Horvat Midras

Ḥorvat Midras or Horbat Midras (), also Khirbet ed-Druseh or Khirbet Durusya (in Arabic) is an archaeological site located in the central Judaean Lowlands, in modern-day Israel. It contains the remains of an ancient settlement situated on the slopes of a spur near an ancient road that once connected Jerusalem with the southern coastal plain. Today, the site lies within the Adullam Nature Reserve.

Continuous occupation at Horvat Midras is attested from the Hellenistic period until the Hasmonean conquest of Idumaea 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 the Second Temple period. The site, home to a Jewish population, remained inhabited through the First Jewish Revolt (66–70 CE) and up to the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 CE). Later in the same century, a cultic complex was established at the site. During the Byzantine period, Horvat Midras was home to a small Christian village. Subsequent habitation occurred in the early Islamic, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and early Ottoman 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 a stepped pyramid. Unique in the rural landscape of ancient Judea, 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 the Herodian dynasty. Other major finds include hiding complexes, rock-cut tombs, columbaria, ''mikvehs'' (Jewish ritual baths), and an elaborate Byzantine church with well-preserved mosaics.

Location

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. The site lies in a fertile area, approximately 800 metres east of the ancient Roman road that once connected Gaza, Ashkelon, Beit Guvrin, and Jerusalem—now roughly followed by modern Highway 38. Today, the site is situated within the Adullam Nature Reserve. The nearest modern settlement is ''Moshav'' Tzafririm, with ''Kibbutz'' Beit Guvrin located about 6 kilometres to the southwest.

Name

In earlier surveys, notably the PEF Survey of Palestine and the 1930s Survey of Palestine, the site was referred to as ''Druseh'' or ''Durusiya.''

Scholars associate the site with ''Drusias'', a place mentioned in Ptolemy's ''Geography'', a treatise on cartography dating from the 2nd century CE. This identification was first proposed by French scholar Félix-Marie Abel in 1938 and was later developed by archaeologists Boaz Zissu and Amos Kloner.

Zissu and Kloner proposed that the name may have been given during the reign of Herod the Great (r. 37–4 BCE), whose family originated from Idumaea (southern Judaea), suggesting it could have been named in honor of Drusus, the adopted son of Emperor Augustus. 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—in Caesarea, a city itself named after Augustus.

Archaeologist Guy D. Stiebel has raised doubts about this theory, noting that the site is not mentioned by Josephus—a key source for the Herodian period—and lacks archaeological evidence of Herodian construction, both of which undermine the case for a Drusus-related naming. Instead, he proposes that ''Drousia'' derives from the Greek word , meaning oak tree, combined with the suffix , 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.

It has been suggested that Horvat Midras was the hometown of ''Ben Drusai'', a figure mentioned in the Talmud, with his name derived from this location. However, this identification is disputed, and alternative interpretations of his name have been proposed.

Archaeology

Early activities

Settlement at Horvat Midras likely began in the Late Iron Age or Persian period, though only pottery sherds have been securely attributed to these early phases. 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.

Early Roman period

Horvat Midras was re-established during the Early Roman period, likely under the rule of Herod (c. 37–4 BCE). Archaeological evidence indicates a Jewish population, and the site developed into one of the largest and most affluent villages in the Judean Foothills. During this period, Horvat Midras appears to have reached its greatest extent, covering approximately 30 acres. The site remained occupied from the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE) until its destruction during the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 CE), and may have been among the 985 settlements reportedly destroyed during the latter, as recorded by Cassius Dio.

Stepped pyramid

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. 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. The structure, consists of a square podium measuring 10 by 10 meters, constructed from dressed ashlar blocks and founded directly on bedrock. The pyramid that crowns the podium originally brought the total height of the monument to approximately seven meters. 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, possibly an elite household whose influence grew through connections with the Herodian dynasty.

Hiding complexes

Four underground hiding complexes were investigated at Horvat Midras, resembling hundreds of similar systems found beneath Jewish settlements in the Judean Foothills. System #6 links three ancient pits—two of which served as water cisterns—through a network of crawlspaces. System #20 stretches over 100 meters; It contains a columbarium, two storerooms, and two ''mikva'ot'' (Jewish ritual baths), all interconnected by tunnels and small hiding chambers. One of these ''mikva'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. Pottery fragments, including storage jars, cooking pots, a stone cup handle, a ridged oil lamp, and coins—among them a First Jewish Revolt coin (second-year ''prutah'') and coins from the reign of Domitian—date the usage of these spaces to the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.

System #30 consists of a series of ancient water cisterns, later adapted as hiding places. It features a storage chamber supported by two pillars and two small rooms, all accessed via a sloped tunnel. System #31 links multiple cisterns through a winding tunnel system and includes two ''mikva'ot''. Artifacts recovered from this system include coins from the time of Vespasian. Another notable find is a silver pendant depicting a woman's face wearing a horned crown, likely representing the Egyptian goddess Isis. The pendant had been deliberately defaced, consistent with Jewish defacement of pagan images, a practice referenced in the Mishnah and seen elsewhere in Bar Kokhba-period finds.

Rock-cut tombs

At least fifteen rock-cut tombs were excavated in the vicinity of the site, most dating to the Second Temple period. The discovery of numerous ossuaries suggests that burial customs in the Judean Foothills were similar to those in Jerusalem and other regions. 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''). Within the ''arcosolia'' were stone ossuaries, 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.

Late Roman period

In the aftermath of the Jewish–Roman wars, the site remained largely uninhabited. In the 2nd century CE, a cultic complex was constructed at the site. Later, in the 4th century, a burial cave was hewn, which appears to have remained unused. A basilica paved with white mosaics was also constructed, likely in connection with the cave.

Byzantine period

Church

During the Byzantine period (particularly in the 5th and 6th centuries), Horvat Midras was a small Christian village, possibly also housing a monastic community.

In the 6th century, a church was built within the remains of an earlier basilica, remaining in use until the 8th century. It features a central nave flanked by two side aisles (''stoa''), divided by two parallel rows of four imported light gray marble columns with Corinthian capitals. The church's floors are richly decorated with colorful mosaics, including animal motifs in the nave and apse, and geometric patterns in the aisles, using stones of various colors throughout. At the church's eastern end stands a rounded apse, flanked by two rooms—one with a gray marble floor (south) and the other with a plain mosaic (north). The use of high-quality materials points to a wealthy patron, possibly the Bishop of Eleutheropolis or someone closely connected to his office.

A tomb beneath the church and a chamber south of the apse, possibly for storing relics, suggest the site was designed to attract pilgrims. These elements suggest that the church was designed to attract pilgrims.

Byzantine tomb

Several Byzantine-period burial caves have been identified in the area. One, located just south of the elaborate Second Temple period tomb, is a small cave with three ''arcosolia'', decorated with red-painted crosses and Greek inscriptions. These included the IX monogram, an abbreviation for Jesus Christ (Greek: ''Iēsous Christos''), and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, symbolizing the phrase "I am the beginning and the end" (''Revelation'' 1:17).

Later occupation

Following the Muslim conquest, the church remained in use; however, the prominent crosses carved into the stone pillars were deliberately concealed with plaster. Access to the tomb and an installation above it (possibly for baptisms) was rerouted so that it no longer passed through the main church structure. Archaeologists have suggested various possibilities regarding the church's continued use—ranging from joint or separate use by Christians and Muslims, to Christian converts to Islam continuing to use the church.

After the church was destroyed in the 749 earthquake, a modest settlement was established at the site, likely in the late 8th or 9th century. Architectural elements from the church were reused as spolia, and the discovery of Abbasid-period cooking tools in the narthex area indicates that the building was no longer used for religious purposes. Subsequent occupation during the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and early Ottoman periods (13th–16th centuries) is evidenced by structural remains and abundant pottery, with the site primarily used for agricultural activity during this time.

Research history

Early documentation of Horvat Midras includes surveys by Victor Guérin in 1868 and the Palestine Exploration Fund in the 1880s. Claude Reignier Conder and Herbert Kitchener of the PEF documented "Heaps of stones, foundations. A ruined '' birkeh'', and several caves".

In the mid-20th century, Levi Rahmani conducted surveys (1958–59), followed by further investigations of burial caves and underground installations by Amos Kloner and Amos Frumkin from the 1970s to the early 1990s, often in response to antiquities looting. Two rock-cut tombs were uncovered in 1976 and 1988. 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.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 an ancient synagogue. Small architectural elements with relief decoration were found nearby. As of 2012, the structure had not yet been excavated, and its function remains uncertain.

In 2010–2011, the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted excavations at the site following illegal digging. 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.

Horvat Midras was revisited in a renewed academic expedition led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The excavation was directed by Orit Peleg-Barkat, with Gregg E. Gardner of the University of British Columbia later joining as co-director. 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.

See also

* Horvat 'Ethri
* Horvat Burgin
* Tel Lavnin

Footnotes

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

* {{Commons category-inline, Horvat Midras, Horvat Midras

Archaeological sites in Israel
Jewish mausoleums
Ancient Jewish settlements of Judaea
Disestablishments in the Hasmonean Kingdom
130s disestablishments in the Roman Empire
Byzantine church buildings in Israel
Rock-cut tombs
Pyramids in Asia