A Franco-Norwegian archaeological mission announced this weekend the discovery of what they consider to be the oldest Christian monastery in Egypt of which ruins are preserved, which would force a review of what is known so far about the beginning of monasticism in the country.
The site, built in the mid-4th century, is located on a site in the Bahariya oasis, in the Western Desert, about 300 kilometers south of Cairo.
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The monastery is located outside the map of monasticism of the 4th century drawn by the written sources of the first historians of Christianity, who do not mention this area as inhabited by monks at that time, says Victor Ghica, head of the mission.
Ghica suggests that those historians wanted to construct a particular image of monasticism centered on the figures of Antonio Abad and Pacomio, generally recognized as the founders of this movement, a notion that now changes with this discovery.
“We are certain that we are dealing with a fourth century [monastery] due to the good amount of solid evidence, [such as] ceramics, radiocarbon dating, glassware or the analysis of coins,” explains Ghica.
"It was founded in the middle of the 4th century and that is the most important thing, because it makes it the oldest archaeologically known in Egypt", adds the also professor of Antiquity and Ancient Christian Studies at the MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society. , in Oslo, which began work on this excavation more than a decade ago.
“These excavations reveal an image of early monasticism different from that offered by the official texts of the Church.
It shows that these texts were produced with a political agenda in mind, trying to create a certain vision of monasticism that was centered on those founding figures.
But that was propaganda from the Church, ”slides Ghica.
"We do not dispute that these figures were founders of the monastic movement, but that other groups existed," he details, and "the site shows that early monasticism was richer than literary sources tell us."
Egyptian authorities, who have not devoted their usual attention to the find, have not yet endorsed the findings of the archaeological mission.
In this sense, a brief statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism released on Saturday avoids referring to the place as a monastic complex, although it indicates that it includes the remains of three churches, speaks of monks and dates some constructions to the fourth century.
In its entirety, the monastery consists of six sectors, which are located about 100 meters apart from each other and are built mainly based on basalt blocks, mud bricks and a series of constructions partially or totally excavated in the ground, depending on Ghica and the official statement.
It is a model of a monastery known as
lavra
that is typical of Eastern Christian traditions, notes Ghica, who assures that it is "incredibly well preserved."
The group of archaeologists has also determined that the complex was occupied from the middle of the 4th century to the 6th century, when it was essentially abandoned, although it continued to be visited until two centuries later.
Its period of maximum splendor, however, took place in the 5th century and until the beginning of the next, as evidenced by elements such as ceramics, written documents or coins found there.
Ghica also notes that the site was located about two kilometers from the closest known Roman-era town, although it was very close to a caravan road.
“This is interesting [because] the isolation of the monks that we read in literary texts is relative.
They are isolated, yes;
but they are never too far away, because they needed things: there was no agricultural land in the surroundings, so they depended on nearby villages for their food, or on the travelers who frequented these roads, ”says Ghica.
The findings also shed light on the monks who inhabited the complex.
In this sense, Ghica explains that the religious lived independently and in a small community, but that they met with others.
In addition, he points out that everyday objects have been found such as remains of kitchen pots in ovens, animal hair everywhere and well-preserved texts on the walls.
"We have a very clear image of the daily life of the monks," says the head of the mission, "it is as if you left an apartment and someone came 1,500 years later and found all your things there."
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