International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Joseph Patrich
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; 
[e-mail]
A Digital Corpus of Early Christian Churches and Monasteries in the Holy Land
The purpose of this Digital Corpus is not only to establishing an informative corpus that is 
entirely new in the case of monasteries and updated in the case of churches, but also to reassess 
the existing studies, based on a much fuller list of sites and structures. Information derived from 
the literary sources and the epigraphical finds will be integrated with the archaeological remains. 
On the basis of this comprehensive and updated corpus, maps (general, regional and according to 
bishoprics) will be prepared, and a synthesis will be written, addressing various aspects, such as:
- The chronological evolution up to the Arab conquest and beyond. The study of the inscriptions 
is a key element for dating. This information has a bearing on the rate of Christianization 
of the country at the beginning of the Christian regime, and on the survival of Christian 
communities under the Muslim regime.
- The location and geographical distribution of churches and monasteries, as reflected in 
general, regional, and chronological maps (both electronic and in print). This will enable to 
differentiate between zones populated mainly by Christians and those occupied by Jews and 
Samaritans, and to define the borders between these communities.

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- The typology and physical structure of both churches and monasteries, including their 
ornamentation.
- The bearing of architecture on the daily life of the monks and on the rituals conducted in the 
churches: the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist, baptism, the cult of saints and martyrs, 
and burial in churches.
- Inscriptions and the literary sources are also an important source of information about Church 
officials, monastic administration, interrelationships with lay society (both in the urban centers 
and in the countryside) and more.
- Economic aspects: agricultural installations (wine and oil presses), cultivation of orchards, 
fields and gardens, handicrafts, donations, imported and locally made wares, imperial, 
provincial and ecclesiastical involvement, etc.
In the lecture the structure and usefullness of the application will be presented.