Tel ‘Afar (Tell al-Akhdar): A Monastic or Estate Church on the Via Maris South of Caesarea

ABSTRACT A monumental building at the coastal site of Tel ‘Afar, on the Via Maris—the road linking Antioch and Alexandria, was previously identified as the villa of a wealthy citizen of Caesarea. A new geological and archaeological survey at the site and re-examination of the findings from previous excavations, provide a new interpretation of the function and character of this building. Taken together, the analysis of the ceramic assemblage and the architectural plan along with the elements, all suggest that the structure was a Christian basilica, dated to the Byzantine period (6th–mid-7th centuries ce). Therefore, this evidence calls for a revaluation and classification of Tel ‘Afar either as a monastery or church on a private coastal estate.