DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45604#0048
246
Division II Section B Part 5
of abbots and other dignitaries of the Church, even saints, perhaps, the sanctity of
whose bones contributed to the religious importance of the place. It seems to me not
impossible that the convent of Theleda was the mother of other convents in the neigh-
bourhood, like Der Termanin and Kasr il-Ben&t, which, though larger in extent and
possessing extensive and beautiful churches, do not figure so prominently in Syriac
literature and in the lists of abbots, and was the seat of the ecclesiastical head of all.
75. zerzIta.
The path from Der Tell cAdeh to Zerzita passes around the western foot of the
Djebel Shekh Berekat, through rough and almost impassable country. The ruins of
Zerzita, which are spread over a large area on the top of a high ridge to the south-
west of the great mountain, comprise a church, a detached tower, and many stoae in
two storeys. The place must have been large and important in its day; it is now
occupied by a few families of Turkman nomads who have built temporary quarters
among the ruins. ’
Church. The church (Ill. 249) is in particularly bad condition, only the walls on
the north side of the chancel, the lower courses of the north wall of the nave, parts
of the west and south walls and the portico on the south, are standing. The ground
plan (Ill. 250) is somewhat unusual, a long narrow nave with one entrance at the
west and two in either side wall, with a square presbyterium and oblong side cham-
bers ; all trace of the number of interior columns and arches is lost. There are no
piers or responds on either side of the apse or at the west end ; the arches of the
nave arcades sprang from brackets at both ends, as I have shown in Section A—B,
Ill. 250. This drawing which is based upon careful measurements of the existing walls
at the east end, and is conjectured only so far as regards the height of the clearstorey.
Division II Section B Part 5
of abbots and other dignitaries of the Church, even saints, perhaps, the sanctity of
whose bones contributed to the religious importance of the place. It seems to me not
impossible that the convent of Theleda was the mother of other convents in the neigh-
bourhood, like Der Termanin and Kasr il-Ben&t, which, though larger in extent and
possessing extensive and beautiful churches, do not figure so prominently in Syriac
literature and in the lists of abbots, and was the seat of the ecclesiastical head of all.
75. zerzIta.
The path from Der Tell cAdeh to Zerzita passes around the western foot of the
Djebel Shekh Berekat, through rough and almost impassable country. The ruins of
Zerzita, which are spread over a large area on the top of a high ridge to the south-
west of the great mountain, comprise a church, a detached tower, and many stoae in
two storeys. The place must have been large and important in its day; it is now
occupied by a few families of Turkman nomads who have built temporary quarters
among the ruins. ’
Church. The church (Ill. 249) is in particularly bad condition, only the walls on
the north side of the chancel, the lower courses of the north wall of the nave, parts
of the west and south walls and the portico on the south, are standing. The ground
plan (Ill. 250) is somewhat unusual, a long narrow nave with one entrance at the
west and two in either side wall, with a square presbyterium and oblong side cham-
bers ; all trace of the number of interior columns and arches is lost. There are no
piers or responds on either side of the apse or at the west end ; the arches of the
nave arcades sprang from brackets at both ends, as I have shown in Section A—B,
Ill. 250. This drawing which is based upon careful measurements of the existing walls
at the east end, and is conjectured only so far as regards the height of the clearstorey.