Rural Roman Judea Above and Below Ground: The Horvat Midras (Israel) Excavation Project

Report to the International Catacomb Society, Shohet Scholar Program

September 16, 2024

Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat, Associate Professor, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, orit.peleg@mail.huji.ac.il

Dr. Gregg E. Gardner, Professor, Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, University of British Columbia, gregg.gardner@ubc.ca

We thank Dr. Yaniv Darvasi and Tal Rogovski for their contributions to this report, and Prof. Amotz Agnon of Hebrew University for his contribution to this project.

OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT

Horvat Midras is located in Israel, in the Judean foothills, about 40 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem and about 6 kilometers northeast of Bet Guvrin, in the present-day Adullam Grove Nature Reserve. Scholars identify the site with ancient Drousias. Earlier surveys and small-scale excavations, combined with our recent fieldwork, signal the site’s potential for illuminating rural life in various periods, spanning the Persian through the early Ottoman eras (4th century BCE to 16th century CE).

Our surveys and excavations suggest that the site was already inhabited in the late Persian or early Hellenistic period by Idumeans, as the material remains strongly resembles those of Maresha, one of the major urban centers of Idumea. The site was abandoned in the late second century BCE, perhaps as a result of the Hasmonean conquest of Idumea, and was re-established after about a century, expanding to become a large (30 acres) rural site in the early Roman period (late first century BCE through second century CE). Remains, such as ritual baths, chalk vessels, underground hiding complexes, ossuaries, and inscriptions, indicate that the site was inhabited during this period mostly by Jews. A large ashlar pyramidal funerary monument (nefesh) built at the top of the site’s hill, as well as nicely decorated burial caves, testify to affluence among some of the village’s residents. Domestic dwellings were constructed on bedrock that was leveled and hewn, indicating a significant investment in planning and labor, and supporting scholars’ suggestion that Horvat Midras was re-settled and re-built under King Herod the Great (r. 37–4 BCE), whose family originates from Idumea. The 11 underground hiding complexes and coins struck by rebels indicate that the villagers likely participated in the Second Revolt against Rome (Bar Kokhba Revolt; 132–136 CE). After the suppression of the Second Revolt, the village was again left uninhabited, as were other smaller Jewish villages in its vicinity. The religious and ethnic character of the site was again altered by the construction of a temple or cultic complex on the western edge of the site. In the Byzantine era (fourth-fifth century), a large church was constructed, adorned by nicely preserved mosaic floors. The site was damaged in the mid-7th century’s earthquake and was vacant until the time of the Ayyubids when it was resettled until the beginning of the Ottoman period when it was abandoned once more (13th–16th centuries CE).

Previous surveys and excavations (2015–2018, 2022) were supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Israel Science Foundation. The project is recognized as an American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)-Affiliated Archaeological Project.

GROUND PENETRATING RADAR SURVEY, 2024

We continued our research of the site in 2024 with the generous support of the International Catacomb Society, through its Shohet Scholar program. Our goals were to see if ground penetrating radar (GPR) and related technologies could be used to enhance our understanding of the site and the broader Judean foothills. Our aims were both specific to the site – mapping the underground installations at Horvat Midras and integrating this data with our knowledge of the finds to date – as well as methodological, as these technologies have not been used to study the sites of the Judean foothills, which are surfeit with underground installations. With eleven known underground hiding complexes, and many other subterranean installations (burial caves, water cisterns, columbaria, storerooms, quarries, etc.), Horvat Midras provides potentially fertile ground for testing these technologies.

In August 2024, we commissioned Dr. Yaniv Darvasi from Insitu Geo Engineering LTD and The Neev Center for Geoinfomatics, directed by Prof. Amotz Agnon from Hebrew University of Jerusalem to undertake a GPR pilot survey in Area E of the site.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a non-destructive electromagnetic geophysical technique that uses radio waves to map the subsurface. In practice, a GPR device transmits electromagnetic radio pulses into the subsurface, receives them back, and measures the time elapsed between the transmission and reception of reflections from subsurface discontinuities (two-way travel time – TWT). Discontinuities in the dielectric properties of the ground give rise to the reflection of the radio waves. When the dielectric properties are known (or estimated), the TWT can be converted to depth. Archaeological bodies buried at shallow depths may generate a detectable contrast in the dielectric properties.

We chose to conduct our study in Area E, where we partially exposed in summer 2022, a large rock-cut, ashlar-built complex with a hewn installation (either a ritual bath or the entrance to an underground hideout complex). The findings suggest that it was initially constructed during the early Roman period and converted into a winepress in the late Roman era (second-fourth centuries CE). Area E was chosen in light of indications of the likely existence of several underground installations, combined with our knowledge of the existence of a large underground installation a few meters to the east of Area E – “Cave 20” which was mapped out several decades ago.

This GPR survey was conducted in July 2024 and was commissioned to detect anomalies, which may refer to caves or cavities within the area of Horvat Midras. We acquired tens of GPR lines totaling about ~710 m with the Proceq GS8000 GPR system. Due to the rugged terrain, boulders (bigger than 10 centimeters), and vegetation, the geospatial data is insufficient to generate any depth map. However, two-dimensional radargrams were interpreted down to a depth of 2 meters, the maximum range that can be interpreted. As seen in the field, the rock may be weathered and fractured. These characteristics may cause anomalies while acquiring GPR data. However, many anomalies may indicate buried features or stones over 20 cm in diameter. Also, a few areas indicate layered strata, which may each indicate a ceiling of a cave or hall, or the top of a geological layer. The spots with the most significant anomalies relevant to cavities were identified. These methods may be more effective after the surface is substantially exposed and boulders are removed.

The GPR pilot analysis suggested two avenues for future research:

The first is to further study the spaces just east of the excavation squares of Area E, the area above Cave 20. Our GPR analysis suggested that Cave 20 may be more elaborate than previously known. The ground above the cave is already clear of debris, facilitating further analysis. Here, we are commissioning Enso Geospatial, directed by Ido Shicht and Ben Laugomer, to undertake an analysis by LiDAR – Light Detection and Ranging. This is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges to the earth. Our goals are to produce a new, detailed, accurate map of Cave 20, which our pilot GPR survey suggests may include previously unknown underground spaces within the complex. LiDAR will also calculate the size and volume of the cave, identify spots for further exploration and excavation, and produce three-dimensional images of the complex. Again, our goals are both specific to the site – to map out as many of the underground installations as possible and identify possible areas for future excavation – as well as methodological, to test these methods in the Judean foothills region.

The second avenue for further research will be a second phase of GPR analysis. This involves more fully clearing Area E of rocks, boulders, and vegetation, to undertake a more expansive GPR study. The initial pilot indicated several areas with anomalies, likely indicating underground installations – and a broader study has the potential to refine our understanding of these underground anomalies. This would allow us to create a more detailed map of Area E’s underground spaces and also identify areas for further excavation.

We are grateful for the support of the International Catacomb Society and honored to have been chosen as Shohet Scholars.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

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