Deir ed Darb

Deir ed Darb

דיר א-דרב (in Hebrew)
The facade of the monumental Jewish tomb
Shown within the West Bank
Location	State of Palestine
Region	Samaria
Coordinates	32°12′44″N 35°10′59″E
Grid position	Israel Ref. 210166/670117
Type	Rock-cut tomb
Part of	Hasmonean kingdom, Herodian kingdom, province of Judaea
Area	2 ha (4.9 acres)
Height	380 m
History
Periods	Second Temple period
Cultures	Second Temple Judaism
Site notes
Condition	Ruined
Ownership	Public
Public access	Yes

Deir ed Derb ("The monastery of the road") is a monumental Jewish tomb with an elaborate facade dated to the 1st century CE. The site is located in the West Bank about 1/2-mile SE of the village center of Qarwat Bani Hassan. Its Arab name derives from the ancient road passing near it and refers to a monastery.

History of research

In 1873, when the necropolis was first visited, the main tomb was described as: "one of the finest sepulchral monuments in the country, resembling in character some of the tombs near Jerusalem". In further years to come surveys and rescue excavations were done (Yeivin - 1972, Dar - late 70's, Raviv -2013) at and next to the main tomb.

Description

Decoration above the entrance

The front of Deir ed Derb, 1873

The main monumental tomb is described to contain three rock-cut chambers. The portico had a 50 ft long Doric cornice in front, and was supported by two Ionic columns and two pilasters. 15 triglyphs and 14 rosettes were cut, where all the rosettes were of different designs.

Analysis

An archeological analysis led Dar to conclude that there was a flourishing Jewish settlement near the site during the late Second Temple period and even up to the Great revolt and the Bar Kokhba revolt. After the latter, the area was settled by Samaritans.

There is a consensus among all archeologists and researches who have been to the site of Deir ed Derb, that it resembles the Tombs of the Kings in Jerusalem and similar sites in Samaria. The structure bears a strong resemblance to some tombs by Jerusalem, which have been dated to 1st century CE. Magen has linked Deir ed-Derb and other similar tombs in Samaria (including Khirbet Kurkush and Mokata 'Abud) to the departure of Jewish craftsmen from Jerusalem to Samaria before the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Peleg-Barkat, on the other hand, suggested that these tombs were constructed by local Jewish elites who were inspired by the elaborate graves of the Jewish elite in Jerusalem of the late Second Temple period. In the close vicinity of the tomb, about 20 other rock-cut burial caves were found.

The main tomb

Burial chamber

The magnificent tomb has a large (about 10x15 m) rock-cut front yard. On the side of the yard, To the right (west) of the front of the tomb, a monumental staircase was carved leading into the courtyard. The front of the tomb is decorated with great splendor in a combined style: two Greek style columns between two arts (antis in distylos). The right (western) column does not exist today and was probably stolen in ancient times. In the front of the tomb above the columns and the art there is a neetly carved frieze, divided into 15 Triglyphs, including 14 metopes. The central part of the frieze did not survive. In carved tufts Roses (rosettes) of different types. Above the frieze, a cornice consisting of dentils was designed. Below the part from the triglyphs there are drops (gutae).

The entrance to the burial chambers is carved into the southern wall of the entrance room. The opening was closed with a circular burial stone moving inside a trestle rail. A niche was cut above the opening, which damaged a decoration with chiseled edges that was located on the entrance room walls, it seems to have been carved at a later period. As mentioned above, a parallel to this kind of niche is found in the central tomb in the necropolis of Khirbet Kurkush, in Dar's opinion, this alcove symbolizes the change of ownership from Jewish to foreign.

The opening leads to a central rectangular burial chamber. A standing pit was carved in the center of the room. Three niches were carved into the wall in front of the opening. On both walls on the sides (the eastern and the western) openings were carved leading to two additional burial chambers were carved with arches. A standing pit was cut in the western (right) burial chamber, and a pit was installed. In the southern wall a burial vault was carved and beneath it a wide and shallow trough (about 0.2 m deep). It seems that this room was not completed. The eastern (left) room was neatly carved. A small, relatively narrow standing pit was carved in its center, in each of its four corners pilasters were carved simulating small and stylish columns. Three vaults were installed on the walls of the room - one on each wall. At the bottom of them are troughs wide and shallow burials (about 0.2 m deep). The researchers who discussed this grave did not refer to the decorations that were designed on the outer walls of the burial troughs. In the outer septum of each of the three burial pits are distinguished by the design of a requiem bed with legs (kline). This decoration has parallels in the Greco-Roman burial world as well as in Jewish burial tradition.