E02968: The North-West Church at Hippos/Sussita (Roman province of Palaestina II) provides us with important archaeological evidence for the cult of saints. The finds from its south pastophorion (apparently a martyr's chapel), north apse, and an annexed room include a sealed reliquary with a metal rod for contact with the relics within, a flask with bone fragments, a lamp holder, etc. Probably 6th-7th c.

Four reliquaries have so-far been discovered in different parts of the church, a convenient description of which is offered by Marie-Christine Comte (2012, 168-173):

Reliquary 1:

Marble casket, shaped as a small sarcophagus. W. c. 0.25 m; L. c. 0.15 m. The lid, broken into several conjoining fragments, is fitted with acroteria and a hole on top. One of the corners is missing. The interior of the casket is divided into three compartments. They were filled with soil. One of them contained a glass flask, c. 10 cm high, encapsulating bones. The flask resembles similar glass objects from reliquary no. 1 from Ras el-Bass, and from the church of Saint John at Khirbet es-Samra (for that church, see E02040). The compartments are apparently not connected, and there is no hole at the bottom for collecting effluents. Because of the lack of any means of effluent collecting, the relics are presumed to have been touched with a rod inserted into the upper hole.

The reliquary was found in 2000, during the first season of excavations, in the north apse, among fragments of a broken marble table, and a limestone base. Now in the Museum of Haifa.

The reliquary must have been in use during the last phase of the existence of the church (7th/8th c.?). It is possible that the table in the north aisle served as an altar for the celebration of Eucharist when the sacred space was re-arranged as a result of damage inflicted by earthquakes.

Reliquary 2:

Marble casket, shaped as a sarcophagus. H. 0.10 m; W. 0.16 m; L. 25.5 m. The lid has four acroteria and a hole on top. A twisted metal (probably brass) rod was found inserted into the hole, almost certainly designed to touch inner relics. Comte stresses that this is a very rare case when we see a stone reliquary with its auxiliary equipment, so well preserved. The interior of the casket was divided into three compartments. The central one contained soil and fragments of the stick. Fragments of bone were discovered in the other two sections. There is no hole at the base for collecting effluent.

The reliquary was found in 2003, during the fourth season of excavations, on the floor of the south pastophorion, on top of Reliquary 3, among remnants of four columns. Now in the Museum of Haifa.

It is not clear whether the reliquary was a mobile or stationary one, but its placement in the south pastophorion must postdate the completion of the floor-mosaic and the installation of Reliquary 3 in that room. The mosaic was laid probably in the late 6th c. Therefore, we can assume that Reliquary 2 was brought somewhat later. Its installation may be contemporary to the construction of the side chancel screen in the south aisle, probably in the early 7th c.

Reliquary 3:

Red limestone casket, sunk into the floor-mosaic of the south pastophorion. H. 0.24 m; W. 0.44 m; L. 0.66 m. One of the wide sides of the casket is decorated with a cross and a hollow, possibly for placing a gem inside it. The interior is divided into three compartments: the middle reliquary slot is a large circle, the other two are rectangles. Each reliquary slot has its own flat lid. The central round lid, made of clay, is fitted with a hole. The others have no holes and are made of red limestone. Fragments of small columns, probably legs of a table, were found near the four corners of the reliquary. Further cylindrical fragments lay in the room and in the aisles. The excavators suppose that the reliquary was set beneath a table, possibly with a wooden or marble top.

The reliquary was detected by the excavators in 2002 and examined in 2003, during the fourth season of excavations. In the same room, under the fallen blocks of the arched entrance, a brass lampholder (polycandelon) was found. Now both objects are in the museum of Haifa. The same room also had a niche in its north wall, apparently with wooden doors, which could have been used for storing the Gospel books.

Reliquary 3 must be contemporary or somewhat later than the paving of the south room. Therefore, it must date to the late 6th c. The table could have been installed there in the early 7th c.

A very similar reliquary was found in the apse of the South-West Church at Hippos, beneath the altar, see $E04019 (perhaps even a copy of the one discussed here). Marie-Christine Comte notes that this kind of reliquary was also found in Jerash, in the church of *Peter and *Paul (for the church, see E02366), in the complex of *John the Baptist (E02367), and in Khirbet Hebeileh in Palestine.

Reliquary 4:

Rough limestone casket. H. 0.20 m; W. 0.44 m; L. 0.79 m. The interior is divided into two asymetrical cavities, also of different depth.

Found in a room annexed to the south aisle of the church, the so-called diakonikon. Pottery fragments, small bronze objects, and unused clay lamps were found in the same location. It is not clear whether the casket was used as a reliquary when it was moved to that room. Marie-Christine Comte supposes that it could have been originally displayed in the south pastophorion, before Reliquary 3 was installed there, and was later moved to its find-spot, which could have been a kind of a chapel arranged in the finale stages of the existence of the church.