Two Baptismal Halls at Hippos Illuminate Byzantine Christian Initiation

A Rare Baptismal Complex above the Sea of Galilee

Recent excavations at Hippos (ancient Sussita), the Byzantine city overlooking the Sea of Galilee, have exposed an architectural feature of exceptional rarity in the early Christian archaeological record: a second photisterion, or baptismal room, attached to the cathedral complex.

In a 2026 peer-reviewed article published in Palestine Exploration Quarterly, Dr. Michael Eisenberg of the University of Haifa and collaborator Arleta Kowalewska examine the southern photisterion and its associated liturgical implements. The discovery is significant because Hippos represents one of only two early Byzantine churches known to date to have contained two photisteria, making this architectural arrangement extraordinarily rare in the archaeological record.

What the Excavation Exposed

Excavation of the southern photisterion revealed a bounded ritual space containing:

• a baptismal font used in Christian initiation rites;
• a bronze candelabrum for liturgical lighting;
• a marble reliquary, likely containing sacred remains;
• a marble stone with three hemispherical cavities, which the authors suggest may have been connected with oils used in baptism-related rites;
• additional cultic and liturgical vessels.

The authors carefully distinguish between what the material evidence demonstrates and what may be inferred. Where the evidence is suggestive rather than certain, they use appropriately cautious language: "probably," "may," "likely connected with."

What the Liturgical Objects Can — and Cannot — Tell Us

The assembly of objects—baptismal font, oils, reliquary, candelabrum—provides a coherent picture of the liturgical functions performed within this space. Early Christian baptism involved a complex ritual sequence: prayer, anointing with oils, immersion or aspersion with water, and prayer over relics or in the presence of holy objects. The arrangement and contents of the southern photisterion are consistent with this liturgical practice.

However, it is important to note that the object assemblage does not by itself constitute irrefutable proof of a specific ritual sequence. The authors present their interpretation as one scholarly reading of the evidence, and the reader is invited to consider alternative explanations or nuances.

Christian Hippos in Late Antiquity

Hippos-Sussita was a prosperous Byzantine city with a substantial Christian population during the early Byzantine period (roughly 4th–7th centuries CE). The cathedral complex represents one of the major architectural achievements of this period and offers rare insight into the physical setting of early Byzantine Christian practice.

The presence of two photisteria may indicate that the cathedral needed to accommodate a large number of catechumens (those undergoing instruction prior to baptism) at certain seasons of the liturgical year, particularly during the Easter period when baptisms were traditionally administered. Alternatively, the dual photisteria may represent successive phases of architectural modification and expansion as the community grew.

Michael Eisenberg at EHJ 2026

Dr. Eisenberg will present his latest research on the Hippos photisteria at the EHJ 2026 conference on 9 November 2026 at 11:00 CET. His presentation will allow scholars and interested participants to hear directly from one of the leading archaeologists of Byzantine-period sites in the Levant about the significance of this discovery for understanding early Christian liturgical architecture and practice.