Early Christian Topography in Bet Garmai, Northeastern Mesopotamia
Research into the ecclesiastical organization of the Church of the East in Mesopotamia needs to shift its focus from an overall perspective to the microscale of individual dioceses, their locations, relations and development, and the morphology of their centres. Datasets produced by systematic archa...
Shranjeno v:
| izdano v: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/beo, |
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| Glavni avtor: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Jezik: | Anglais |
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Bulletin d’études orientales
2023
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| Online dostop: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Izvleček: | Research into the ecclesiastical organization of the Church of the East in Mesopotamia needs to shift its focus from an overall perspective to the microscale of individual dioceses, their locations, relations and development, and the morphology of their centres. Datasets produced by systematic archaeological surveys have considerable potential as tools for the reconstruction of the Christian landscape in a long-term process of continuity and change, particularly when the resulting spatial structures are combined with topographic data from textual sources. This paper attempts to use this combined historical-archaeological approach for the identification of two episcopal seats in the eparchy of Bet Garmai, which belong to the earliest stratum of dioceses in Mesopotamia: Šahqart and Ḫirbat Ğalāl. The results, as well as a broader view encompassing neighbouring dioceses in Bet Garmai and Ḥadyab, bring to light several features that should be examined in further research. These include a close connection between episcopal seats and urban foci of semi-independent secular power, building of sacred landscapes extra muros, as well as signs of regular coverage of the landscape by Christian administration at the beginning of the 5th century at the latest. |
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