of the previous church. Nothing remains of its walls, so the reconstruction of its plan was based on foundation trenches and extant fragments of a mosaic floor. The third church was smaller than its predecessor. In fact, it was only a small chapel with a narthex, apparently built of dried, plaster-coated brick. The narthex was paved with white mosaic with an inscription at the entrance. The church apparently was destroyed by the earthquake of 749."
Fourth Church	Chapel	8th c. CE	"Erected a short time after the destruction of the previous church, the fourth church was also only a chapel. It was built of dried brick overlaid with a thin coating of plaster. Its area was enlarged somewhat to the north and south (roughly 30 cm in either direction), although the overall plan was similar to that of the previous church, and the earlier mosaic pavement was also reused. The small chambers adjacent to the southern side of the church testify to the existence of a small monastery. This church was not destroyed but was converted into a storage room for the fifth church, which was built on top of it."
Fifth Church	Upper-story chapel	Late 8th–early 9th c. CE	"The fifth church was a small chapel built as a second story over the previous church. This additional story was supported by a row of six square-shaped pillars set in the mosaic floor and running east–west along the building's central axis. The chapel was entered by means of an exterior stairway built against the northern wall of the fourth church. The walls of the chapel were also dried brick, and its area was equivalent to that of the fourth church. Architectural fragments and the debris of a mosaic floor that had fallen from the upper story were found above the ground-floor level. The fifth church, as well as the fourth, was erected at the end of the eighth or beginning of the ninth century—the period of Charlemagne. At that time, the country was already under Islamic rule, a fact that may explain the poverty of its construction. The church seems to have collapsed of its own accord, in the ninth century."