אסטרטגיית ניהול המים במנזרי מערב השומרון בתקופה הרומית-ביזנטית ככלי לשליטה במרחב גיאוגרפי-חקלאי

Towards the end of the Roman period and the beginning of the Byzantine era, a seriesof impressive, fortified structures with similar characteristics were built in westernSamaria. Sometime during the Byzantine period, these structures began to functionas fortified monasteries of a military nature. Highly advanced water systems werefound at these sites, built according to a similar construction plan. This article reviewsthe water systems of four selected sites – Deir Samʿan, Deir Qalʿa, Deir Dikla, andDeir el-ʿArab – in light of a renewed survey of reservoirs conducted in the area. Thestudy reveals that these monasteries possessed water storage capabilities far exceedingtheir estimated population needs. The extensive water infrastructure suggests that thesemonasteries played a central role in exerting control over the region and developingagriculture in western Samaria during the Byzantine period.