Horvat Midras
Horvat Midras, or Khirbet Drūsye 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 and up to the Bar Kokhba Revolt. 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, 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, whose family originated from Idumaea, 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 δρῦς, meaning oak tree, combined with the suffix –ιάς, 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. 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 until its destruction during the Bar Kokhba Revolt, 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 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, 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 and coins from the reign of Domitian—date the usage of these spaces to the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.File:Hurvat-Midras-2-388.jpg|thumb|Mikveh ; the original entrance is on the left, with the breach from the hiding tunnel visible on the right
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, sealed in antiquity with a round rolling stone, and the other containing arched loculi. 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, 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, 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 and the other with a plain mosaic. 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.