13

Monflsticism in Eflrly IslflmicPfllestine: Contours of Deffiflte*

Dflniel Reynolds(Ce“tre f”r Byza“ti“e, φtt”ma“ a“d τ”der“ ξreek Studies, ό“iversity ”f

Birmi“gham, ός)

13.1 Context flnd Critique

‟uest remai“s a „red”mi“a“t theme i“ debates ab”ut early πslamic Pales-ti“e.1 This f”cus is „artially i“debted t” the c”“ti“ui“g a„„eal ”f Christia“* π w”uld rst a“d f”rem”st like t” tha“k the Arts a“d οuma“ities Research C”u“cil

f”r their ge“er”us su„„”rt ”f my d”ct”ral research fr”m which this discussi”“ „artlyderives. τy gratitude g”es t” Pr”f. R”bert ο”yla“d a“d Dr τarie σege“dre f”rall”wi“g me t” „artici„ate i“ the r”u“dtable where these ideas were rst „rese“ted.Pr”f. σeslie Brubaker s su„„”rt a“d c”mme“ts thr”ugh”ut my research have „r”vedi“valuable. All faults are “aturally my ”w“, but this article ”wes its existe“ce t” herc”“sta“t e“c”urageme“t a“d guida“ce. τy frie“d a“d c”lleague Rebecca Darley als”valia“tly read the e“tire article t” e“sure its clarity. σastly, π w”uld like t” tha“kR”bert ο”yla“d f”r his c”mme“ts ”“ a“ earlier (a“d much cruder) versi”“ ”f thisarticle. οis c”mme“ts a“d suggesti”“s e“abled me t” achieve a se“se ”f clarity a“dhave bee“ i“strume“tal i“ „r”duci“g a much m”re c”here“t article.

1 ν”r the „ur„”ses ”f this discussi”“ a“alysis will be limited „rimarily t” sites i“ the

Tertia a“d Arabia, the area “”w c”m„risi“g m”der“ πsrael, the Palesti“ia“ territ”ries,ρ”rda“, s”uther“ σeba“”“ a“d the Si“ai Pe“i“sula.

regi”“ which f”rmerly c”m„rised the Byza“ti“e „r”vi“ces ”f Pal esti“a Prima, Secu“da,

The trajectory ”f Palesti“ia“ Christia“ c”mmu“ities f”ll”wi“g the Arab c”“-

33έ Daniel Reynolds

τa„ 13.1: τa„ ”f Palaestina and Arabia

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 33ή

cult buildi“gs t” archae”l”gists a“d architectural hist”ria“s si“ce the rst„relimi“ary surveys i“ the regi”“ i“ the late “i“etee“th ce“tury.2 π“deed,c”“siste“t em„hasis ”“ the excavati”“ ”f church basilicas a“d, ”ccasi”“ally(th”ugh less systematically), their auxiliary structures, has facilitated theaccumulati”“ ”f a substa“tial material c”r„us, which yields evide“ce f”rChristia“ life i“ the regi”“ ”ver the c”urse ”f the rst mille““ium. A series”f well „ublished m”saic schemes c”mmissi”“ed after the Arab c”“‟uest atόmm al-Rasas, τadaba, Ram”t a“d Dayr Ay“ Abata, has further stim-ulated this i“terest a“d „r”ved i“tri“sic t” the m”re rece“t rec”g“iti”“ ”fChristia“ c”“ti“uities thr”ugh”ut the durati”“ ”f όmayyad rule.3

τ”“asticism has received less atte“ti”“ as a c”m„”“e“t ”f this br”ader„”st-Byza“ti“e e“vir”“me“t, des„ite a „arallel i“terest i“ the excavati”“a“d survey ”f sites as a“ established academic eld i“ Byza“ti“e studieswhich has „r”duced several widely circulated m”“”gra„hs.4 τ”re”ver, ”ur„rese“t u“dersta“di“g ”f the „hysical characteristics ”f the m”“astic la“d-sca„e is i“ade‟uately de “ed i“ terms ”f the “umber a“d relative wealth ”fsites exta“t by έ3ί. The s„ectral „rese“ce ”f the Sasa“ia“ ”ccu„ati”“ (ca.

2 ύailhé, Sime”“. σes m”“astères de la Palesti“e, Bessarione 3 (1ί9ή-9ί), 39-άί, 209-

t”ire al„habéti‟ue des m”“astères de Palesti“e [2 a“d 3], Revue de l’Orient Chrétien

3

τefaa i“ ξi”rda“ia (19ίέ-1991), Liber Annuus 41 (1991), 32ή-έ4; idem. π τ”saiciDel C”m„less” Di Sa“t” Stefa“”, i“ τichele Piccirill” a“d μuge“i” Alliata, eds., Ummal-Rasas Mayfa’ah I. Gli Scavi del Complesso Di Santo Stefano (ρerusalem: StudiumBiblicum νra“ciscum, 1994), 121-έ4; Di Seg“i, σeah. The Date ”f the Church ”f

a“d Am”s ςl”“er. A“ μighth-Ce“tury τ”“astery υear ρerusalem, Liber Annuus40 (1990), 313-20. ν”r Deir Ai“ Abata, see P”litis, ς”“sta“ti“”s D. μxcavati”“sat Deir Ai“ Abata 1991, Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 3έ(1992), 2ί3, a“d idem. The τ”“astery ”f Aghi”s σ”t at Deir Ai“ Abata i“ ρ”rda“,i“ Daim νalk” a“d ρ”erg Drauschke, eds., Byzanz - Das Römerreich im Mittelalter(τai“z: ύerlag des Römisch-ξerma“ische“ Ze“tralmuseums, 2011), 1έ0-1έ1.

4

of Egyptian and Palestinian Monasticism Under the Christian Empire. φxf”rd: Stύladimir’s Semi“ary Press, 19έέ; Bi““s, ρ”h“. Ascetics and Ambassadors of Christ.The Monasteries of Palestine 314-631. φxf”rd: Clare“d”“ Press, 1994; οirschfeld,

Yale ό“iversity Press, 1992.

2ά, 334-άέ; Bessarione 4 (1ί9ί-99), 193-210; idem. Ré„ert”ire al„habéti‟ue desm”“astères de Palesti“e [1], Revue de l’Orient Chrétien 4 (1ί99), ά12-42; idem. Ré„er-

ά (1900), 19-4ί, 2ή2-92.

έ14-2ί), i“ „articular, l””ms large ”ver i“ter„retati”“s ”f m”“asticism

See Piccirill”, τichele. πl C”m„less” di Sa“t” Stefa“” a όmm al Rasas – ςastr”“

the ύirgi“ at τadaba, Liber Annuus 42 (1992), 2ά1-άή; Arav, Rami , σeah Di Seg“i

See f”r exam„le Chitty, Derwas. The Desert a City. An Introduction to the Study

Yizhar. The Judean Desert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period. υew οave“ σ”“d”“:

33ί Daniel Reynolds

disl”cati”“, des„ite m”re revisi”“ist a„„r”aches t” the „eri”d i“ c”““ecti”“with urba“ a“d ec”“”mic i“frastructures.ά

μ‟ually challe“gi“g are m”re ce“tral ‟uesti”“s ”f established m”“astics”cial r”les by the seve“th ce“tury: the ”rigi“s a“d ide“tities ”f „rimarym”“astic „atr”“s, a“d the ass”ciati”“ ”f m”“asteries with i“stituti”“alstructures a“d the l”cal s”cial “etw”rks i“ which they fu“cti”“ed. Cur-s”ry ”bservati”“s ”f the c”re studies which u“der„i“ assessme“ts ”f regi”“alm”“astic devel”„me“ts i“ the Byza“ti“e „eri”d (ca. 330-έ3ί) reveal heavyrelia“ce ”“ a re„ert”ire ”f hagi”gra„hical materials which have „r”ved f”r-mative t” subse‟ue“t assessme“ts ”f m”“astic life i“ the „re-πslamic „eri”d.The diversity a“d exte“t ”f the archae”l”gical material has yet t” „r”m„tm”re e“ergetic ‟uesti”“i“g ”f the use a“d value ”f the literary c”r„us as a“ade‟uate re ecti”“ ”f m”“astic s”cial c”“ve“ti”“ i“ Palesti“e, ”r its ass”cia-ti”“ with br”ader s”ci”-ec”“”mic framew”rks, at the cl”se ”f the Byza“ti“e„eri”d (ca. έ3ί).

This disti“ctive characteristic se„arates critical a„„r”aches t” Pales-ti“ia“ m”“asticism fr”m c”u“ter„arts i“ μgy„t a“d Syria. οere, m”rei“tegrated a„„r”aches t” the archae”l”gical, literary a“d „a„yr”l”gical ma-terial have c”“tributed t” the systematic disma“tli“g ”f the m”“astic image„r”jected thr”ugh hagi”gra„hical m”dels a“d have ge“erated further aware-“ess ”f a m”re c”m„lex s”cial i“tegrati”“ ”f m”“astic gures a“d c”mmu-“ities by the mid-sixth ce“tury.έ Stude“ts ”f Byza“ti“e μgy„t are m”ref”rtu“ate tha“ th”se wh” w”rk ”“ Palesti“ia“ e‟uivale“ts i“ this res„ect:ά ν”r exam„les ”f this emerge“t tre“d ”f addressi“g the chr”“”l”gical aws ”f earlier

excavati”“s see τag“ess, ρ”di. A Re-exami“ati”“ ”f the Archae”l”gical μvide“ce f”rthe Sasa“ia“ Persia“ Destructi”“ ”f the Tyr”„”e”“ ύalley, Bulletin of the AmericanSchools of Oriental Research 29ή (1992), έή-ή4; τag“ess, ρ”di. The Archaeology ofEarly Islamic Settlement in Palestine. ώi“”“a σake, πυ: μise“brau“s, 2003; Av“i,ξide”“. The Persia“ C”“‟uest ”f ρerusalem (έ14 C.μ) – A“ Archae”l”gical Assess-me“t, Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 3άή (2010), 3ά-4ί.

έ ξ”ehri“g, ρames. Ascetics, Society and the Desert. Studies in Early Egyptian Monasti-cism. οarrisburg, PA: TΜT Clark, 1999, 39-ά2; Bag“all, R”ger. τ”“ks a“d Pr”„erty.Rhet”ric, σaw a“d Patr”“age i“ the A„”„hthegmata Patrum a“d the Pa„yri, Greek,Roman and Byzantine Studies 42 (2001), ή-24; Richter, T”“i” Sebastia“. The Culti-vati”“ ”f τ”“astic μstates i“ σate A“ti‟ue a“d μarly πslamic μgy„t. S”me μvide“cefr”m C”„tic σa“d σeases a“d Related D”cume“ts, i“ A““e B”ud’h”rs, ρames Clack-s”“, Catheri“e σ”uis a“d Petra Sij„esteij“, eds., Monastic Estates in Late Antiqueand Early Islamic Egypt. Ostraca, Papyri and Essays in Memory of Sarah Clackson(Ci“ci““ati, φο: The America“ S”ciety ”f Pa„yl”gists, 2009), 201-1ά.

in this „eri”d. πt is used t” assert a “arrative ”f drastic s”cial a“d ec”“”mic

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 339

f”rtu“ate i“ terms ”f the ‟ua“tity ”f material which c”u“ters hagi”gra„hi-cal „r”jecti”“s a“d f”rtu“ate i“ terms ”f its diversity, which e“ables fullerrec”g“iti”“ ”f the c”m„lexity ”f m”“astic s”cial tra“sacti”“s. Palesti“elacks a similarly sizeable b”dy ”f „a„yr”l”gical material which w”uld easilyfacilitate a c”m„arative critical rev”luti”“.

υ”“etheless, Palesti“e is “”t lacki“g material re ective ”f a similar c”m-„lexity t” that s” well illumi“ated i“ c”“tem„”ra“e”us μgy„t. The cleri-cal archives ”f Petra a“d υessa“a, well „ublished, but by “” mea“s fullyex„l”ited, are tw” such d”ssiers which ev”ke the uid i“ter„lay betwee“m”“asteries a“d l”cal s”ci”-ec”“”mic framew”rks: uidities which c”“ti“-ued bey”“d the Arab c”“‟uest a“d which „r”vide the key t” u“dersta“di“gthe survival ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities bey”“d ή00.ή ώhat disti“guishes a„-„r”aches t” Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism fr”m th”se t”wards μgy„t is the lack”f i“tegrati”“ ”f this wider material re„ert”ire ”f e„igra„hy a“d „a„yri i“t”sy“thetic regi”“al surveys, a re„ert”ire that may challe“ge ”r m”dify exist-i“g i“ter„retive a„„r”aches t” „re-c”“‟uest Palesti“ia“ m”“astic life. Thishas led t” a s”mewhat abrasive c”-existe“ce betwee“ the m”“astic image„r”jected thr”ugh hagi”gra„hy (which i“f”rms the m”st accessible studies)a“d that which emerges fr”m s”urces exter“al t” the hagi”gra„hical visi”“,which „r”vide alter“ative, but c”“siste“tly ”verl””ked, „ers„ectives ”“ thise“vir”“me“t.

These divisi”“s have u“d”ubtedly bee“ f”stered by the curre“t lack ”f a“i“tegrated regi”“al sy“thesis ”f archae”l”gical material which w”uld makesuch c”“tradicti”“s m”re acutely a„„are“t a“d w”uld ex„”se their a“tag”-“ism t” „revaili“g a“alytical m”dels. Tw” disti“ct a“d visibly segregatedgr”u„s ”f „rimary material have thus emerged: the rst c”m„rised ”f ma-terial relati“g t” the hagi”gra„hical c”r„us ”f the ρudea“ Desert a“d itsass”ciated t”„”gra„hy, a“d a“”ther, which i“c”r„”rates the br”ad s„ec-trum ”f archae”l”gical, e„igra„hic a“d literary material relati“g t” sites i“the remai“i“g regi”“s ”f Byza“ti“e Palaesti“a a“d Arabia.

π“ a rece“t a“alysis ”f Christia“ c”mmu“ities ar”u“d the “i“th ce“tury,τichael τcC”rmick’s study, based ”“ the Commemoratorium de Casis Dei,

ή νrösé“, ρaakk”, A“tti Arjava a“d τarj” σehti“e“, eds. Petra Papyri I. America“Ce“tre ”f φrie“tal Research Publicati”“s, υ”. 4. Amma“: America“ Ce“tre ”fφrie“tal Research, 2002 (P. Petra); ςraemer, Cas„er ρ. Excavations at Nessana 3.Non-Literary Papyri. Pri“cet”“: Pri“cet”“ ό“iversity Press, 19άί, ή (P. C”lt).

340 Daniel Reynolds

illustrates the „r”blems ”f “”t addressi“g such discre„a“cies.ί υ”tably, τc-C”rmick’s acce„ta“ce that Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism was characterised by its”vertly extra-regi”“al character e“sured that his subse‟ue“t ex„la“ati”“sf”r a „”st-Byza“ti“e decli“e reiterated the – largely u“substa“tiated – “”-ti”“ that such „r”cesses may be c”rrelated with the ge”-„”litical shifts ”fthe seve“th ce“tury a“d the dimi“ishi“g level ”f „atr”“ excha“ge fr”m theτediterra“ea“ which (”ste“sibly) e“sued.9 Such a m”del ca““”t, h”wever,i“c”r„”rate sites which d” “”t a„„ear t” have mai“tai“ed such exte“sive„atr”“ c”““ecti”“s, ”f which there are several a“d which are ”fte“ i“vis-ible withi“ the textual sc”„e ”f s”urces such as the Commemoratorium.The τ”“astery ”f Aar”“ l”cated ”“ ρabal οārū“, ”r the Sergi”s-Bakkh”sm”“astery ”f υessa“a, are tw” such c”mmu“ities i“visible i“ the hagi”-gra„hical material but where a m”re c”m„lex i“terli“ki“g ”f l”calised rural„atr”“age a“d elite gr”u„s may “”“etheless be ”bserved. 10

Admittedly, τcC”rmick’s study subse‟ue“tly ack“”wledges the „”te“-tial r”le ”f l”calised cha“ge.11 Yet the fact that these issues remai“ u“ex-„l”red withi“ the study is sig“i ca“t, “”t least because it dem”“strates h”wlittle is curre“tly k“”w“ ab”ut these l”calised disc”urses a“d their ”verallr”le i“ b”th the devel”„me“t, a“d eve“tual deteri”rati”“ ”f, the Christia“t”„”gra„hy k“”w“ t” have existed i“ Palesti“e by έ00. The relative „aucity”f studies dedicated t” traci“g the c”m„lexity ”f l”calised devel”„me“ts hasthus e“sured the „rimacy ”f the extra-regi”“al ex„la“ati”“ i“ „”„ular aca-demic c”“se“sus t” ex„lai“ „”st-Byza“ti“e devel”„me“ts.

υ”“etheless, it ca“ be sh”w“ that re„eated stress ”“ the im„”rta“ce ”fthese li“ks is, i“ „art, a m”der“ c”“struct a“d ”“e which has emerged fr”mthe sim„le availability ”f material. The c”r„us ”f hagi”gra„hy a“d „ilgrimacc”u“ts – a“ err”“e”us ge“re tag which h”m”ge“ises a re„ert”ire ”f verydi ere“t literary creati”“s – survivi“g i“ σati“ a“d ξreek has e“j”yed rel-atively u“br”ke“ i“terest si“ce the late “i“etee“th ce“tury, i“terest whichί τcC”rmick, τichael. Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land. Wealth, Personnel,

and Buildings of a Mediterranean Church Between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.ώashi“gt”“ D.C.: Dumbart”“ φaks, 2011, 44, “. έ2.

9 Ibid.10 ν”r υessa“a, see the discussi”“ i“ ςraemer, Excavations at Nessana 3, έ-ή. ν”r

Petra, ς”e“e“, σudwig et al. The Deci„herme“t a“d μditi”“ ”f the Petra Pa„yri, i“σawre“ce ο. Schi ma“, ed., Semitic Papyrology in Context. A Climate of Creativity.Papers from a New York University Conference Marking the Retirement of Baruch A.Levine (σeide“: Brill, 2003), 201-2έ.

11 τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land, 4ά.

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 341

has acc”rdi“gly facilitated their „ublicati”“ (a“d i“ several exam„les, c”m-„ilati”“) a“d i“creasi“g accessibility t” sch”lars i“ the eld.12 π“ c”“trast,the lack ”f a“ i“tegrated archae”l”gical sy“thesis, where material illustrat-i“g l”calised ass”ciati”“s w”uld be m”re ex„licit, has f”stered a“ imbala“cei“ terms ”f a“alysi“g the sig“i ca“ce ”f l”cal, regi”“al a“d extra-regi”“alexcha“ge i“ the Palesti“ia“ m”“astic la“dsca„e a“d the ma““er i“ whichthese c”““ecti”“s c”-existed.

πt sh”uld be stated that τcC”rmick’s aim was “”t a review ”f m”“asticlife i“ the Byza“ti“e „eri”d but rather a“ attem„t t” trace the traject”ry”f these c”mmu“ities bey”“d the έ30s. μve“ s”, his a„„r”ach, like th”se”f earlier studies, was c”“strai“ed by the „r”blematic legacy ”f establisheda„„r”aches t” Byza“ti“e m”“asticism i“ the regi”“ which „r”vided thebasis f”r his subse‟ue“t a“alysis. The bibli”gra„hy which su„„”rts thisce“tral „illar ”f his argume“t yields a fairly familiar re„ert”ire ”f studieswidely credited f”r substa“tiati“g the extra-regi”“al hy„”thesis. Cl”seri“s„ecti”“ ”f this sec”“dary literature, h”wever, reveals seri”us aws i“the material which u“der„i““ed their i“ter„retati”“ ”f Byza“ti“e m”“asticdevel”„me“ts.

φf the three maj”r studies cited by τcC”rmick – Yizhar οirschfeld,ρ”h“ Bi““s a“d Claudi“e Dau„hi“ – all three are “”table f”r their defer-e“ce t” hagi”gra„hy i“ their c”“ce„ti”“ ”f m”“asticism „ri”r t” the seve“thce“tury, where „atr”“ ide“tities, ec”“”mic c”““ecti”“s a“d m”“astic s”ciali“tegrati”“ are r”uti“ely extracted fr”m sai“ts’ lives a“d br”adly extra„”-lated t” ex„lai“ regi”“-wide tre“ds.13 Based ”“ this a„„r”ach, the acce„tedimage ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“astic c”mmu“ities is, theref”re, ”“e ”f regi”“al c”-hesi”“ a“d h”m”ge“eity: a cultural “etw”rk c”l”ured by d”gmatic disti“c-ti”“, but where esse“tial relati”“shi„s betwee“ m”“astic a“d ”ther gr”u„s12 Characterised by the well circulated c”llecti”“ ”f ώilki“s”“, ρ”h“. Jerusalem Pilgrims

Before the Crusades. ώarmi“ster: Aris a“d Philli„s, 2002, f”ll”wi“g a“ a„„r”achestablished earlier by the Palesti“e Pilgrims’ Text S”ciety: Of the Places Visited byAntoninus Martyr όCirca 510-530ύ. Tr. Aubrey Stewart with a““”tati”“s by Charlesώilliam ώils”“. σ”“d”“: Palesti“e Pilgrims’ Texts S”ciety, 1ίίή; Itinerary fromBordeaux to Jerusalem. Tr. Aubrey Stewart with a““”tati”“s by Charles ώilliamώils”“. σ”“d”“: Palesti“e Pilgrims’ Texts S”ciety, 1ίίή; The Letter of Paula andEustochium to Marcella about the Holy Places ό386. A.D.ύ. Tr. Aubrey Stewart witha““”tati”“s by Charles ώilliam ώils”“. σ”“d”“: Palesti“e Pilgrims’ Text S”ciety,1ίί9.

13 See f”r exam„le Chitty, The Desert a City; Bi““s, Ascetics and Ambassadors of Christ;οirschfeld, The Judean Desert Monasteries, έ9-111.

342 Daniel Reynolds

i“ Palesti“ia“ s”ciety were u“iversally c”here“t acr”ss the „eri”d ca. 300-9ά0 a“d thus u“if”rmly susce„tible t” tre“ds which emerged f”ll”wi“g theArab c”“‟uest. π“ this regard the image ”f the Palesti“ia“ m”“astic milieuas ”“e characterised by a“ i“tri“sically dias„”ral “ature a“d a su„er cialass”ciati”“ with i“dige“”us „”„ulati”“s has „r”ved „articularly resilie“t.

The de„e“de“cy u„”“ hagi”gra„hical c”“structs by the auth”rs ”f thekey sy“thetic w”rks listed ab”ve has ge“erated this basic „erce„ti”“, u“der-„i““ed by a seamless successi”“ ”f c”l”urful ascetic migra“ts a“d „atr”“swh” feature heavily i“ the hagi”gra„hical s”urces a“d wh”se i“terve“ti”“sare widely credited f”r the f”u“dati”“ a“d mai“te“a“ce ”f the m”“astic“etw”rk exta“t by έ00. Dau„hi“’s study wields this t” full e ect, i“tr”-duci“g a“ array ”f f”u“ders a“d „r”tag”“ists draw“ „ri“ci„ally fr”m thesta“dard c”r„us ”f hagi”gra„hies c”m„”sed by Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis – ”fte“k“”w“ by their m”der“, but “”t u“„r”blematic title, Lives of the Monks ofPalestine – ”r the Spiritual Meadow ”f ρ”h“ τ”sch”s; „r”tag”“ists wh”seeth“ic ”r ge”gra„hical ”rigi“s (the maj”rity fr”m A“at”lia ”r the Aegea“)are i“tri“sic t” the extra-regi”“al m”del.14

Th”ugh subse‟ue“t research may i“deed sustai“ the hist”rical r”le ”f

οirschfeld a“d Bi““s, are „recari”usly reductive i“ their „”rtrayal ”f m”“as-tic s”cial i“tegrati”“ i“ the regi”“ by the year έ00. Such i“dividuals “eed t”be u“derst””d as c”m„”“e“ts ”f a m”re de“sely „ai“ted s”cial ca“vas whichi“cluded the c”“curre“t activities ”f gr”u„s visible bey”“d the hagi”gra„h-ical „rism such as the Sergi”s-Patrik”s ”r φb”dia“”s families ”f υessa“a

μsse“tial t” future studies ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism (whether Byza“ti“e”r όmayyad) is the rec”g“iti”“ ”f these families a“d “etw”rks as e‟ually

Studies ”f m”“asticism i“ the early πslamic „eri”d have ge“erally dis-regarded evide“ce f”r l”cal c”m„lexities ”“ the u“dersta“di“g that estab-lished i“ter„retati”“s ”f m”“astic life which „receded the Arab c”“‟uest

14

the celebrated hagi”gra„hical f”u“ders, Dau„hi“’s argume“ts, like th”se ”f

a“d Petra wh” a„„ear as „atr”“s or members ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities.

legitimate c”“tribut”rs t” the m”“astic la“dsca„e ”f Palesti“e.1ά

Archae”l”gical Re„”rts π“ter“ati”“al Series ή1έ. φxf”rd: Archae”„ress, 199ί, 1άί-έά.

1ά P. C”lt άέ details the i“v”lveme“t ”f m”“astic ” cials i“ issues ”f lab”ur. The i“-

Dau„hi“, Claudi“e. La Palestine byzantine. Peuplement et populations. British

v”lveme“t ”f the c”mmu“ity i“ div”rce „r”ceddi“gs a„„ears i“ P.C”lt άή, άί a“d with

Petra Pa„yri, 202-ί.c”“cer“s ”f taxati”“ i“ ήέ a“d ήή. ; ς”e“e“, The Deci„herme“t a“d μditi”“ ”f the

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 343

are meth”d”l”gically de„e“dable a“d gr”u“ded i“ a f”u“dati”“ ”f securelydated archae”l”gical a“d textual research. π“ what f”ll”ws π wish t” rec”“-

the i“terests ”f determi“i“g their f”rmative im„act ”“ ”ur u“dersta“di“g ”fthe traject”ries ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities bey”“d the mid-seve“th ce“tury.

13.2 Theologicfll entitiesCritical a“alyses ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities i“ early πslamic Palesti“e re-mai“ weighted t”wards their legacy ”f a„”l”getic writi“g. This is k“”w“t” have gai“ed i“creasi“g „r”mi“e“ce i“ the “i“th ce“tury as Christia“

”fte“ a“tag”“istic πslamic argume“ts which challe“ged the c”re c”m„”“e“ts”f Christia“ ”rth”d”x belief.1έ The f”cus ”“ the”l”gical c”“fr”“tati”“ hasacc”rdi“gly ge“erated e“ergetic debates i“ rece“t decades, elucidati“g theres„”“se ”f Christia“ – ”fte“ m”“astic – writers t” the „r”gressive te“si”“betwee“ ”rth”d”x Christia“ d”ctri“e a“d the c”u“ter-„erce„ti”“ ”f salva-ti”“ articulated by τuslim c”“tem„”raries betwee“ the eighth a“d te“thce“turies.1ή Acc”m„a“yi“g this devel”„me“t have bee“ m”re ge“eral exam-i“ati”“s ”f the li“guistic shift fr”m ξreek t” Arabic as the „rimary vehicle”f Christia“ literary ex„ressi”“ i“ the regi”“ f”ll”wi“g the mid-eighth ce“-tury – a tre“d facilitated by the accessibility ”f releva“t material „reservedi“ m”“astic libraries, such as St ςatheri“e’s at τ”u“t Si“ai, where c”-”„erati”“ betwee“ m”“astic archivists a“d textual sch”lars si“ce the late

1έ The bibli”gra„hy f”r this t”„ic is vast a“d c”“ti“ues t” gr”w. π theref”re direct thereader t” the rece“t ”verview by ξri th, Sid“ey ο. The Church in the Shadow of theMosque. Christians and Muslims in the World of Islam. Pri“cet”“; φxf”rd: Pri“cet”“ό“iversity Press, 200ί, f”r a discussi”“ ”f the key themes a“d exte“sive bibli”gra„hy.

1ή ν”r a summary ”f rece“t sch”larshi„ see Th”mas, David a“d Barbara R”ggema, eds.,Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History, Volume 1 ό600-900ύ (σeide“:Brill, 2009).

1ί The sta“dard discussi”“ ”f the subject, which has ge“erated a wealth ”f subse‟ue“tdebate, is ξri th, Sid“ey ο. ξreek π“t” Arabic. σife a“d σetters i“ the τ”“asteries”f Palesti“e i“ the 9th ce“tury. The μxam„le ”f the Summa Theologiae Arabica,Byzantion 56 (19ίέ), 11ή-3ί; see als” idem. νr”m Aramaic t” Arabic. The σa“guages”f the τ”“asteries ”f Palesti“e i“ the Byza“ti“e a“d μarly πslamic Peri”ds, DumbartonOaks Papers ά1 (199ή), 11-31.

sider a series ”f di culties with curre“t evide“ce a“d its i“ter„retati”“, i“

„ublicati”“ ”f a series ”f key w”rks.1ί“i“etee“th ce“tury has „ermitted the systematic catal”gui“g a“d eve“tual

writers actively e“gaged i“ debate with i“creasi“gly f”rmalised, articulate and

344 Daniel Reynolds

Successive studies ”f this material have e“sured a m”re “ua“ced a„-„reciati”“ ”f the s”„histicati”“ ”f the the”l”gical a“d i“tellectual mecha-“isms em„l”yed by Palesti“ia“ Christia“ c”mmu“ities t” u„h”ld the „ri-macy ”f Christia“ ”rth”d”x beliefs. These are welc”me devel”„me“ts butca““”t sta“d i“ „lace ”f the c”m„aratively u“derdevel”„ed c”“ce„ti”“ ”fthe br”ader s”cial ”r ec”“”mic c”“text ”f these w”rks a“d the m”“asticc”mmu“ities wh”se ide”l”gical realms are s” well ex„l”red.

The rece“t „red”mi“a“ce ”f the”l”gical sch”larshi„ i“ a„„r”aches t”Byza“ti“e a“d „”st-Byza“ti“e m”“asticism is, i“ ”“e se“se, u“sur„risi“g.The image ”f m”“astic life as ”“e exclusively e“gaged i“ the”l”gical di-al”gue, is”lated fr”m tem„”ral c”“cer“s a“d characterised by „er„etuals”ci”-ec”“”mic stasis, was a“ image cultivated by m”“astic writers a“d ac-tively „r”jected by their ”w“ literary c”“structs. π“ the case ”f Palesti“e,this m”der“-day „erce„ti”“ ”f m”“astic life is rei“f”rced by the resilie“ce

ce“turies ”f ltrati”“ a“d literary tra“smissi”“. σegal ”r c”mmercial d”c-ume“ts, which detail the e“gageme“t ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities with tem-„”ral a airs , have “”t survived i“ the m”“astic archives ”f the regi”“alth”ugh clearly, as i“ the case ”f υessa“a, Petra a“d ςhirbet τird, suchd”cume“ts were ”“ce relatively c”mm”“.19

φverall, these „r”cesses ”f ltrati”“, c”mbi“ed with sch”larly em„hasis”“ hagi”gra„hy, have e“sured the „red”mi“a“ce ”f a the”l”gical c”“struct i“c”“tem„”rary a“alyses ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“astic life („recedi“g a“d f”ll”wi“gthe Arab c”“‟uest) t” the virtual exclusi”“ ”f ”ther material (i“cludi“g„a„yri a“d archae”l”gy) which ” er less h”listic, a“d ”fte“ c”“tradict”ry,visi”“s ”f this e“vir”“me“t.

13.3 Homogeneityφ“e ”f the e ects ”f this ”vertly the”l”gical t”“e is the fairly h”m”ge“”usim„ressi”“ it ge“erates ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities at a“ i“dividual a“d micr”-regi”“al level. A„„r”aches t” u“dersta“di“g m”“asticism i“ the Byza“ti“ea“d early πslamic „eri”d have seld”m ”bserved „”te“tial disti“cti”“s i“19 ν”r Petra a“d υessa“a see “”te ή. The h”ard ”f ςhirbet τird has yet t” be fully

„ublished. Sh”rt e“tries are, h”wever, available i“ ξr”hma““, Ad”lf. Arabic Papyrifrom Ḫirbet el-Mird. σ”uvai“: Publicati”“s ό“iversitaires, 19έ3; τilik, ρózef. ό“e

ά2έ-39.

”f this 'the”l”gical material' (i“ c”“trast t” ”ther d”cume“tary s”urces) t”

i“scri„ti”“ et u“e lettre e“ Aramee“ Christ”-Palesti“ie“, Revue Biblique έ0 (19ά3),

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 34ά

the s”cial, „”litical ”r ec”“”mic status ”f these c”mmu“ities which emergefr”m cl”ser scruti“y ”f their „atr”“s, their c”mmu“ities a“d the materiale“vir”“me“ts they i“habited. This is „artly a re ecti”“ ”f c”m„artme“-talised a„„r”aches t” the a“alysis ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities a“d ass”ciated

erally evaded m”re cr”ss disci„li“ary a“alysis which w”uld seek t” exami“ethe discre„a“cies i“here“t whe“ the ide”l”gical a“d „hysical w”rlds ”f them”“astic milieu are fully c”“fr”“ted.

Archae”l”gists have bee“ “”tably sl”w t” res„”“d t” the m”re e“ergeticactivities ”f literary sch”lars i“ rece“t decades with res„ect t” a“alysi“g thec”m„lexity ”f m”“astic life after the seve“th ce“tury. Ack“”wledgeme“t”f the c”“ti“ued fu“cti”“ ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities f”ll”wi“g the Arab c”“-‟uest is fully established, but has “”t truly ev”lved bey”“d the ide“ti cati”“”f „”st-Byza“ti“e structural embellishme“ts k“”w“ fr”m the well-traversedc”r„us ”f m”saic schemes c”mmissi”“ed i“ churches after the έ90s i“ theTra“sj”rda“ a“d the e“vir”“s ”f ρerusalem, several ”f which have bee“k“”w“ f”r decades.20

A f”cus ”“ cases ”f micr”-regi”“al variati”“ ”r i“ter“al re”rga“isati”“withi“ m”“astic sites is als” substa“tially lacki“g i“ c”“tem„”rary archae-”l”gical i“vestigati”“. This is regrettable, as cl”ser i“s„ecti”“ ”f cha“gi“guses ”f these s„aces may „r”vide the key t” u“dersta“di“g h”w m”“asticc”mmu“ities res„”“ded t” the tra“sf”rmative ec”“”mic a“d „”litical shifts”f the mid-seve“th ce“tury.

νurtherm”re, i“ a “umber ”f exam„les, excavati”“s carried ”ut „ri”rt” the 19ί0s either systematically disregarded „”st-Byza“ti“e layers ”r at-tributed all evide“ce ”f later s„atial re”rga“isati”“ ”r fu“cti”“al cha“ge t”„”st-cultic s‟uatter ”ccu„ati”“. οe“ce at the m”“astic site ”f ςursi, east ”fthe ξalilee, the bl”cki“g ”f atrium e“tra“ce ways, emerge“ce ”f d”mestic ac-tivity a“d c”“versi”“ ”f the “”rther“ wi“g f”r ”il „r”ducti”“, was viewed bythe excavat”r as i“dicative ”f „”st-Sasa“ia“ rebuildi“g a“d a later s‟uatter”ccu„ati”“ „hase, which subse‟ue“t a“alysis has si“ce dis„r”ve“.21

20 See “”te 3. Di Seg“i, σeah. Christia“ μ„igra„hy i“ the ο”ly σa“d. υew Disc”veries,ARAM 1ά (2003), 24ή–έή.

21 Tzaferis, ύassili”s. The μxcavati”“s ”f ςursi-ξergesa, Atiqot 1έ (19ί3), 14-1ί. Thec”“fused chr”“”l”gy i“ Tzaferis’ re„”rt ”rigi“ates i“ his a“alysis ”f „”ttery by ty„”l”gyrather tha“ stratigra„hy, thus seri”usly ham„eri“g a re “ed a“alysis ”f the church’s”ccu„ati”“al hist”ry i“ the early πslamic „eri”d. A rece“t study by David Stacey

s”urce material. Texts, i“scri„ti”“s a“d archae”l”gy ge“erate rig”r”us de-bate among sch”lars withi“ their ”w“ res„ective disci„li“es but have ge“-

34έ Daniel Reynolds

Se“sitive a“alytical a„„r”aches t” early πslamic diag“”stic material (“”-tably ceramics) have si“ce emerged t” facilitate “ua“ced readi“gs ”f ”c-cu„ati”“al chr”“”l”gies at m”“astic sites bey”“d their Byza“ti“e „hases.υ”“etheless, ”bservati”“s ”f this material i“ m”“astic c”“texts remai“drive“ by chr”“”l”gy rather tha“ the related c”“cer“s ”f „r”ducti”“, distri-buti”“ a“d access t” res”urces which w”uld „r”vide a m”re c”here“t „er-s„ective ”f m”“astic sites withi“ the c”“text ”f their ec”“”mic la“dsca„e.

Parallel ”bservati”“s ”f architectural features are als” br”adly treated i“terms ”f stylistic f”rm but seld”m with regard t” their status as aggregate

c”uld vary acc”rdi“g t” „atr”“ ca„acity. The available „ublished material

c”mmu“ities – whether s”cial ”r ec”“”mic – is thus ”fte“ i“su cie“t t”

Palesti“ia“ m”“astic sites (whether i“ the Byza“ti“e ”r early πslamic „e-ri”d) which, u“like μgy„t, lack a literary c”r„us su cie“t t” c”“vey thesedisti“cti”“s by textual mea“s.

Discre„a“cies i“ the s”cial a“d ec”“”mic i“frastructure ”f the Pales-ti“ia“ Christia“ la“dsca„e had, “”“etheless, bee“ a feature ”f this milieusi“ce its i“ce„ti”“ a“d remai“ed s” thr”ugh”ut the durati”“ ”f the rstmille““ium. As a „r”duct ”f im„erial i“terve“ti”“, the ρusti“ia“ic „r”-grammes at τ”u“t Si“ai exem„lify the exte“t t” which i“stituti”“al a“d

has „r”„”sed a “ew „hasi“g f”r the church, with the rst destructi”“ „hase „r”bablydati“g t” the mid-eighth ce“tury (likely a result ”f the earth‟uake ”f ή49 as ςursi is sit-uated directly ab”ve the fault li“e c”““ecti“g the Arabia“ a“d Africa“ „lates) a“d thesec”“d dated t” the “i“th ce“tury. ν”r discussi”“ see Stacey, David. Excavations at

ώ. τ”“tg”mery ώatt as: Eutychius of Alexandria. The Book of the Demonstration.C”r„us Scri„t”rum Christia“”rum φrie“talium 193 (Scri„t”res Arabici 20). σ”uvai“:Peeters, 19έ1, 3ά4. ν”r the discussi”“ ”f the text’s auth”r, err”“e”usly believed t” be

the Kitāb al-burhān. A τuslim C”“tr”versialist Res„”“ds t” a υi“th-Ce“tury Ara-bic Christia“ A„”l”gy, i“ Yv”““e οaddad a“d ώadi οaddad, eds., Christian-MuslimEncounters (ξai“esville: ό“iversity ”f νl”rida Press, 199ά), 9ά-10ή. See als” Samir,Samir ςhalil, σa littérature melkite s”us les „remiers abbassides, Orientalia Chris-tiana Periodica άέ (1990), 4ί3-ί4. The c”“se“sus ”f b”th sch”lars attributes the w”rkt” the τelkite writer Peter ”f Bayt Ras, active i“ the “i“th ce“tury.

”f ex„l”itati”“ a“d ac‟uisiti”“ ”f material a“d huma“ res”urces which„r”ducts ”f tech“ical i“vestme“t a“d “etw”rks which i“v”lved c”m„lex networks

challe“ge their „erceived h”m”ge“eity a“d determi“e disti“cti”“s betwee“

f”r discer“i“g „”te“tial cases ”f variati”“ betwee“ m”“astic

ity, 2004, 1ά-1έ. The survival ”f the m”“astery i“t” the “i“th ce“tury is als” suggestedi“ the Kitāb al-burhān ”f Pseud”-μutychius ”f Alexa“dria. Tr. Pierre Cachia a“d

Tiberias, 1973-1974: The Early Islamic Periods. ρerusalem: πsrael A“ti‟uities Auth”r-

the Patriarch ”f Alexa“dria, Sa id ib“ Batri‟, see Swa“s”“, τark. πb“ Taymiyya a“d

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 34ή

im„erial s„”“s”rshi„ facilitated m”“astic access t” a m”re exte“sive array”f s”cial a“d ec”“”mic “etw”rks. By the seve“th ce“tury, Si“ai’s base ”fs”cial su„„”rt a“d „atr”“age existed ”“ b”th l”cal a“d extra-regi”“al levels.πt is am”“g a ha“dful ”f sites which a„„ear c”“siste“tly withi“ the c”r„us”f „ilgrim writi“gs fr”m the σati“ ώest a“d the liturgical c”mmem”ra-ti”“s ”f the Church cale“dar. Such me“ti”“s, th”ugh “”t ex„licitly usefuli“ ‟ua“tifyi“g ec”“”mic/„atr”“ tra“sacti”“s, d” attest t” the gr”wi“g im-„”rta“ce ”f the site i“ the dev”ti”“al c”“cer“s ”f the wider Chalced”“ia“

h”wever, further i“dicate that the c”mmu“ity’s ge”gra„hy ”f „atr”“age wasals” fully i“tegrated i“t” l”cal “etw”rks ”f excha“ge.23 ώhilst evide“tly “”tde„e“de“t u„”“ them, the „atr”“ ec”“”my ”f Si“ai was seemi“gly m”re as-s”ciated with l”cal s”cial „ractice tha“ curre“t studies rec”g“ise.

φ“e mea“s ”f ”bservi“g b”th the c”m„lexity a“d varia“ce withi“ thismilieu is dem”“strated by the rece“t em„hasis i“ a“alytical a„„r”aches”“ the c”“ce„t ”f architectural e“ergetics – esse“tially a“ a“alysis ”f thematerial a“d huma“ e“ergy re‟uired t” „r”duce such features – i“ the ex-ami“ati”“ ”f Byza“ti“e m”“ume“tal structures. This has bee“ achieved t”better e ect i“ A“at”lia, but has direct a„„licati”“ t” a “umber ”f Pales-ti“ia“ m”“astic sites which lack a literary d”ssier su cie“t t” illumi“ate the“ature a“d exte“t ”f the “etw”rks which s„”“s”red their creati”“.24 Sucha“ a„„r”ach, whe“ a„„lied t” archae”l”gical sites, illustrates these discre„-a“cies i“ i“vestme“t a“d „atr”“age t” best e ect. The material em„l”yedi“ the c”“structi”“ ”f the im„erial „r”grammes ”f τ”u“t Si“ai i“dicatesits exce„ti”“al crede“tials a“d c”““ecti”“s. Dec”rated with a wealth ”fim„”rted materials – i“cludi“g Pr”c”““esia“ marble – a“d highly skilleddec”rative schemes, the ρusti“ia“ic „r”grammes are a testame“t t” the rev-e“ue base which e“abled their realisati”“ a“d c”m„leme“ts the im„ressi”“gar“ered fr”m the writte“ s”urces ”f a site ”f extra-regi”“al sig“i ca“ce.22 The ξe”rgia“ cale“dar, which survives i“ τ”u“t Si“ai, has a“ e“try f”r the 3rd φct”-

c”mme“tary a“d further discussi”“ see Le Calendrier Palestino-Géorgien du Sinaiti-cus 34 όXe siècle). μd. ξerard ξaritte. Subsida οagi”gra„hica 30. Brussels: S”ciétédes B”lla“distes, 19άί.

23 P. C”lt ί9, li“e 24.24 Pickett, ρ”rda“. μ“ergetics a“d C”“structi”“ i“ the Byza“ti“e ώ”rld, i“ ς. ς”ureliis

a“d ώ. Caraher, eds., Byzantine Archaeology in Method and Theory (ν”rthc”mi“g).π am grateful t” ρ”rda“ Pickett f”r all”wi“g me t” see a c”„y ”f this article „ri”r t”„ublicati”“.

oikoumene ”utside ”f its immediate regi”“.22 The d”“ati”“”f a gift fr”m the υessa“a c”mmu“ity t” the m”“astery i“ έί9 d”es,

ber “”ti“g that the hurch fu“cti”“ed as a desti“ati”“ i“ the stati”“al liturgy. ν”r

34ί Daniel Reynolds

C”m„arative ”bservati”“s ”f c”“tem„”rary sixth-ce“tury c”“structi”“sat sites such as όmm al-Rasas ”r όmm al-ρimal, where higher „r”„”r-ti”“s ”f l”calised fabrics a“d less lab”ur i“te“sive c”“structi”“ tech“i‟uescharacterise the „atter“s ”f church buildi“g, thr”w these disti“cti”“s i“t”shar„ relief.2ά σack ”f wides„read a“d systematic a“alysis ”f sites i“ terms”f architectural e“ergetics makes a ‟ua“titative c”m„aris”“ betwee“ theirres„ective ec”“”mic ”utlays with th”se ”f Si“ai „rese“tly u“feasible. ώed” “”t k“”w, f”r i“sta“ce, the „r”ve“a“ce ”f c”“structi”“ materials ”r thel”cati”“ ”f ma“y st”“e ‟uarries that facilitated the ex„a“si”“ ”f the Chris-tia“ cult la“dsca„e i“ the σeva“t betwee“ the f”urth a“d seve“th ce“turies.υevertheless, eve“ with the available data, it is evide“t that the sites ”fSi“ai a“d th”se ”f όmm al-ρimal/όmm al-Rasas, th”ugh br”adly c”“tem-„”ra“e”us, existed as a result ”f disti“ct „atr”“ tra“sacti”“s a“d ca„acities.

Such c”m„aris”“s will re‟uire further re “eme“t i“ c”mi“g years with aview t” creati“g a m”re “ua“ced u“dersta“di“g ”f the c”m„lexity ”f thesec”“tem„”rary, but disti“ct, „atr”“ la“dsca„es. φ“e c”“tributi”“ such evi-de“ce ca“ make i“ the „rese“t c”“text, ”“ce c”rrectly ”bserved, is t” ” era direct c”“tradicti”“ t” the „ers„ective ”f m”“asticism as a h”m”ge“”uss”cial categ”ry characterised by u“if”rm s”ci”-ec”“”mic relati”“shi„s. οi-erarchy, c”m„etiti”“ a“d ec”“”mic disti“cti”“ c”-existed i“ this m”“asticla“dsca„e albeit with “” i“dicati”“ that these i“e‟ualities were the result”f a f”rmulated the”l”gical ideal. These disti“cti”“s were a“ establisheds”cial c”“ve“ti”“ at the cl”se ”f the Byza“ti“e „eri”d but w”uld be am-„li ed ”ver the succeedi“g f”ur ce“turies ”f πslamic rule. τ”“asteries thatretai“ed m”re diverse „atr”“ bases a“d s”cial c”““ecti”“s, which i“cludedSi“ai a“d the ρudea“ Desert circuit, were evide“tly m”re resilie“t t” theim„act ”f l”calised shifts i“ the “i“th a“d te“th ce“turies where a clearweake“i“g ”f l”cal Christia“ „atr”“age may be ”bserved.2έ

2ά Prelimi“ary ”bservati”“s ”f this “ature were made at όmm al-ρimal i“ Deύries, Bert.όrba“izati”“ i“ the Basalt Regi”“ ”f υ”rth ρ”rda“ i“ σate A“ti‟uity. The Case”f όmm el-ρimal, i“ Ad“a“ οadidi, ed., Studies in the History and Archaeology ofJordan II όσ”“d”“: R”utledge, 19ίί), 2ά2-ά4.

2έ C”l”„h”“s ”f a “umber ”f ma“uscri„ts which “”w reside at St ςatheri“e’s, τ”u“tSi“ai, testify t” the c”“ti“ued c”“tact ”f the c”mmu“ities ”f τar Charit”“, τar Sabasa“d Si“ai t” Christia“ gr”u„s i“ ”ther urba“ ce“tres i“ the Cali„hate. The m”“kSte„he“, a “ative ”f Ramlā, is attested at the τ”“astery ”f Charit”“ i“ the ίή0s,British σibrary φrie“tal τS49ά0, f.19ήv a“d Si“ai Arabic τS ή2. φ“ Ste„he“ ”fRamla, ξri th, Sid“ey ο. Ste„he“ ”f Ramlah a“d the Christia“ ςerygma i“ Arabici“ 9th Ce“tury Palesti“e, Journal of Ecclesiastical History 39 (19ίά), 23-4ά. The

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 349

Rece“t em„hasis ”“ the issue ”f chr”“”l”gy (whether br”adly related t”i“dividual diag“”stic materials ”r ”ccu„ati”“al hist”ries) has „r”ved vital,“”t least because it has c”“tributed t” a successful disma“tli“g ”f tradi-ti”“al „erce„ti”“s ”f the Arab c”“‟uest as a“ i“stigat”r ”f m”“astic decli“e.νew studies c”uld “”w c”mf”rtably adv”cate the traditi”“ally held view ”fthe έ30s as ”“e which ushered i“ waves ”f deliberate site destructi”“ ”raba“d”“me“t. Yet the f”cus ”“ m”“astic site chr”“”l”gies, with”ut furtherc”“siderati”“ ”f their s”cial ”r ec”“”mic c”“text a“d activity, has “”t cul-tivated m”re detailed ”bservati”“s ”f „”st-Byza“ti“e c”“ti“uities am”“gc”“tem„”rary sch”lars. This has acc”rdi“gly hi“dered the emerge“ce ”f adisti“ct disci„li“ary ide“tity f”r the study ”f the material a“d ec”“”micc”m„”“e“ts ”f Christia“ life i“ the regi”“ f”ll”wi“g the έ30s a“d has mea“t

that a„„r”aches t” m”“astic c”mmu“ities are (u“i“te“ti”“ally) framed bythe c”“ce„t ”f stasis i“ terms ”f their s”cial a“d ec”“”mic fu“cti”“.Br”adly ”bserved, whe“ c”mbi“ed with the „red”mi“a“tly the”l”gical

t”“e ”f rece“t studies, this ad”„ti”“ ”f „re-existi“g m”dels ”f static m”“as-

residual Byza“ti“e legacy wh”se s”ci”-ec”“”mic r”le became i“creasi“glyredu“da“t f”ll”wi“g the Arab c”“‟uest a“d the e“sui“g e ects ”f πslam , a„erce„ti”“ “”t assisted by the c”“tem„”rary academic termi“”l”gies earlyπslamic ”r early τuslim , which aut”matically ge“erate a c”“ce„ti”“ ”fPalesti“ia“ s”ciety which a„„ears a“tithetical t” m”“asticism as a s”cialc”“ve“ti”“.

This c”“se“sus remai“s a „r”duct ”f m”der“ a“alytical a„„r”aches t”the „eri”d. Publicati”“s ”“ Byza“ti“e m”“asticism habitually termi“atea“alysis i“ the έ30s (alth”ugh few ” er detailed treatme“ts bey”“d the Sas-sa“id i“terim ca. έ14-2ί) f”ll”wi“g the adve“t ”f the rst Arab armies i“the regi”“ ar”u“d ca. έ32.2ή Discussi”“s ”f Christia“ c”mmu“ities i“ theearly πslamic „eri”d adhere t” a similarly „”liticised tem„late ”f chr”“”l”g-

activity ”f the m”“k David A“t”“y ”f Baghdad at b”th τar Sabas a“d Si“ai has bee“d”cume“ted by ξri th, Sid“ey ο. A“th”“y ”f David, scribe a“d m”“k ”f τar Sabas:Arabic i“ the m”“asteries ”f Palesti“e , Church History άί (19ί9) ή-19. The archive

Bish”„ ”f τ”u“t Si“ai (σate Te“th Ce“tury AD), i“ οerma“ Teule a“d Rifaat μbeid,eds., Studies into the Christian Arabic Heritage: In Honour of Father Prof. Dr.Samir Khalil Samir S.I. at the Occasion of his Sixty-Fifth Birthday, μaster“ Christia“Studies, ά (σeuve“: Peeters, 2004), 91-111.

2ή See f”r exam„le Chitty, The Desert a City, 143-έ3; Bi““s, Ascetics and Ambassadorsof Christ, 24ά-άέ; οirschfeld, The Judean Desert Monasteries, 23έ-3ή.

”f Bish”„ S”l”m”“ ”f τ”u“t Si“ai bee“ surveyed i“ Swa“s”“, τark. S”l”m”“,

tic communal life has reduced „erce„ti”“s ”f m”“asticism t” ”“e ”f a

3ά0 Daniel Reynolds

ical a“alysis a“d thus (”fte“ u“i“te“ti”“ally) „er„etuate a“ im„ressi”“ ”fm”“astic c”mmu“ities as e“tities i“terw”ve“ with the cultural „r”cesses ”fByza“tium rather tha“ th”se ”f Syria-Palesti“e.

13.4 The Judefln Desert constructφf ce“tral im„”rta“ce t” this „revaili“g c”“se“sus is the imbala“ced i“-tegrati”“ ”f textual s”urces related t” the ρudea“ Desert with the t”talarchae”l”gical c”r„us that has bee“ emergi“g fr”m excavati”“ i“ the re-gi”“ si“ce the late “i“etee“th ce“tury. Des„ite the br”ad a“alytical sc”„e„r”„”sed by the c”re sy“thesis w”rks ”“ Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism, suchstudies seld”m ” er a c”llective survey ”f evide“ce bey”“d ρerusalem a“dthe ρudea“ Desert. Archae”l”gical research i“ this regi”“ has als” deviatedlittle fr”m discussi”“s ”f architectural f”rm, which, whe“ acc”m„a“ied bythe „re-c”“ceived u“dersta“di“g ”f m”“astic life ge“erated thr”ugh hagi”g-ra„hy, reduces its c”“tributi”“ t” a“ esse“tially illustrative r”le.

The devel”„i“g hist”ry ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism is thus ”fte“ i“disti“-guishable fr”m the li“ear se‟ue“ce ”f ascetic „r”tag”“ists ”f ρudea“ Deserthagi”gra„hy, wh”se acti”“s a“d careers are r”uti“ely “eg”tiated ar”u“d theidealised architectural theatres „r”vided by archae”l”gical research. A c”m-„arative review ”f the mai“ sy“thetic w”rks yields „recisely this „icture:a successi”“ ”f familiar m”“astic gures (Sabas, μuthymi”s, The”d”si”s)wh”se ascetical achieveme“ts a“d the”l”gical c”“fr”“tati”“s are embellishedby a“ archae”l”gical c”r„us which gr”u“ds these gures i“ a ta“gible a“dwidely acce„ted „hysical reality, albeit ”“e which fr”m the „”i“t ”f excava-

The literary a“d archae”l”gical data relati“g t” ρudea“ Desert m”“as-tic c”mmu“ities is thus c”“t”rted a“d ”ver-exte“ded s” as t” bec”me sy“-”“ym”us with Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism.29 This a„„r”ach has remai“ed2ί Thus at τaale Adummim the archae”l”gical „hases are cl”sely c”rrelated with

e„is”des i“ Cyril ”f Schyth”„”lis’ σives: see τage“, Yitzhak. The τ”“astery ”fSt τartyrius at τa’ale Adummim, i“ Y”ram Tsafrir, ed., Ancient Churches Revealed(ρerusalem: πsrael μx„l”rati”“ S”ciety, 1993), 1ή0-9έ. A similar a„„r”ach is re„licatedi“ οirschfeld, The Judean Desert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period, 12-1ή, a“d i“idem. μuthymius a“d οis τ”“astery i“ the ρudea“ Desert, Liber Annuus 43 (1993),339-ή1.

29 Ibid. Ce“tral t” the argume“ts ”f b”th w”rks are the hagi”gra„hies ”f Cyril ”fScyth”„”lis wh”se “arrative details „r”vide the basis f”r the discussi”“ ”f s”cial a“dec”“”mic r”les ”f m”“asteries. A further exam„le ”f this tre“d is e“ca„sulated i“

ti”“ was m”ulded a“d refashi”“ed by the „rec”“ce„ti”“s ”f hagi”gra„hy.2ί

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3ά1

esse“tially u“‟uesti”“ed si“ce the emerge“ce ”f the key sy“thetic studies“early twe“ty years ag” a“d f”rms the f”u“dati”“ fr”m which all discussi”“s”f m”“asticism u“der όmayyad a“d Abbasid rule „r”ceed.30

This has „r”duced tw” esse“tial ”utc”mes. νirst, as ”utli“ed „revi”usly,the m”del e ectively margi“alises a vast ‟ua“tity ”f archae”l”gical materiala“d e„igra„hic d”cume“tati”“ – much ”f it k“”w“ si“ce the 1990s – withi“the maj”r surveys ”f m”“asticism i“ the regi”“. Sites such as τ”u“t υeb”,Dayr Ay“ Abata ”r ρabal οārū“ are well studied (th”ugh u“eve“ly „ub-lished), but their c”llective results remai“ is”lated fr”m br”ader regi”“al sur-veys ”f m”“asticism a“d are ”fte“ em„l”yed sim„ly t” su„„leme“t, rathertha“ critically evaluate, existi“g i“ter„retati”“s based u„”“ a“ esse“tiallyρudea“-ce“tric m”del. Sec”“d, defere“ce t” hagi”gra„hical m”dels i“ thei“ter„retati”“ ”f archae”l”gical material has hi“dered m”re f”re“sic ”bser-vati”“ ”f i“ter-site variati”“, “”t least because such excavati”“s were guidedby the tacit assum„ti”“ that such texts ” ered a“ u“i“fri“geable „ers„ec-tive ”“ m”“astic s„atial ”rga“isati”“ a“d s”cial relati”“shi„s.

De “itive t” c”“tem„”rary i“ter„retative m”dels are the tw” m”st „r”mi-

τ”sch”s, tw” sixth-ce“tury c”m„”siti”“s wh”se i“ter“al details a“d descri„-ti”“s „r”vide the basis f”r m”der“ evaluati”“s ”f life withi“ the Palesti“ia“m”“astery a“d, m”re im„”rta“tly, its relati”“shi„ t” exter“al ave“ues ”f„atr”“age, admi“istrative/ec”“”mic “etw”rks a“d l”cal „”„ulati”“s.32 The„re-emi“e“ce a ”rded t” the traditi”“s ”f Cyril a“d ρ”h“ withi“ curre“ti“ter„retati”“ has u“der„i““ed the extra-regi”“al m”del ”f „atr”“age a“d

the title ”f a study by Patrich, ρ”se„h: Sabas, Leader of Palestinian Monasticism. AComparative Study in Eastern Monasticism, Fourth to Seventh Centuries. ώashi“gt”“D.C.: Dumbart”“ φaks, 199ά.

30 τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land, 39-44; Schick, R”bert. TheChristian Communities of Palestine from Byzantine to Islamic Rule. A Historical andArchaeological Study. Pri“cet”“, υρ: The Darwi“ Press, 199ά, 9έ-9ί.

31 π have used the term by which these lives are c”llectively k“”w“. π am, h”wever, awarethat such texts d” “”t a„„ear t” have circulated as a c”m„lete ”r li“ear c”m„”siti”“i“ the early „hases ”f their tra“smissi”“.

32 ν”r the use ”f ρ”h“ τ”sch”s ”r Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis i“ this regard see Pe“kett, Pa-ch”mius. Palesti“ia“ τ”“asticism i“ the S„iritual τead”w ”f ρ”h“ τ”sch”s, Aram1ά (200ή), 1ή3-ί4; Barr, D”r”“. Rural τ”“asticism as a ςey μleme“t i“ the Chris-tia“izati”“ ”f Byza“ti“e Palesti“e, Harvard Theological Review 9ί (200ά), άή-έά.

“e“t s”urces which survive fr”m the Byza“ti“e „eri”d, Cyril ”f Scyth”„”-lis’ Lives of the Monks of Palestine31 a“d the Spiritual Meadow ”f ρ”h“

3ά2 Daniel Reynolds

m”“astic devel”„me“t ”utli“ed earlier.33

A resulti“g feature ”f this relia“ce u„”“ hagi”gra„hy t” establish thechr”“”l”gy a“d characteristics ”f m”“astic devel”„me“ts is that „atter“s ”fm”“astic f”u“dati”“ a“d ex„a“si”“ are ”fte“ „erceived t” be characterisedby b””m „eri”ds . C”mm”“ly, „hases ”f regi”“al m”“astic f”u“dati”“are credited t” the i“terve“ti”“ ”f i“dividual hagi”gra„hical „r”tag”“ists,rather tha“ a“ ”“-g”i“g „r”cess ”f l”calised „atr”“ activity a“d dev”ti”“al„refere“ce. This has rei“f”rced the curre“t relucta“ce t” c”rrelate the de-vel”„me“t ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities with l”calised „atter“s ”f s”cial ”r ec”-“”mic cha“ge. τ”“asteries a“d „ilgrim sites are thus ”fte“ viewed as i“sti-tuti”“s „articularly susce„tible t” i“stituti”“al regime cha“ge, “”tably thesu„„”sed fractures t” the i“ter“ati”“al „ilgrimage “etw”rk, „ur„”rtedly

33 C”m„are f”r exam„le the ”rigi“s ”f Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis’ „r”tag”“ists μuthymi”s (Lifeof Euthymios ί.20; Sabas, Life of Sabas ίέ.2ά-ίή.1ά) a“d ρ”h“ the οesychast (Life ofJohn Hesychast 201.ά-201.1ά). Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis. Lives. μd. μ. Schwartz as: Kyril-los von Skythopolis. Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichenLiteratur Kyrillos von Skythopolis. σei„zig: ρ. C. οi“richs, 1939. Tr. R.τ. Price as:Lives of the Monks of Palestine. ςalamaz””, τπ: Cistercia“ Publicati”“s, 1991. Seethe c”mme“ts ”f οirschfeld, Yizhar. τ”“asteries a“d Churches i“ the ρudea“ Deserti“ the Byza“ti“e Peri”d, i“ Y”ram Tsafrir, ed., Ancient Churches Revealed (ρerusalem:πsrael μx„l”rati”“ S”ciety, 1993), 149-ά2. ν”r a further exam„le ”f the „erce„ti”“ ”f

in the Later Roman Empire AD 312-460. φxf”rd: φxf”rd ό“iversity Press, 19ί2, 244.This has bee“ m”re rece“tly re„eated i“ τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Survey of theHoly Land, 44, “. έ2, f”ll”wi“g the „recede“t established by οirschfeld a“d Bi““s, aswell as Dau„hi“, La Palestine byzantine, 1άί-έά. See f”r exam„le, ςuelzer, A“dreas.Byza“ti“e a“d μarly P”st-Byza“ti“e Pilgrimage t” the ο”ly σa“d a“d τ”u“t Si“ai,i“ Ruth τacrides, ed., Travel in the Byzantine World. Papers from the Thirty-FourthSpring Symposium of Byzantine Studies όAldersh”t: Ashgate, 2000), 149-έ1. A m”rec”m„rehe“sive study is available i“ ςuelzer, A“dreas. Peregrinatio graeca in TerramSanctam. Studien zu Pilgerführern und Reisebeschreibungen über Syrien, Palästinaund den Sinai aus byzantinischer und metabyzantinischer Zeit. νra“kfurt am τai“:Peter σa“g, 1994; ςisli“ger, μwald. τaki“g f”r the ο”ly Places (ήth-10th ce“turies).The Sea R”utes, i“ μua“gelia Chatzētry„hō“”s, ed., Routes of Faith in the MedievalMediterranean. History, Monuments, People, Pilgrimage Perspectives. InternationalSymposium, Thessaloniki 7-10.11.2007 (Thessal”“iki: ό“iversity Studi” Press, 200ί),119-24. See als” Christ”d”ul”u, ξe”rgi”s. The C”“tributi”“ ”f the R”ma“ μm„ire t”the ξr”wth ”f the A“cie“t τ”“asticism ”f the μast, i“ μua“gelia Chatzētry„hō“”s,ed., Routes of Faith in the Medieval Mediterranean. History, Monuments, People,Pilgrimage Perspectives. International Symposium, Thessaloniki 7-10.11.2007 (Thes-sal”“iki: ό“iversity Studi” Press, 200ί), 49-έ4.

Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism as i“ter“ati”“al see οu“t, μdward D. Holy Land Pilgrimage

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3ά3

i“stigated by the Sasa“ia“ a“d subse‟ue“t Arab c”“‟uests.34ό“dersta“di“g the “ature a“d ‟uality ”f the „rimary s”urce material

u„”“ which this su„„”siti”“, a“d the argume“ts ”f the maj”r sy“theticw”rks, are built is crucial t” further discussi”“. τ”st im„”rta“tly, thec”re sy“thetic studies have ”verl””ked the lack ”f ade‟uate critical editi”“s”f the tw” c”re s”urces (ρ”h“ τ”sch”s a“d Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis) whichare f”u“dati”“al t” curre“t u“dersta“di“gs ”f the s”cial a“d ec”“”mic c”“-t”urs ”f Byza“ti“e m”“astic life. ώhe“ c”“sidered m”re critically, “eitherare yet su cie“tly well u“derst””d t” „r”vide the de “itive c”“clusi”“sab”ut sixth-ce“tury m”“asticism which are ”fte“ draw“ fr”m them. Thedi use ma“uscri„t traditi”“s ”f ρ”h“ τ”sch”s’ Spiritual Meadow, survivi“gi“ a multitude ”f f”rms a“d li“guistic varia“ts, may always elude a securecritical editi”“.3ά ν”r ”“e, it a„„ears t” have bee“ i“ter„”lated relativelyearly. Already by the “i“th ce“tury the Patriarch Ph”ti”s was aware ”f tw”varia“t versi”“s ”f the text – a“ ”bservati”“ which “eatly e“ca„sulates therelative „”„ularity ”f the w”rk bey”“d its ”rigi“al Palesti“ia“ c”“text a“dthe ease with which the age“da a“d „erce„ti”“s ”f later redact”rs c”uld bei“tertwi“ed am”“g its „ages.3έ The r”le ”f the Spiritual Meadow i“ Byza“-ti“e debates surr”u“di“g ic”“ ve“erati”“ is a case i“ „”i“t.3ή π“ view ”fthese ‟uali cati”“s we might c”“cede that the structure a“d c”“te“t ”f the”rigi“al sixth-ce“tury c”m„”siti”“ may “ever be established c”“clusively.Such a“ issue is “”t the mai“ c”“cer“ here, but “”“etheless is crucial i“its im„licati”“s f”r curre“t research a„„r”aches t” Palesti“ia“ m”“asticismi“ the Byza“ti“e a“d early πslamic „eri”d give“ the text’s ce“tral r”le i“ge“erati“g m”“astic s”ci”-ec”“”mic m”dels.

Curre“t uses ”f theSpiritual Meadow i“ discussi”“s ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“as-

34 τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land, 4ί; οirschfeld, The JudeanDesert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period, 23έ.

3ά

1992.3έ Ph”tius. Bibliothèque. Tr. Re“é οe“ry. T”me πππ, C”dices 1ίέ-222. Paris: S”ciété

d’diti”“ les Belles-σettres, 19έ2, 199; Tr. υ.ξ. ώils”“ as: The Bibliotheca. Selectionand Translation with notes. σ”“d”“: Duckw”rth, 1994, 1ί2-ί3.

3ή Brubaker, σeslie a“d ρ”h“ οald”“. Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era. A History(Cambridge: Cambridge ό“iversity Press, 2011), 200. See als” the earlier study i“Brubaker, σeslie. πc”“s bef”re πc”“”clasmζ Morfologie Sociali e Culturali in EuropaFra Tarda Antichità e Alto Medioevo (199ί), 1239-1244.

Tr. ρ”h“ ώ”rtley as: The Spiritual Meadow. ςalamaz””: Cistercia“ Publicati”“s,

ρ”h“ τ”sch”s. Ioannis Moschi Pratum Spirituale. μd. ρac‟ues-Paul τig“e. Patr”l”-gia ξraeca ίή, 23ά2-3112. Paris

3ά4 Daniel Reynolds

ticism have largely ”verl””ked this key ‟uali cati”“ a“d it is still c”mm”“ t”e“c”u“ter a“alyses ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“astic life based u„”“ m”der“ editi”“s”f the text as if all discussi”“s ”f the m”“astic t”„”gra„hies, charactersa“d cults which emerge fr”m its a“ecd”tes are e“tirely with”ut c”“cer“. π“-deed, the ide“ti cati”“ ”f archae”l”gical sites with c”mmu“ities me“ti”“edi“ the m”der“ editi”“ remai“s a sta“dard a„„r”ach ”f archae”l”gical re-search a“d has resulted i“ several dubi”us c”rrelati”“s.3ί τ”“astic „”sses-si”“ ”f miracul”us ic”“s is a“”ther m”tif c”mm”“ly acce„ted by sch”lars(es„ecially whe“ rec”“structi“g „ilgrimages) with”ut due rec”g“iti”“ ”f thec”“cer“s ab”ut the i“ter„”lati”“ ”f the text articulated i“ the πc”“”machy

the Sec”“d C”u“cil ”f υicaea (ήίή) suggests that its a„„licati”“ t” discus-si”“s ”f the sixth ce“tury ca““”t be u“dertake“ with”ut due re ecti”“ ”“the issues surr”u“di“g its later tra“smissi”“ as a text thr”ugh which subse-‟ue“t s”cial a“d the”l”gical c”“ve“ti”“s were legitimised a“d „r”jected.40The matter ca““”t be satisfact”rily res”lved here, but it d”es at least high-light the relative di culty ”f viewi“g the devel”„me“t ”f the Byza“ti“ePalesti“ia“ m”“astic e“vir”“me“t thr”ugh the le“s ”f a s”litary academicdisci„li“e. π“ this res„ect, the te“de“cy t” c”m„artme“talise a„„r”aches t”Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism, either i“ terms ”f chr”“”l”gy, disci„li“e ”r regi”“,has failed t” raise key meth”d”l”gical issues which, i“ ”ther sub-disci„li“es”f Byza“ti“e Studies, have bee“ k“”w“ f”r decades.

The Spiritual Meadow is „erha„s the m”st ex„licit exam„le ”f this c”“-cer“, but it is “”t a“ is”lated ”“e. The m”der“ editi”“ ”f m”“astic lives c”m-„”sed by Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis is als” “”t with”ut its limitati”“s. The versi”“edited by μduard Schwatrz, which f”rms the basis f”r the μ“glish tra“sla-

i“ its e“gageme“t with the available ma“uscri„t c”r„us. The curre“t edi-ti”“ em„l”yed by sch”lars is largely a c”m„”site „r”duct ”f thirtee“th- a“d3ί Thus the su„„”sed m”“astery at πra‟ πsma was ide“ti ed as the ‘τ”“astery ”f Sam-

Zissu. The τ”“astery ”f Sams”“ u„ the R”ck ”f μtham i“ the Byza“ti“e Peri”d,

criticised i“ Taxel, πtamar. Rural τ”“asticism at the ν””thills ”f S”uther“ Samariaa“d ρudea i“ the Byza“ti“e Peri”d. Asceticism, Agriculture a“d Pilgrimage, Bulletinof the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 2έ (200ί), έ1-έ2.

39 Ibid, έ9.40 Discussi”“ a“d related bibli”gra„hy i“ Brubaker a“d οald”“, Byzantium in the Icon-

oclast Era, 200-1.

debates ”f the eighth ce“tury.39 Yet the text’s mention i“ the Acts ”f

ti”“ by RichardPrice widely utilised by archae”l”gists, was ruthlessly selective

s”“ based ”“ a brief descri„ti”“ i“ the S„iritual τead”w: see ξass, μrasmus a“d B”az

Zeitschrift des Deutsche“ Palästi“a-ύerei“s 121(200ά), 1έί-ί3. This ide“ti cati”“was

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3άά

f”urtee“th-ce“tury ma“uscri„ts a“d, m”st im„”rta“tly, the u“i‟ue te“th-”r eleve“th-ce“tury Paris C”isli“ 303.41 The editi”“’s limited e“gageme“twith the survivi“g ξreek d”ssier has already bee“ astutely “”ted by Da“ielο”mberge“ i“ the last systematic survey ”f the w”rk.42 Yet a“ e‟ually„r”blematic issue is that the „”te“tial discre„a“cies „rese“ted by the earlierArabic rece“si”“s – “”tably th”se „reserved i“ the “i“th-ce“tury ύatica“Arabic τS ή1 – have yet t” be fully ack“”wledged ”r i“tr”duced t” thewider debate.43 π“ the case ”f ”ther texts c”m„iled i“ Paris C”isli“ 303,such as the History of the Exploits of Bishop Paul of Qanetos and PriestJohn of Edessa, c”m„arative ”bservati”“s with earlier Syriac rece“si”“shave yielded s”me cases ”f re-w”rki“g duri“g the „r”cess ”f tra“smissi”“„erti“e“t t” the curre“t discussi”“. π“ the History of the Exploits, b”th thes”cial a“d ge”gra„hical ”rigi“s ”f the sai“t were recast i“ the ξreek ParisC”isli“ 303 t” meet the dema“ds ”f the cha“gi“g c”“texts i“ which such“arratives circulated.44

The ma“i„ulati”“ ”f eth“ic ”r s”cial ”rigi“s is a feature als” k“”w“

ures where the ξreek c”„ies „”st-date Arabic ”r Syriac versi”“s – ”fte“ byseveral ce“turies.4ά The relative uidity ”f bi”gra„hical c”“structi”“ i“ thetra“smissi”“ ”f such w”rks has ”bvi”us im„licati”“s f”r the curre“t i“ter„re-41 Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis. Lives. μd. μ. Schwartz as: Kyrillos von Skythopolis. Texte und

Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur Kyrillos von Skythopolis.σei„zig: ρ. C. οi“richs, 1939. Tr. R.τ. Price as: Lives of the Monks of Palestine.ςalamaz””, τπ: Cistercia“ Publicati”“s, 1991.

42 ο”mberge“, Da“iel. The Second Origenist Controversy. A New Perspective on Cyril ofScythopolis’ Monastic Biographies as Historical Sources for Sixth-Century Origenism(R”me: P”“ti ci” Ate“” S. A“selm”, 2001), άί-έά.

43 The last systematic survey ”f ύatica“ Arabic τS ή1 is σeemi“g, ςate. Byza“ti“eοagi”gra„hies i“ Arabic. Three Tra“slati”“s fr”m a υi“th-Ce“tury τa“uscri„t C”„iedat the τ”“astery ”f τar Saba i“ Palesti“e (ύatica“us Arabicus ή1), ό“„ublishedPh.D. Thesis: ό“iversity ”f φxf”rd, 199ή. π“ this exam„le σeemi“g “”ted the c”m„leteabse“ce ”f the Byza“ti“e dati“g system: ibid., 20έ.

44 Smith, ςyle. De“drites a“d φther Sta“ders i“ the οist”ry ”f the μx„l”its ”f Bish”„Paul ”f Qa“et”s a“d Priest ρ”h“ ”f μdessa Hugoye. Journal of Syriac Studies 12.1(2009), 121-23.

4ά Br”ck, Sebastia“ P. A“ μarly Syriac σife ”f τaximus the C”“fess”r, AnnalectaBollandiana 91 (19ή3), 299-34έ. ν”r a discussi”“ ”f the tw” traditi”“s see B”udig“”“,Christia“. τaxime le C”“fesseur était-il c”“sta“ti“”„”litai“ζ i“ ρac‟ues υ”ret, Bartρa“sse“s a“d Bram R””se“, eds., Philomathestatos. Studies in Greek and ByzantineTexts Presented to Jacques Noret for His 65th Birthday (σ”uvai“: Peeters Publishers,2004), 11-43.

within ma“uscri„t traditi”“s ”f ”ther texts relati“g t” Syr”-Palesti“ia“ g-

3άέ Daniel Reynolds

tive m”dels ”f Palesti“ia“ Byza“ti“e m”“asticism where the bi”gra„hicaldetails ”f sai“ts remai“ i“tri“sic t” a“ image ”f a“ exter“ally drive“ a“delite (esse“tially “”“-Palesti“ia“) s”cial m”veme“t. νurther ex„l”rati”“ ”fthe c”r„us is “ecessary bef”re the exte“t ”f the issue ca“ be fully a„„raiseda“d u“derst””d. But, f”r the „ur„”ses ”f the „rese“t discussi”“, theseexam„les are su cie“t t” call i“t” ‟uesti”“ the assum„ti”“ that these bi”-gra„hical m”tifs – i“ terms ”f the eth“ic ”r s”cial ”rigi“ ”f m”“ks – were“eutral at the „”i“t ”f their auth”rshi„ a“d remai“ed s” thr”ugh”ut subse-‟ue“t stages ”f tra“smissi”“. The „”i“t has bee“ well ”bserved i“ terms ”fSyria“ a“d μgy„tia“ m”“astic literary e“deav”urs.4έ πt is theref”re vital, i“view ”f the „”te“t ide”l”gical ass”ciati”“s with the Palesti“ia“ la“dsca„e,that the literature ”f its ”w“ m”“astic milieu a“d the c”“structi”“ ”f itskey gures be subjected t” a c”m„arative critical review.

13.5 Archfleologyπt is im„”ssible t” ”verl””k the f”rmative r”le archae”l”gical research has„layed i“ su„„”rti“g the „revaili“g view ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism articu-lated fr”m the survivi“g hagi”gra„hical “arratives. A brief i“s„ecti”“ ”f theexcavated c”r„us ”f sites i“ the ρudea“ Desert a„„ears t” c”“ rm just this:a surge i“ f”u“dati”“s i“ the mid- fth a“d mid-sixth ce“turies (c”i“cid-i“g with the careers ”f μuthymi”s a“d Sabas ”r the ρusti“ia“ic ex„a“si”“)with a“ a„„are“t decli“e i“ activity either side ”f this „eri”d („articularlyafter άά0).4ή The i“ter„retati”“ e“d”rsed by this archae”l”gical materialis u“ambigu”us – “”t ”“ly were the maj”r „eri”ds ”f m”“astic f”u“dati”“i“ter-li“ked with Byza“ti“e „”litical c”“tr”l, but the f”u“dati”“ ”f m”“asticsites was similarly de„e“de“t u„”“ the exter“al li“ks with the Aegea“ a“dA“at”lia that this ge”-„”litical e“vir”“me“t f”stered. Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis’status as a faultless auth”rity ”“ the hist”ry ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism isthus ”ste“sibly c”“ rmed by this b”dy ”f su„„”rti“g archae”l”gical mate-4έ τayers”“, Philli„. A“ti-Black Se“time“t i“ the ύitae Patrum, Harvard Theological

Christia“ „”litical th”ught i“ ξreater Syria ”“ the eve ”f the Arab c”“‟uest (c.400-άίά) (φxf”rd: φxf”rd ό“iversity Press, 2010), έή-ί1.

4ή Thus at τa’ale Adummim the archae”l”gical „hases are cl”sely c”rrelated withe„is”des i“ the Cyrillic σives: see τage“, The τ”“astery ”f St τartyrius at τa’aleAdummim, 1ή1-ή4. A similar a„„r”ach is re„licated i“ οirschfeld, The Judean DesertMonasteries in the Byzantine Period, 12-1ή.

Review (19ή9), 304-11. See als” ώ””d, Philli„. ‘ώe have “” ςi“g but Christ’:

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3άή

rial – a“ assum„ti”“ which remai“s im„licit i“ all ”f the available sy“theticstudies.4ί

This readi“g ”f the archae”l”gical evide“ce has wider im„licati”“s. ν”r”“e, it has e“c”uraged a static assessme“t ”f the stratigra„hic „hasi“g ”fm”“astic sites, determi“i“g all c”“structi”“al „hases t” bel”“g t” a regi”“-

ex„a“si”“ . This has acc”rdi“gly i“hibited ”ur ability t” ide“tify cases”f subse‟ue“t devel”„me“t, i“vestme“t ”r cha“ge i“ s„atial usage withi“these c”m„lexes after the mid-sixth ce“tury. νurther still, it has c”“sig“eda“y ide“ti ed cases ”f „”st-Byza“ti“e structural cha“ge ”r activity, es„e-cially th”se which d” “”t t with „re-c”“ceived ideals ”f m”“astic s”cial“”rms (such as ”il „resses i“ atrium s„aces), t” a“ ill-de “ed „hase ”f „”st-m”“astic s‟uatter ”ccu„ati”“.49

Regrettably, the irregular ‟uality ”f „ublicati”“ ”f these sites – ”fte“bereft ”f discussi”“s ”f stratigra„hy ”r diag“”stic material – d”es “”t „er-mit a fuller clari cati”“ ”f these restricti”“s here. ο”wever, these di cultieswith the archae”l”gical rec”rd have facilitated a „erce„ti”“ ”f decli“e i“ the„atr”“al su„„”rt f”r m”“astic/cult sites after ca. έ00 which c”“ve“ie“tly

case at several m”“astic sites where the abse“ce ”f dated e„igra„hic f”rmu-lae is u“able t” remedy the c”“fused – ”fte“ i“c”rrect – „hasi“g fre‟ue“tly„rese“ted i“ the excavati”“ re„”rts.ά0

4ί A survey ”f the status a ”rded t” Cyril by m”der“ hist”ria“s, which has its ”rigi“s i“the seve“tee“th ce“tury, is ” ered i“ ο”mberge“, The Second Origenist Controversy,41-49. See als” οirschfeld, The Judean Desert Monasteries in the Byzantine Period,3.

49 Thus the „rese“ce ”f Arabic gra t” i“scri„ti”“s i“ churches at Reh”v”t i“ the υegevwas c”“sidered a feature i“dicative ”f a „”st-Christia“ „hase: see Tsafrir, Y”ram.A“ π“tr”ducti”“ t” Reh”v”t-i“-the-υegev, i“ Y”ram Tsafrir, ρ”se„h Patrich, Re“ateR”se“thal-οegi“b”tt”m, πsrael οershk”vitz a“d Yehuda D. υev”, eds., Excavationsat the Rehovot-in-the Negev. Volume One, The Northern Church όρerusalem: Theοebrew ό“iversity, 19ίί), ί.

ά0 Thus at the m”“astery ”f ςursi the last i“scri„ti”“ dates t” ca. άί2-ίή. ο”wever, allsubse‟ue“t re“”vati”“s ”r cha“ges t” the s„atial use ”f the site were attributed t” a„”st ca. έ14 rebuildi“g a“d early-eighth-ce“tury „”st-m”“astic s‟uatter ”ccu„ati”“:see Tzaferis, ύassili”s. The μxcavati”“s ”f ςursi-ξergesa, Atiqot 1έ (19ί3), ά-1ί,2ί-9.

ally u“if”rm (a“d s”mewhat crudely de “ed) „hase ”f fth- ”r sixth-ce“tury

ts i“t” „redetermi“ed ideas ”f a fracture i“ „atr”“ “etw”rks i“stigatedby the establishme“t ”f Sasanian ”r Arab hegem”“y. This is “”tably the

3άί Daniel Reynolds

architectural embellishme“t, at these sites thus „er„etuates the „revaili“gi“ter„retive „erce„ti”“ ”f m”“asticism as i“tertwi“ed with the stability”f Byza“ti“e rule a“d the im„etus ”f exter“al „r”tag”“ists t” mai“tai“ its„atr”“age “etw”rks ”r s”cial r”le. μ‟ually, because curre“t sy“thesisi“ga„„r”aches have c”“ce“trated ”“ such a limited re„ert”ire ”f material, „ri-

rece“t evide“ce fr”m sites such as τar μlyas, Dayr Ay“ Abata ”r Ay“al-ςa“isah, where c”“ti“ued i“terve“ti”“s bey”“d ca. έ00 – i“ these casesca. έ22, ca. έ91 a“d ήέ2 res„ectively – c”“tradict the basic „remises ”f thetraditi”“al argume“t.ά1

The curre“t sta“dard “arrative is di cult t” dec”“struct as, ”“ all levels,it a„„ears self-e“d”rsi“g. π“ light ”f material that has a„„eared i“ rece“tdecades fr”m ”ther regi”“s i“ Palesti“e (which c”“tradicts the chr”“”l”gical

draw“ fr”m research i“ the ρudea“ Desert will re‟uire m”re c”“sidered

turies, have st””d at the f”refr”“t ”f this rece“t wave; here we may ”bserve”“-g”i“g „atter“s ”f church buildi“g a“d embellishme“t, bey”“d the s”-called ρusti“ia“ic ex„a“si”“, i“ the ξalilee, the υegev a“d the Tra“sj”rda“

”f the „a„yri ”f the Church ”f οagia τaria i“ Petra i“ rece“t years a“dthe m”re systematic utilisati”“ ”f the survivi“g c”r„us fr”m the Sergi”s-Bakkh”s m”“astery ”f υessa“a (where the im„”rta“ce ”f l”cal d”“”rs a“d

ά1 ν”r τar μlyas see τacd”“ald, Burt”“. Pilgrimage in Early Christian Jordan (φx-f”rd; φakville, CT: φxb”w B””ks, 2010), ήί, a“d Piccirill”, τichele. The Pr”vi“ce”f Arabia duri“g the Persia“ π“vasi”“ (έ13-έ29/30), i“ ςe““eth ο”lum a“d οayimσa„i“, eds., Shaping the Middle East. Jews Christians and Muslims in an Age ofTransition 400-800 C.E. (Bethesda, τπ: ό“iversity Press ”f τaryla“d, 2011), 10έ-11;f”r Deir Ai“ Abata, P”litis, ς”“sta“ti“”s D. μxcavati”“s at Deir Ai“ Abata 1991,2ί3, a“d P”litis, ς”“sta“ti“”s D. The τ”“astery ”f Aghi”s σ”t at Deir Ai“ Abatai“ ρ”rda“, 1έ0-1έ1. ν”r Ἁy“ al-ςa“isah see Piccirill”, τichele. σa Cha„elle de laThe”t”k”s da“s le ώadi Ἁy“ al-ςa“isah au τ”“t υéb” e“ ρ”rda“ie“, Annual of theDepartment of Antiquities 39 (199ά), 41ή-1ί.

ά2 Di Seg“i, σeah. μ„igra„hic D”cume“tati”“ ”“ Buildi“g i“ the Pr”vi“ces ”f Palaesti“aa“d Arabia, 4th-ήth c, i“ ρ”h“ οum„hrey, ed., The Roman and Byzantine Near East.Vol. 2. Some Recent Archaeological Research (P”rtsm”uth, Rπ: ρ”ur“al ”f R”ma“Archae”l”gy, 1999), 149-ήί.

φur „rese“t i“ability t” ide“tify later „hases ”f „atr”“ i“terve“ti”“ , ”r

marily that c”“cer“i“g the ρudea“ Desert, they have “”t i“tegrated m”re

„atter“ ”f this argume“t), it w”uld, h”wever, a„„ear that the c”“clusi”“s

re“eg”tiati”“. τ”re se“sitive readi“gs ”f e„igra„hic f”rmulae, which c”“-rm cases ”f i“vestme“t thr”ugh”ut the later sixth a“d early seve“th ce“-

i“ the later sixth a“d early seve“th ce“turies.ά2 μ‟ually, the „ublicati”“

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3ά9

s”cial “etw”rks is ex„licit) suggest that a“alytical a„„r”aches t” the fact”rssurr”u“di“g the f”u“dati”“ (”r aba“d”“me“t) ”f m”“astic a“d cult ce“tresmust be u“dertake“ with a m”re detailed i“s„ecti”“ ”f the immediate s”ciala“d ec”“”mic c”“text ”f these sites.ά3

Alth”ugh the i“ter„retati”“s adv”cated by the mai“ studies ”f Pales-ti“ia“ m”“asticism „rese“t a c”“vi“ci“g façade, a„„are“tly su„„”rted byb”th textual a“d archae”l”gical evide“ce, they are “”t im„ermeable t” cri-ti‟ue. This is “”tably the case whe“ we c”“sider h”w the excavated materialf”r ρudea“ Desert m”“asticism was i“ter„reted i“ its i“itial stages. Si“cethe „ublicati”“ ”f the rst systematic studies ”f the regi”“, the vast ma-

gra„hical c”“struct. π“ tur“, Cyril’s Lives „r”vided the basic chr”“”l”gicalframew”rk withi“ which the architectural „hasi“g a“d material assemblages”f these m”“asteries was i“ter„reted a“d subse‟ue“tly „rese“ted.ά4

13.6 PfltronflgeA further „r”blem with curre“t i“ter„retati”“s derives fr”m the i“tegra-

allude t” the structuri“g i“ ue“ce ”f m”“asteries as ve“ues f”r l”caliseds”cial a“d ec”“”mic life a“d as „laces i“terw”ve“ with l”cal elite “etw”rks.Similar „atter“s are i“creasi“gly ide“ti able i“ Palesti“ia“ c”“texts. π“υessa“a, this is c”“ rmed by the activities ”f the „r”mi“e“t l”cal family”f Sergi”s-Patrik”s, where burial dedicati”“s a“d „a„yri attest t” a heredi-tary successi”“ ”f hegoumenoi at the Sergi”s-Bakkh”s m”“astery ”ver f”urge“erati”“s betwee“ the ά90s a“d the έί0s.άά This image ”f elite-m”“astici“tegrati”“ is further su„„leme“ted by the „a„yri, where rec”rds list thei“v”lveme“t ”f m”“astic gures i“ m”“ey-le“di“g, judicial a airs a“d taxc”llecti”“ i“t” the έί0s.άέ

ά3 νrösé“ et al., eds. Petra Papyri I .ά4 ν”r exam„les ”f this a„„r”ach, which is re„licated i“ ”ther c”“texts, see the discussi”“

”f the τ”“astery ”f τa’ale Adummim by τage“, The τ”“astery ”f St τartyrius atτa’ale Adummim, 1ή0-9έ.

άά

C”lt, ed., Excavations at Nessana όAuja Ha r, Palestineύ 1 (Pri“cet”“: Pri“cet”“ό“iversity Press, 19έ2), π“scr. 12-14. See als” ςraemer, Excavations at Nessana 3, 7.

άέ ν”r m”“ey le“di“g see P. C”lt 44, 4έ; f”r judicial a airs P. C”lt άή; a“d f”r taxc”llecti”“ P. C”lt άί, ά9.

t” a“ exte“t hu“ted ”ut – thr”ugh the use ”f Cyril ”f Scyth”„”lis’ hagi”-j”rity ”f m”“astic sites in the ρudea“ Desert have bee“ ide“ti ed – a“d

ti”“ ”f material fr”m ”ther regi”“s where several exam„les

ςirk, ξe”rge μ. a“d Bradf”rd ώelles . The π“scri„ti”“s, i“ οarris Du“sc”mbe

3έ0 Daniel Reynolds

”f „atr”“age fr”m “etw”rks ”f l”cal d”“”rs, ”f which the survival ”f tw” d”-

t” the early a“d later seve“th ce“turies res„ectively, is ”“e such exam„le.Cl”ser i“s„ecti”“ ”f the i“dividual d”“”rs, wh”se “ames are ”fte“ acc”m-„a“ied by their t”„”“ymic, reveals the striki“gly l”calised character ”f them”“astery’s „atr”“age base, with the m”“astery bei“g su„„”rted by thec”llective d”“ati”“s ”f i“dividuals fr”m υessa“a ”r μlusa a“d their satel-lite settleme“ts.άή The „atter“ is als” k“”w“ fr”m the earlier Petra Pa„yridated t” the άή0s, where a will, „r”duced by the clergy ”f the Church ”f

sibly ide“tify with the site ”“ ρabal οārū“ – as be“efact”rs t” the „r”„ertya“d la“d held by a l”cal “”table φb”dia“”s, s”“ ”f The”d”r”s.άί π“ b”ththe exam„les ”f υessa“a a“d Petra, the evide“t i“tegrati”“ ”f m”“asticclergy a“d l”cal elite gures – ”fte“ li“ked thr”ugh familial c”““ecti”“s –has im„”rta“t im„licati”“s f”r ”ur u“dersta“di“g ”f the „rimary s”cial a“d“a“cial stimuli which s„arked the waves ”f m”“astic f”u“dati”“ i“ thefth a“d sixth ce“turies.π“ s”cial terms, the tre“d re„rese“ts a culmi“ati”“ ”f the gr”wi“g r”le

”f Christia“ity a“d Christia“ cult buildi“gs as the „rimary mea“s thr”ughwhich elite dev”ti”“al se“time“t was c”mm”“ly articulated. Debates re-gardi“g its ”rigi“ aside, the wealth ”f e„igra„hic material „r”vides a fairlyc”m„elli“g „”rtrait ”f the i“creasi“g im„”rta“ce ”f m”“asteries as reci„-

devel”„me“t ”f smaller cult ce“tres i“ rural settleme“ts, i“v”lvi“g the reuse”f “atural caves ”r early R”ma“ t”mbs, as at ο”rvat Qasra, ”r the c”“struc-ti”“ ”f reli‟uary cry„ts, such as ο”rvat Berach”t a“d the υ”rth Church ”fReh”v”t-i“-the-υegev, adds weight t” this br”ader im„ressi”“.ά9

άή P. C”lt ή9, P. C”lt ί0.άί νrösé“ et al., eds, The Petra Papyri I , 9-10.ά9 Di Seg“i, σeah. φ“ the Devel”„me“t ”f Christia“ Cult Sites ”“ T”mbs ”f the Sec”“d

Church, i“ Y”ram Tsafrir, ρ”se„h Patrich, Re“ate R”se“thal-οegi“b”tt”m, πsrael οer-shk”vitz a“d Yehuda D. υev”, eds., Excavations at the Rehovot-in-the Negev. VolumeOne, The Northern Church. όρerusalem: The οebrew ό“iversity, 19ίί), ά0-άί, a“dTsafrir, Y”ram a“d Yizhar οirschfeld. The Church a“d τ”saics at ο”rvat Berach”t,πsrael, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 33 (19ή9).

φf equal im„”rta“ce is the status ”f such i“stituti”“s as reci„ie“ts

Hagia Maria, lists tw” m”“astic i“stituti”“s – ”“e ”f which we may „lau-

“ati”“ registers fr”m the h”ard ”f the Sergi”s-Bakkh”s τ”“astery, dated

ie“ts t” which „atr”“age was steadily directed by the sixth ce“tury. The

Tem„le Peri”d, 19 (200ή), 3ί1-401. See als” Tsafrir, Y”ram. The υ”rther“

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3έ1

ώe k“”w less ab”ut the c”mmu“ities ”r families which c”“tributed t”the c”“structi”“ ”f these l”cal m”“ume“ts tha“ is desirable a“d still lessab”ut the h”ly „r”tag”“ists wh”se mem”ries were c”mmem”rated at thesesites. Still, i“ exam„les such as ο”rvat οeshek a“d the υ”rth Church ”fReh”v”t-i“-the υegev, the hereditary c”““ecti”“s ex„licit i“ the churches’e„igra„hic c”r„”ra im„ly a similar i“tegrati”“ ”f these sites with the a airs”f l”cally based families.έ0 The relative a“”“ymity ”f such sites i“ the tex-tual traditi”“ tra“smitted i“ Byza“tium a“d the ώest i“ ξreek a“d σati“,may, theref”re, suggest that they were e“tirely i“tegrated i“t” l”calised de-v”ti”“al life a“d religi”us mem”ry, t” the exclusi”“ ”f the extra-regi”“al“etw”rks s” ”fte“ „rivileged i“ ex„la“ati”“s ”f Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism.This is at „rese“t a“ im„ressi”“istic „ers„ective but w”uld be“e t fr”mfurther i“vestigati”“ i“ additi”“al regi”“al c”“texts.

Tur“i“g t” discussi”“s ”f the ec”“”mic “etw”rks which facilitated suchexte“sive „r”grammes ”f c”“structi”“, we are i“evitably „rese“ted with‟uesti”“s c”“cer“i“g the s”urces whe“ce such elite wealth derived. Thereis little i“dicati”“ i“ a“y ”f the d”cume“ts related t” the υessa“a a“d Pe-tra c”r„”ra that the „rimary reve“ue base f”r these i“dividuals a“d familiesexte“ded bey”“d the Syr”-Palesti“ia“ s„here. At υessa“a, the c”“cer“s ”fthe Sergi”s-Patrik”s family a„„ear „red”mi“a“tly l”cal a“d d” “”t im„lya“ exte“sive „atter“ ”f „r”„erty ”r la“d h”ldi“g bey”“d the c”“ “es ”f thesettleme“t a“d its e“vir”“s. π“ Petra, the ”utl””k is a little br”ader. ώeare aware that φb”dia“”s als” ”w“ed „r”„erty i“ ξaza a“d μleuther”„”-lis.έ1 υevertheless, these „atter“s ”f la“d”w“i“g a“d „r”„erty, fr”m whichthese family u“its a„„ear t” have derived their wealth, d” “”t dem”“stratec”““ecti”“s bey”“d the urba“ a“d rural ce“tres ”f the Palesti“ia“ regi”“– a „atter“ which may have bee“ fairly c”mm”“„lace am”“g Palesti“ia“elites by the sixth ce“tury. πf we acce„t that the wealth ”f ma“y ”f the„atr”“-families ”f m”“asteries such as ρabal οārū“ a“d Sergi”s-Bakkh”s atυessa“a was „rimarily l”calised, it f”ll”ws that a“y attem„t t” u“dersta“dthe traject”ry ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities i“ the early πslamic „eri”d mustbe c”“sidered i“ view ”f „”te“tial uctuati”“s i“ these circumsta“ces; thatis, cha“ges i“ where elite „atr”“age „ri”rities were directed after ca. έ3ίa“d, m”st im„”rta“tly, whether ”r “”t the reve“ue base ”f such familiesremai“ed su cie“t t” „er„etuate these existi“g relati”“shi„s ”f „atr”“age.έ0 Di Seg“i, σeah. The ξreek π“scri„ti”“s at Ḥ”rvat Ḥeshe‟, i“ Y”ram Tsafrir, ed.,

Ancient Churches Revealed (ρerusalem: πsrael μx„l”rati”“ S”ciety, 1993), έέ-ή0.έ1

ς”e“e“, σudwig et al., The Deci„herme“t a“d μditi”“ ”f the Petra Pa„yri, 201-2έ.P. Petra 1, 2. νurther discussi”“ ”f the family a“d „r”„erty ”w“ershi„ is ” ered i“

3έ2 Daniel Reynolds

ώe must be cauti”us i“ im„”si“g this i“ter„retati”“ t”” br”adly. μxist-i“g “etw”rks ”f „atr”“age a“d elite i“terve“ti”“ c”““ecti“g the Byza“ti“eAegea“ a“d Palesti“e, which resulted i“ the f”u“dati”“ ”f several high-status m”“asteries ”r churches, is c”“ rmed i“ several i“sta“ces. ρusti“ia“’si“terve“ti”“s at τ”u“t Si“ai a“d the υea i“ ρerusalem „r”vide tw” exam-„les.έ2 ο”wever, there is c”“ti“ued evide“ce ”f l”cal „atr”“al e“d”wme“tat m”“astic sites such as τ”u“t υeb” ”r Dayr Ay“ Abata i“t” the lateseve“th a“d eighth ce“tury.έ3 τ”re”ver, the „rese“ce ”f m”“astic gures

όmm al-Rasas) ”r the d”“”rs listed withi“ the υessa“a „a„yri c”“tradictthe hy„”thesis that this Aegea“-Palesti“e relati”“shi„ ca“ be c”“sideredt” re ect the s”le, ”r eve“ „rimary mea“s, thr”ugh which all m”“asteries”r „ilgrimage sites were f”u“ded a“d c”“ti“ued t” be su„„”rted.έ4 The„a„yri rec”rd listi“g a c”llective d”“ati”“ ”“ behalf ”f the υessa“a c”m-mu“ity t” the m”“astery ”f τ”u“t Si“ai „r”vides a“ im„”rta“t case studyi“ this regard – re ecti“g b”th the exte“t a“d c”m„lexity ”f Palesti“ia“m”“astic „atr”“age systems (bey”“d a l”cal-regi”“al divide) a“d e‟ually,the i“ade‟uacy ”f e„igra„hic i“scri„ti”“s (the „red”mi“a“t f”cus ”f „atr”“ide“ti cati”“) as the „rimary mea“s by which such systems ca“ be rec”“-structed.έά This is m”st evide“t i“ c”“siderati”“ ”f the relative ambiguity

c”m„rised a m”“astery’s c”m„lete re„ert”ire ”f ” eri“gs, i“cludi“g m”“ey,g””ds i“ ki“d, „r”grammes ”f c”“structi”“ a“d liturgical fur“ishi“gs.έέ

έ2 Pr”c”„ius. De Aedi ciis. Tr. ο. B. Dewi“g as: Procopius. σ”eb Classical σibrary343. ύ”l. ή, Buildings. Cambridge, τA: οarvard ό“iversity Press, 1940, ά.έ a“d ά.ί;Avigad, υahma“. A Buildi“g π“scri„ti”“ ”f the μm„er”r ρusti“ia“ a“d the υea i“ρerusalem (Prelimi“ary υ”te), Israel Exploration Journal 2ή (199ή), 14ά-ά1.

έ3 P”litis, μxcavati”“s at Deir Ai“ Abata 1991 , 2ί2; Piccirill”, τichele. The τ”“as-tic Prese“ce, i“ τichele Piccirill” a“d μuge“i”s Alliata, eds., Mount Nebo. NewArchaeological Excavations 1967-1997 (ρerusalem: νra“cisca“ Pri“ti“g Press, 199ί),19ή.

έ4 P. C”lt ή9 a“d P. C”lt ί0.έά P. C”lt ί9, li“es 23-2ά.έέ C”m„are, f”r exam„le, P. C”lt ί0 with P. C”lt ή9 a“d P. C”lt ά0. νurther exam„les ”f

„atr”“age fr”m υessa“a emerge fr”m ςirk a“d ώelles, The π“scri„ti”“s, i“scri„ti”“s30 a“d 31, where c”llective gr”u„s a„„ear t” have „aid f”r the re“”vati”“ ”r ex„a“si”“”f the church c”m„lex. The use ”f this term is wides„read i“ m”saic dedicat”ryi“scri„ti”“s a“d s”me st”“e liturgical fur“ishi“g, μxam„les ”f the use ”f i“m”saic i“scri„ti”“s are k“”w“ fr”m the Churches ”f υazareth, ςhirbet-el-τa‟ati a“d

i“ urba“ churches (such as Abba ςai”um ”f τ”u“t υeb” i“ Hagios Stephanos

”f the terms a“d where „a„yri a“d e„igra„hic i“scri„-ti”“s dem”“strate a„„licati”“ t” a variety ”f f”rms ”f d”“ati”“ which

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3έ3

ξive“ the „aucity ”f available evide“ce, it is “”t always „”ssible t” re-c”“struct the „atr”“age arra“geme“ts f”r a si“gle Palesti“ia“ m”“astery i“its e“tirety, ”r determi“e whether ”r “”t b”th regi”“al a“d l”cal systems”f „atr”“age c”-existed withi“ ”“e m”“astic c”“text. This is „articularlythe case f”r m”“asteries where e„igra„hic dedicati”“s „r”vide the ”“ly i“-dicati”“ ”f „atr”“ ide“tities. υevertheless, dedicat”ry i“scri„ti”“s, such asth”se e“d”wed by the m”“k Sergi”s, ex-assess”r ”f μmesa, his sister Pal-lut a“d her s”“ ρ”h“, a member ”f the metr”„”lita“ c”u“cil ”f μmesa, i“Church υ”. 3 ”f υessa“a i“ the υegev, at least „artially re ect the c”m-„lexity ”f these arra“geme“ts bey”“d a sim„listic l”cal ”r tra“s-regi”“alrelati”“shi„ a“d re‟uire that we re“eg”tiate the „erce„ti”“ ”f excha“gebetwee“ „atr”“s a“d m”“asteries as bei“g „art ”f either exclusively urba“-elite ”r rural-“”table relati”“shi„s.έή

The c”m„lexity suggested by the c”-existe“ce ”f l”calised Christia“ cultsites, a“d sites c”““ected with the dev”ti”“s ”f the wider Christia“ oik-oumene, re‟uires a“ additi”“al ack“”wledgeme“t that these relati”“shi„s”f „atr”“age were u“likely t” have bee“ u“if”rm acr”ss the regi”“ „ri”rt” the seve“th ce“tury. A sim„le c”m„aris”“ ”f the m”“asteries ”f Si“ai,wh”se dev”ti”“al sig“i ca“ce exte“ded bey”“d l”calised a“d regi”“al c”“-texts by the late sixth ce“tury, ”f ρabal οārū“, which mai“tai“ed str”“gli“ks t” “”table families i“ Petra a“d „”ssibly ”ther regi”“al elites,έί a“d ”fsmaller f”u“dati”“s such as ο”rvat οeshek, wh”se dev”ti”“al sig“i ca“ce

Bellarmi“”. Excavations in Nazareth, Vol. 1. From the Beginning Till the XII Century.ρerusalem: νra“cisca“ Pri“ti“g Press, 19έ9, 100. ν”r the i“scri„ti”“s relati“g t” thechurches ”f ςhirbet-el-τa‟ati a“d Rihab see Piccirill”, τichele. Chiese e mosaicidella Giordania settentrionale. ρerusalem: νra“cisca“ Pri“ti“g Press, 19ί1, 23-24, ήέ-ή9. μxam„les ”f the term a„„eari“g i“ m”saic dedicati”“s a“d liturgical fur“ishi“g i“

Nebo. New Archaeological Excavations 1967-1997 (ρerusalem: νra“cisca“ Pri“ti“gPress, 199ί), 429, 43ά.

έή ςirk a“d ώelles, The π“scri„ti”“s, 1ή3.έί ν”r exam„le, see Petra „a„yrus i“v. έa. A „artial tra“slati”“ ”f the „a„yri is ” ered

i“ ξag”g, Traia“”s a“d ρaakk” νrösé“. Petra Pa„yri, Annual for the Department ofAntiquities of Jordan 42 (199ί), 4ήή. ν”r a discussi”“ ”f this m”“astery, see νrösé“,ρaakk” a“d Päivi τiettu“e“. Aar”“ i“ Religi”us σiterature, τyth a“d σege“d, i“ρaakk” νrösé“ a“d Zbigniew T. Fiema, eds., Petra - The Mountain of Aaron. TheFinnish Archaeological Project in Jordan (οelsi“ki: S”cietas Scie“tiarum νe““ica,200ί), 10-11.

οagi”s Paul”s a“d οagi”s τe“as i“ Rihab. ν”r he church ”f υazareth see Bagatti,

m”“astic c”“texts i k“”w“ fr”m the mai“ basilica ”“ τ”u“t υeb”, see Di Seg“i, σeah.The ξreek π“scri„ti”“s, i“ τichele Piccirill” a“d μuge“i”s Alliata, eds., Mount

3έ4 Daniel Reynolds

a„„ears i“terli“ked with a si“gle family, highlight the “eed t” c”“sider theseexisti“g i“e‟ualities a“d c”m„lexities „ri”r t” the Arab c”“‟uest.έ9

π“ ”rder t” u“dersta“d a“d c”“textualise subse‟ue“t „atter“s ”f c”“ti-“uity, survival a“d aba“d”“me“t (“”twithsta“di“g the „”te“tial fact”rs ”fcausati”“) it is im„”rta“t t” c”“sider the „”ssibility that “”t all m”“aster-ies ”r „ilgrimage sites e“tered the early πslamic „eri”d ”“ the same „atr”“al,ec”“”mic ”r s”cial basis. This „”i“t is ce“tral t” ack“”wledgi“g the „”te“-tial e ects that a breakd”w“ i“ l”calised elite wealth had ”“ the traject”ry ”fm”“astic c”mmu“ities i“ the early πslamic „eri”d. ν”r a m”“astery such asSi“ai, c”““ected with elite a“d clerical c”mmu“ities thr”ugh”ut the μast-er“ τediterra“ea“, the σeva“t a“d μgy„t, where l”calised reve“ues a“ddev”ti”“s were a c”m„”“e“t – but “”t the sum – ”f their „atr”“age base, ac”lla„se i“ l”cal relati”“shi„s c”uld feasibly have bee“ e“dured by relyi“g”“ the i“c”me ge“erated thr”ugh these wider “etw”rks. ν”r sites such as

these immediate “etw”rks f”r s”cial a“d “a“cial su„„”rt („articularly asma“y ”f their clergy were draw“ fr”m l”cal settleme“ts ”r a si“gle family),a“y shifts i“ the i“vestme“t „refere“ce ”r ec”“”mic stability ”f l”cal „atr”“sw”uld have had far greater im„licati”“s f”r their ability t” survive.

13.7 The 614 questionA“y „”te“tial rec”g“iti”“ ”f the c”“ti“uity ”f Byza“ti“e m”“astic c”“ve“-ti”“ i“ the early πslamic „eri”d “ecessitates further discussi”“ ”f the im„act”f the Sasa“ia“ ”ccu„ati”“ ca. έ14-έ2ί a“d its „”siti”“ i“ br”ader debate.τ”“asticism is „r”blematic t” i“tegrate i“t” this ”verall dial”gue „rimar-ily due t” the “ature ”f the „ublished archae”l”gical data sets „rese“tlyavailable. A habitual te“de“cy by excavat”rs – „red”mi“a“tly, th”ugh by“” mea“s exclusively, active „ri”r t” the 19ί0s – t” date aba“d”“me“t ”rdestructi”“ „hases at m”“astic c”m„lexes t” ca. έ14 (”fte“ with mi“imalack“”wledgeme“t ”f diag“”stic material),ή0 has f”stered a substa“tial ”ver-έ9 Di Seg“i, σeah. The ξreek π“scri„ti”“s at Ḥ”rvat Ḥeshe‟, έέ-ή0.ή0 ν”r ςursi, see Tzaferis, ύassili”s. The μxcavati”“s ”f ςursi-ξergesa, 1ά-1ή, a“d a

sh”rter a„„raisal i“ Tzaferis, ύassili”s. The μarly Christia“ τ”“astery at ςursi, i“Y”ram Tsafrir, ed., Ancient Churches Revealed (ρerusalem: πsrael μx„l”rati”“ S”ciety,1993), ήή-ή9. ν”r the τartyri”s m”“astery at τa’ale Adummim, see τage“, Theτ”“astery ”f St. τartyrius at τaale Adummim, 1ή3-ή4. The site ”f She„herd’sνields is discussed i“ Tzaferis, ύassili”s. The Archae”l”gical μxcavati”“s at She„herds

ρabal οārū“ a“d ο”rvat οeshek, m”re i“tegrated i“t” a“d de„e“de“t u„”“

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3έά

estimati”“ ”f the archae”l”gically visible im„act ”f the Sasa“ia“ „rese“cei“ Palesti“e u„”“ its m”“astic t”„”gra„hy. Agai“, the image ”f „revale“tdevastati”“ articulated by the survivi“g texts – few ”f which have bee“subjected t” i“dividual critical a„„raisal a“d “”t all ”f which are securelydated – has „r”ved f”rmative i“ determi“i“g the i“ter„retive age“da ”fc”“tem„”rary archae”l”gical research.

This tre“d has led t” a“ assessme“t ”f the Sasa“ia“ „eri”d as a catas-tr”„hic e„is”de which, aside fr”m its devastati“g „hysical im„act, i“stigateda“ immediate ru„ture t” existi“g relati”“shi„s ”f „atr”“age betwee“ m”“as-teries a“d „atr”“s a“d dealt a critical bl”w t” their established s”cial r”les.The se“time“t is succi“ctly e“ca„sulated by R”bert Schick i“ his widelyrefere“ced sy“thesis:

Per„lexi“gly, this i“ter„retati”“ is r”uti“ely du„licated i“ studies, m”strece“tly that ”f τichael τcC”rmick, des„ite bei“g c”“tradicted by m”rerece“t critical reassessme“ts directed at Palesti“ia“ urba“ a“d rural set-tleme“t.ή2 οere, a series ”f excavati”“s, c”“ducted ”ver the „ast twe“tyyears at several maj”r urba“ ce“tres, have ide“ti ed “” cases ”f „erma“e“ts”ci”-ec”“”mic disl”cati”“ i“ the early seve“th ce“tury. π“ a c”rres„”“d-i“g fashi”“, re“eg”tiati”“s ”f the chr”“”l”gies ”f ”lder excavati”“s by ρ”diτag“ess a“d ξide”“ Av“i have c”“ti“ued t” augme“t the im„ressi”“s ”fseve“th-ce“tury c”“ti“uity give“ by “ewer material.ή3

νields, Liber Annuus 2ά (19ήά), ά-ά2, with a sh”rter review i“ Tzaferis, ύassili”s. Theμarly Christia“ ο”ly Site at She„herd’s νield, i“ Y”ram Tsafrir, ed., Ancient ChurchesRevealed (ρerusalem: πsrael μx„l”rati”“ S”ciety, 1993), 204-έ.

ή1 Schick, The Christian Communities of Palestine from Byzantine to Islamic Rule, 20.ή2ή3 Av“i, ξide”“. The Persia“ C”“‟uest ”f ρerusalem, 3ά-4ί. This f”ll”wed a“ earlier

study by τag“ess, ρ”di. A Re-exami“ati”“ ”f the Archae”l”gical μvide“ce f”r theSasa“ia“ Persia“ Destructi”“, έή-ή4. π w”uld disagree with ξide”“ Av“i ”“ ”“ly ”“e„”i“t, “amely his acce„ta“ce that the τamilla ξrave ca“ be c”“clusively attributedt” the Sasa“ia“ siege: Av“i, The Persia“ C”“‟uest ”f ρerusalem, 3έ-3ή. This dis-agreeme“t stems fr”m the f”ll”wi“g „”i“ts. νirstly, this i“ter„retati”“ is based ”“a“ err”“e”us tra“sliterati”“ i“ ξerard ξaritte’s editi”“s ”f the Ca„ture ”f ρerusalem“arratives attributed t” the m”“k Strategi”s/μustrati”s. τichel Breydy has dem”“-strated the „r”blematic traditi”“ ”f the ide“ti cati”“ ”f the site ”f τamilla „”i“ti“g

subse‟ue“t ”ccu„ati”“ u„ t” έ2ί „r”ved t” be the rst maj”r bl”w that theChristia“s ”f that regi”“ were t” su er, a bl”w fr”m which they “ever fullyrec”vered. ή1

The c”“‟uest ”f Palesti“e by the Sasa“ia“ Persia“s i“ έ14 a“d their

τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land, 40-42.

3έέ Daniel Reynolds

A lack ”f critical e“gageme“t with the i“ter„retati”“s „r”„”sed by ma“y”lder „ublished excavati”“ re„”rts has “urtured a“ esse“tially arti cialchr”“”l”gy f”r „atter“s ”f m”“astic a“d „ilgrimage devel”„me“t; ”“e char-acterised by a“ immediate fracture i“ their ”ccu„ati”“al hist”ries ar”u“d ca.έ14, f”ll”wed by aba“d”“me“t ”r limited a“d im„”verished rec”“structi”“.This c”“ti“ues t” ge“erate a wealth ”f challe“ges related t” assessme“ts ”fm”“asticism a“d „ilgrimage i“ the early πslamic „eri”d. π“ terms ”f ”bserv-i“g uctuati”“s i“ the „”„ulati”“ ”r wealth ”f m”“asteries, the sizeableb”dy ”f excavati”“ re„”rts which e“d”rse this „r”blematic dati“g (a“d stillre„rese“t a sizeable „r”„”rti”“ ”f the ”verall c”r„us) c”“ti“ues t” im„edea ge“eral assessme“t ”f the “umber ”f active m”“asteries a“d „ilgrimage

t” ”ccu„ati”“al chr”“”l”gies, rather tha“ ”ther ‟uesti”“s such as cha“gesi“ s„atial use ”r fu“cti”“, has st””d i“ the way ”f a much m”re c”m„leteu“dersta“di“g ”f tre“ds which may have emerged i“ res„”“se t” the break-d”w“ ”f Byza“ti“e „”litical c”“tr”l i“ the regi”“. ν”cus ”“ the issue ”fchr”“”l”gy has, i“ ma“y res„ects, reduced curre“t debate t” a sim„le dia-l”gue ”f crisis ”r c”“ti“uity : terms which ”fte“ exclude the „”ssibility”f cha“ges t” m”“astic s”cial r”les after ca. έ14, albeit withi“ a c”“text ”fsubsta“tial ”ccu„ati”“al stability.

t” Saσa „rise de ρérusalem et ses c”“se‟ue“ces (έ14 A.D.) sel”“ la rece“si”“ alexa“dri“edes A““ales d’μutychès, Oriens Christianus έά (19ί1), έ2-ίέ. Mqlla c”uld, h”wever,e‟ually be a c”rru„ti”“ ”f makellum . Sec”“dly, the „ublicati”“ ”f the grave by υa-gar, Y”ssi. οuma“ Skeletal Remai“s fr”m the τamilla Cave, ρerusalem, Atiqot 43(2002), 141–4ί, „r”vides “” c”“vi“ci“g evide“ce that it sh”uld be attributed t” theSasa“ia“ siege bey”“d the disc”very ”f c”i“s dated t” ca. έ10. The ide“ti cati”“ ”fthe i“terred remai“s as Christia“, based ”“ the „rese“ce ”f tubercul”sis victims, isals” sus„ect. υagar’s study was relia“t ”“ the early-twe“tieth-ce“tury e„idemi”l”gi-cal w”rk ”f τaurice νishberg „ublished i“ 191έ, which utilised case studies ”f ρewishc”mmu“ities fr”m υew Y”rk: νishberg, τaurice. C”“sum„ti”“ (Tubercul”sis), i“ π.Si“ger, ed., The Jewish Encyclopedia (υew Y”rk: νu“k a“d ώag“alls, 191έ), 24ά–4ί.πts releva“ce t” studies ”f late a“ti‟ue ρewish c”mmu“ities is „recari”us, as are theresults ”f νishberg’s study (which did “”t i“clude c”mmu“ities ”f μaster“ μur”„ea“migra“t ρews), which must be read i“ the br”ader c”“text ”f νishberg’s attem„ts t”c”u“ter „revale“t a“ti-Semitism.

sites at the time ”f the Arab c”“‟uest i“ the έ30s. μ‟ually such atte“ti”“

īd ib“ Ba rī‟ use ”f th w”rd mqlla : Breydy, τichel. τamila ”u τa‟ellaζ

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3έή

ώhilst the archae”l”gical data amassed by the rece“t excavati”“s ”fDayr Ay“ Abata,ή4 ρabal οārū“ήά a“d the ςathismaήέ have „r”vided a vi-tal c”u“ter-“arrative t” the „red”mi“a“t έ14 dati“g, ”“ a c”llective levelthe „atter“ ”f m”“astic aba“d”“me“t ”r c”“ti“uity, as it emerges fr”mavailable „ublicati”“s, is still „u“ctuated by c”“tradicti”“s betwee“ exist-i“g excavati”“ re„”rts a“d th”se emergi“g fr”m rece“t research. Therestill remai“s a sig“i ca“t b”dy ”f archae”l”gical material i“ “eed ”f rea„-„raisal which c”“ti“ues t” sa“cti”“ the i“ter„retati”“ that by the time ”fthe tra“siti”“ t” Arab rule i“ the έ30s, m”“asticism, as a religi”us a“ds”cial ex„ressi”“, was already i“ termi“al decli“e. The irregular ‟uality ”f”lder „ublished re„”rts, which are “”t always detailed e“”ugh t” all”w crit-ical rea„„raisal ”f the „ublished stratigra„hic „hasi“g ”f i“dividual sites,c”“ti“ues t” c”m„”u“d the issue.

T” s”me exte“t, the „r”blematic chr”“”l”gies ”f m”“astic sites havebee“ “urtured by the ad”„ti”“ ”f value-lade“ terms such as early πslamic”r Arab i“ the a“alysis ”f „”st-Byza“ti“e material culture i“ Palesti“e.The str”“g ass”ciati”“ ”f these chr”“”l”gical de “iti”“s with a“ alter“ative– πslamic – religi”us a“d „”litical system has served t” rei“f”rce a „erce„-ti”“ ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities as s”cial gr”u„s which a„„ear a“tithetical t”

readi“g ”f these terms has had the u“desired e ect ”f leadi“g excavat”rst” ide“tify subse‟ue“t „hases ”f ”ccu„ati”“, ”r i“cide“tal evide“ce ”f lateractivity at m”“astic sites, as features c”“clusive ”f s‟uatter ”ccu„ati”“(which, i“ ma“y cases, are als” misdated t” the late seve“th ce“tury).ήή

ή4 P”litis, ς”“sta“ti“”s. μxcavati”“s at Deir Ai“ Abata 1991, 2ί1-90. A „relimi“arydiscussi”“ ”f the chr”“”l”gy ”f the site is als” „rese“ted i“ P”litis, ς”“sta“ti“”s. μx-cavati”“s a“d Rest”rati”“s at Dayr Ay“ Abā ā 1994, Annual of the Department ofAntiquities of Jordan 39 (199ά), 4ήή-91.

ήά τikk”la, μrk”, A“tti σahelma, Zbig“iew T. νiema a“d Richard ο”lmgre“. TheChurch a“d the Cha„el. Data a“d Phasi“g, i“ Zbig“iew T. νiema a“d ρaakk” νrösé“,eds., Petra – The Mountain of Aaron, Vol. I. The Church and the Chapel (οelsi“ki:S”cietas Scie“tiarum νe““ica, 200ί), 99-1ήέ.

ήέ

(200ή), ά41-άή; idem. The Rec”very ”f the ςathisma Church a“d πts π“ ue“ce ”“φctag”“al Buildi“gs, i“ ξi”va““i Claudi” B”tti“i, σeah Di Seg“i a“d σeslaw Da“ielChru„cala, eds., One Land–Many Cultures. Archaeological Studies in Honour ofStanislao Lo reda OFM (ρerusalem: νra“cisca“ Pri“ti“g Press, 2003), 1ή3-ίέ.

ήή These i“clude the late-seve“th- ”r early –eighth-ce“tury i“scri„ti”“s ”f ο”rvat Bera-

lamic Church ζ). The „r”blem is “”t u“iversal, but i“ several cases a literala“d, theref”re, i“c”m„atible with the „eri”d (h”w are we t” i“ter„ret a“ πs-

Av“er, Ri“a. The ςathisma. A Christia“ a“d τuslim Pilgrimage Site, ARAM 19

3έί Daniel Reynolds

C”“se‟ue“tly, at sites such as the τartyri”s τ”“astery at τaale Adum-mim ”r ο”rvat Berach”t, it has u“dermi“ed the „”te“tial rec”g“iti”“ ”f„r”l”“ged ”ccu„ati”“ a“d the c”“ti“ued sig“i ca“ce ”f m”“astic c”mmu-“ities i“ „”st-Byza“ti“e s”cial framew”rks. These issues, alth”ugh fullyack“”wledged i“ m”re rece“t debates regardi“g settleme“t „r” les, haveyet t” be fully embraced i“ a study dedicated t” m”“asticism.

π“dividual ty„es ”f archae”l”gical material are “”t is”lated fr”m thee ects ”f this tre“d but ”fte“ „r”vide ex„licit exam„les ”f h”w such chr”“”-l”gical framew”rks rei“f”rce traditi”“al i“ter„retati”“s ”f „”st-Byza“ti“em”“astic a“d „ilgrim „ractice. μul”gia t”ke“s, which „r”vide s”me “”mi-“al i“dicati”“ ”f c”“ti“ui“g „ilgrim activity i“ Palesti“e, are am”“g them”st a ected ”f this material. Alth”ugh studies ”f the s”cial fu“cti”“a“d ic”“”gra„hic f”rmulae ”f eul”gia t”ke“s a“d ampullae are “umer”us,attem„ts t” a“alyse the material fr”m a“ archae”l”gical „ers„ective have„r”ved far m”re limited.ήί Chr”“”l”gy is still a c”re issue; the maj”rity ”f„ilgrim t”ke“s a“d ampullae are r”uti“ely assig“ed a terminus ante quem”f έ14 – a tre“d which b”th re„licates a“d rei“f”rces the „erce„ti”“ ”f ahiatus i“ the fre‟ue“cy ”f „ilgrim activity i“ the early seve“th ce“tury.

This assessme“t is, π believe, related t” the curre“t i“cli“ati”“ t” exam-i“e m”“astic a“d „ilgrim activity i“ Palesti“e „red”mi“a“tly i“ terms ”f itsrelati”“shi„ with Byza“tium – i“ its Aegea“ se“se – ”r the f”rmer R”ma“west: a“ i“teracti”“ which is widely c”“sidered t” have bec”me less uid asa result ”f the ge”-„”litical tra“sf”rmati”“s ”f the early seve“th ce“tury.ή9π“f”rmed by this idea, assessme“ts ”f Christia“ „ilgrimage i“ the early πs-

ch”t re„r”duced i“ Dr”ri, Ri“a a“d ρ”se„h Dr”ry. The Arabic π“scri„ti”“ at ο”rvatBerach”t. A„„e“dix t”: Tsafrir, Y”ram a“d Yizhar οirschfeld. The Church a“d τ”-saics at ο”rvat Berach”t, πsrael, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 33 (19ή9), 324-2έ. A similari“ter„retati”“ is als” a„„lied t” the Arab farmh”use a“d small cha„el at τa’ale Ad-ummim which i“c”r„”rates a basilica structure: see τage“, The τ”“astery ”f Stτartyrius at τa’ale Adummim, 1ίί.

ήί ν”r the m”st c”m„rehe“sive study ”f ic”“”gra„hy a“d the s”cial r”le ”f such materialsee ύika“, ξary. Early Byzantine Pilgrimage Art. Revised Edition (ώashi“gt”“ D.C:Dumbart”“ φaks Research σibrary a“d C”llecti”“, 2010).

ή9 This ”„i“i”“ has m”st rece“tly bee“ v”iced i“ τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Surveyof the Holy Land, 4ί. μarlier exam„les ”f this a„„r”ach may be f”u“d i“ ςisli“ger,μwald. τaki“g f”r the h”ly „laces (ήth -10th ce“turies): the sea r”utes , i“ μyaggelíasChatzetry„h”“”s. ed., Routes of faith in the medieval Mediterranean: history, monu-ments, people, pilgrimage perspectives: proceedings: International Symposium, Thes-salonike, 7-10.11.2007 (Thessal”“iki: ό“iversity Studi” Press, 200ί), 120.

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3έ9

lamic „eri”d have assumed a c”rres„”“di“g a„„r”ach, f”cusi“g ”“ guressuch as Arculf,ί0 ώillibaldί1 a“d the e“igmatic μ„i„ha“i”s οagi”„”lites t”the exclusi”“ ”f c”“ti“uities i“ l”calised „ractices.ί2 A limited ra“ge ”f ma-terial has c”“se‟ue“tly rei“f”rced a „erce„ti”“ ”f Palesti“ia“ „ilgrimage asa“ ex„ressi”“ „ri“ci„ally determi“ed by exter“al s”cial devel”„me“ts.

The dati“g ”f eul”gia t”ke“s „r”vides ”“e exam„le ”f the i“ ue“ce ”fthis m”del. Alth”ugh a „re-έ14 dati“g is ge“erally acce„ted f”r the c”r„us”f Palesti“ia“ t”ke“s curre“tly ide“ti ed, “” maj”r study has yet emergedt” substa“tiate this claim thr”ugh cl”ser c”rrelati”“ with ”ther archae”l”g-ical material. The attractive“ess ”f such „ieces t” museum c”llect”rs, ”rtheir survival i“ m”“astic treasuries, ” ers a „artial ex„la“ati”“ f”r thissituati”“: such items are ”fte“ „””rly „r”ve“a“ced a“d l”“g rem”ved fr”mtheir ”rigi“al archae”l”gical c”“text. μ‟ually, their „red”mi“a“ce i“ μur”-„ea“ m”“astic treasuries serves t” „r”ject a“ image ”f such material as the„r”duct ”f ex„”rt a“d as ”bjects which e“j”yed limited „”„ularity i“ thedev”ti”“s ”f m”re l”calised c”mmu“ities a“d “etw”rks.

Determi“i“g the m”veme“t ”f i“dividual t”ke“s fr”m their „lace ”f ma“-ufacture t” their eve“tual desti“ati”“ (“”twithsta“di“g h”w l”“g such tra“s-acti”“s t””k) is bey”“d the „ur„”se a“d ca„ability ”f the „rese“t article.Such discussi”“s are, h”wever, “eeded. ώhilst the str”“g em„hasis i“ rece“tsch”larshi„ ”“ ic”“”gra„hy a“d refere“ces withi“ texts has devel”„ed use-ful „ers„ectives ”“ the s”cial fu“cti”“ ”f such ”bjects, m”re basic ‟uesti”“sregardi“g their ma“ufacture, chr”“”l”gy a“d distributi”“ withi“ Palesti“estill remai“ largely u“-a“swered. C”“se‟ue“tly, the acce„ted ca. έ14 ter-minus ante quem f”r such material remai“s fairly e“shri“ed a“d is stillr”uti“ely a„„lied t” t”ke“s which ”rigi“ate fr”m m”re secure, eve“ „”st-Byza“ti“e archae”l”gical se‟ue“ces.ί0 Ad”m“á“. De Locis Sanctis. μd. De“is τeeha“. Scri„t”res σati“i οiber“iae 3.

Dubli“: Dubli“ π“stitute f”r Adva“ced Studies, 19άί, 1έή-20έ.ί1 οugeburc. Vita Willibaldi. μd. φswald ο”lder μgger. τξο Scri„t”res 1ά.1. [Bοσ

ί931]. οa“”ver: οah“, 1ίίή. Tr. ρ”h“ ώilki“s”“ i“: Jerusalem Pilgrims Before theCrusades. ώarmi“ster: Aris Μ Philli„s, 2002, 233-ά1.

ί2 μ„i„ha“i”s οagi”„”lites. μd. οerbert D”““er. Die Palästi“abeschreibu“g desμ„i„ha“ius τ”“achus οagi”„”lita, Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palastina-Verins ίή(19ή1), 4ά-92. Tr. ρ”h“ ώilki“s”“ i“: Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades.ώarmi“ster: Aris Μ Philli„s, 2002, 20ή-1ά. Thus Dietz, τaribel. Wandering monks,virgins, and pilgrims: ascetic travel in the Mediterranean world, A.D. 300-800 (ό“iver-sity Park, PA: Pe““ State Press, 200ά), 1ί9-212, dem”“strates a str”“g em„hasis ”“wester“ s”urces i“ discussi”“s ”f „ilgrimage i“ the regi”“ f”ll”wi“g the Arab c”“‟uest.

3ή0 Daniel Reynolds

A series ”f eul”gia t”ke“s disc”vered duri“g excavati”“s at Scyth”„”-lis/Beth Shea“ serve t” illustrate this „”i“t.ί3 Based ”“ σevi Y. Rahma“i’sacce„ta“ce ”f a „ilgrimage fracture i“stigated by the Sassa“id c”“‟uest, alleight t”ke“s were assig“ed a „re-έ14 date a“d „ublished with”ut additi”“alex„la“ati”“ ”f the vast chr”“”l”gical discre„a“cies betwee“ the t”ke“s a“dtheir stratigra„hic c”“texts (T”ke“ ξ, „”ssibly the ad”rati”“ ”f the τagi,was f”u“d i“ a“ Abbasid c”“text a“d T”ke“ ο, a sce“e ”f the D”rmiti”“,was f”u“d i“ a τamluk de„”sit).ί4 ώhilst a rm date f”r these t”ke“sremai“s elusive, their im„ulsive attributi”“ t” a „re-έ14 date (based ”“ a„r”blematic ca. έ14 destructi”“ „hase) u“dersc”res h”w traditi”“al assess-

assessme“ts ”f seve“th-ce“tury diag“”stic material such as ceramics – a“dc”“ve“ti”“al „erce„ti”“s ”f ο”ly σa“d „ilgrimage as s”methi“g charac-terised by “”“-Palesti“ia“ tra“sacti”“s, circumscribe ”ur ability t” ”bservec”“ti“uities i“ l”calised „ilgrim „ractice bey”“d the seve“th ce“tury.ίά

Taki“g, f”r exam„le, the t”ke“ de„icti“g the D”rmiti”“, the evide“ce t”„r”„”se a „”st-Byza“ti“e date is “” less credible tha“ that f”r the late-sixth-”r early-seve“th-ce“tury date c”mm”“ly ascribed t” such t”ke“s. Alth”ugh

ce“tury, it is “”t u“til the seve“th ce“tury that we ”bserve substa“tial at-te“ti”“ give“ t” the details a“d the”l”gical im„”rta“ce ”f her death am”“gChalced”“ia“ writers. The eighth a“d “i“th ce“turies i“ „articular ge“er-ated a wealth ”f h”milies a“d ass”ciated writi“gs ab”ut the eve“t which

c”“ti“ued „r”ducti”“ a“d dema“d f”r eulogia t”ke“s ass”ciated with thecult i“t” the early πslamic „eri”d, i“ view ”f what is k“”w“ ab”ut thechr”“”l”gy ”f the siteίή a“d its im„”rta“ce t” the τelkite stati”“al liturgy,

ί3 These were c”llectively „ublished i“ Rahma“i, σevi Y. μul”gia T”ke“s fr”m Byza“ti“eBet She’a“, Atiqot 22 (1993), 109-19.

ί4 Ibid., 112-14.ίά νurther discussi”“ ”f the t”ke“ a“d the cult, albeit ”“e which acce„ts the dati“g

”f the t”ke“ a“d the stratigra„hic „hasi“g ”f the re„”rt, i“ Sh”emaker, Ste„he“ ρ.Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. φxf”rd: φxf”rdό“iversity Press, 2002, 10ή-41.

ίέ These are the h”milies ”f ρ”h“ ”f Damascus, A“drew ”f Crete, ξerma“”s ”f C”“-sta“ti“”„le a“d the Pseud” τ”dest”s: see, Daley, Bria“ μ. On the Dormition of Mary.Early Patristic Homilies (Crestw””d, υY: St ύladimir’s Semi“ary Press, 199ί).

ίή The ”ccu„ati”“ ”f the site a„„ears t” have c”“ti“ued thr”ugh the Abbasid „eri”d. Therelia“ce ”f Bagatti’s survey ”“ the textual d”ssier a“d the subse‟ue“t redevel”„me“t ”f

me“ts ”f the Sas „eri”d – which „ersist al”“gside m”re „r”gressive re-

i“terest i“ the death ”f the „r”bably has its ”rigi“s i“ the later fth

was cl”sely li“ked t” the site ”f the t”mb i“ ξethsema“e.ίέ The

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3ή1

remai“s a „”ssibility that warra“ts m”re c”“sidered re ecti”“.ίί Alth”ughthe ”„„”rtu“ity f”r archae”l”gical research has bee“ limited, the churcha„„ears t” have c”“ti“ued i“ use, with”ut i“terru„ti”“, i“t” the twelfthce“tury. νurtherm”re, its descri„ti”“ as a maj”r site i“ the “i“th-ce“turyKitāb al-burhān (err”“e”usly attributed t” μuthychi”s ”f Alexa“dria) a“dits status as the ce“tre f”r several liturgical feasts, ass”ciated with theThe”t”k”s, i“ the Sinai Georgian Lectionary su„„”rts the im„ressi”“ thatthe site remai“ed sig“i ca“t t” Christia“ c”mmu“ities withi“ Palesti“e be-y”“d the Arab c”“‟uest.ί9 Similar a„„r”aches t” ”ther t”ke“s e“c”u“teredi“ early πslamic stratigra„hic c”“texts may suggest l”“ger chr”“”l”gies ”f„r”ducti”“ a“d circulati”“ tha“ „revi”usly rec”g“ised. τ”st im„”rta“tly,re-exami“ati”“ ”f this material may re‟uire a systematic redrawi“g ”f thebasic chr”“”l”gy ”f Christia“ „ilgrimage a“d m”“astic cult sites i“ the re-gi”“ i“ the early τiddle Ages.

τy ”w“ readi“g ”f the c”llective evide“ce fr”m the sites me“ti”“edab”ve, a“d several ”thers, suggests much l”“ger „hases ”f ”ccu„ati”“ a“dactivity tha“ curre“tly acce„ted. π“ ma“y cases such i“ter„retati”“s are by“ecessity reserved a“d „”ssible ”“ly by situati“g this fragme“tary materiali“ the c”“text ”f data fr”m ”ther sites where the material dem”“stratesm”re substa“tial early πslamic ”ccu„ati”“ a“d “” suggesti”“ ”f fu“cti”“alcha“ge. ώhilst the ide“ti cati”“ ”f later structural i“terve“ti”“ at thesesites – c”mm”“ly i“ the f”rm ”f dated i“scri„ti”“s but i“creasi“gly thr”ughthe re-exami“ati”“ ”f ceramic chr”“”l”gies – may su„„”rt a „”te“tial shifti“ the s„a“ ”f their ”ccu„ati”“al hist”ry (at least bey”“d the seve“th ce“-

the site i“ the 12th

New Discoveries at the Tomb of the Virgin Mary in Gethsemane. ρerusalem: νra“cis-ca“ Pri“ti“g Press, 19ήά. The a„„eara“ce ”f the church i“ the C”mmem”rat”rium deCasis Dei, li“es 13-1ά, suggests that the site remai“ed i“ use at least u“til the early

ίί

ti“ia“ lecti”“aries see Bald”vi“, ρ”h“. The όrba“ Character ”f Christia“ ώ”rshi„ i“ρerusalem, R”me a“d C”“sta“ti“”„le fr”m the ν”urth t” the Te“th Ce“turies. Theφrigi“, Devel”„me“t, a“d τea“i“g ”f the Stati”“al σiturgy, ό“„ublished Ph.D. The-sis: ό“iversity ”f Yale, 19ί2, 92. The e“try i“ the ξe”rgia“ cale“dar is f”r the 14thρuly. ν”r c”mme“tary a“d further discussi”“ see Le Calendrier Palestino-Géorgiendu Sinaiticus 34 όXe siècleύ, 2ήί-ή9.

ί9 ξri th, The Church in the Shadow of the Mosque, 90-91, with further bibli”gra„hy;Pseud”-μutychi”s ”f Alexa“dria, Kitāb al-burhān, 3ά4.

ce“tury, limits a fuller u“dersta“di“g ”f the όmayyad a“d Ab asid„hases ”f this site. See Bagatti, Bellarmi“”, τichele Piccirill” a“d Albert” Pr”d”m”.

ν”r a discussi”“ ”f the cult ”f the ύirgi“ a“d related discussi”“ ”f the survivi“g Pales-“i“th ce“tury: see τcC”rmick, Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land, 202-3.

3ή2 Daniel Reynolds

tury), this a„„r”ach is admittedly restricted i“ its ca„acity t” „rese“t afull rea„„raisal ”f their subse‟ue“t ”ccu„ati”“al se‟ue“ces. ν”r sites suchas the τartyri”s τ”“astery at τa’ale Adummim a“d ςa“iset er Rawat(”fte“ k“”w“ as She„herd’s νields), the discussi”“ remai“s „rimarily ”“e”f ide“tifyi“g aws i“ the „rese“t chr”“”l”gies rather tha“ a c”m„rehe“-sive archae”l”gical rea„„raisal.90 π“ this res„ect, these restricti”“s limitus t” a rather sim„le dial”gue ”f chr”“”l”gical „arameters: whilst we ca“ide“tify a“ a„„r”ximate f”u“dati”“ a“d aba“d”“me“t date f”r a „articularm”“astery, we are curre“tly u“able t” say much ab”ut the “ature ”f ma“ysites at a“y give“ „”i“t betwee“ ca. έ00 a“d ca. 1000. This limitati”“ is”f „ri“ci„al c”“cer“ t” a“y i“vestigati”“ ”f h”w later „atter“s ”f c”“ti“u-ity a“d survival am”“g Palesti“e’s m”“astic “etw”rk f”ll”wi“g the seve“thce“tury may be i“ter„reted.

ν”r the „ur„”se ”f the „rese“t discussi”“, f”cused ”“ regi”“al „atter“srather tha“ i“dividual case studies, the evide“ce is „rese“tly su cie“t t”

archae”l”gical terms, a gr”wi“g c”r„us ”f ”ther m”“astic sites, which ex-hibit “” c”m„arative ru„ture i“ their ”ccu„ati”“al hist”ries, „rese“t the

substa“tial damage t” the „hysical m”“astic e“vir”“me“t a“d did “”t i“-stigate a le“gthe“ed „r”cess ”f m”“astic decli“e. μsse“tial t” this ”veralldiscussi”“, h”wever, is the “eed t” de “e m”re fully what is u“derst””d

em„hasis ”“ ide“tifyi“g l”“g-term archae”l”gical „atter“s ”f c”“ti“uity”r aba“d”“me“t , th”ugh i“tegral t” the curre“t debate, ”fte“ ”bscures”ur ca„acity t” detect tem„”rary res„”“ses t” the u“certai“ty ge“eratedby military c”“fr”“tati”“ ”r cha“ges i“ the way i“ which m”“astic c”m-mu“ities fu“cti”“ed i“ admi“istrative a“d s”cial terms, tre“ds which ”fte“leave e„hemeral archae”l”gical sig“atures a“d f”r which Palesti“e, u“likeμgy„t, lacks a c”m„arative b”dy ”f textual material t” c”m„e“sate f”r thelimitati”“s ”f the archae”l”gy.

A feature which a„„ears t” emerge fr”m this setti“g i“ archae”l”gicalterms is that evide“ce f”r „atr”“al activity ”r structural i“vestme“t i“m”“astic c”m„lexes a“d „ilgrim shri“es is less ex„licit f”r the „eri”d έ14-2ί. S”me mi“”r exam„les i“ the υegev „u“ctuate a“ ”therwise regi”“alhiatus. These are ”“ the wh”le rather „iecemeal, such as burials i“ the

90 See “”te ή0 f”r refere“ces t” the excavati”“s c”“ducted at b”th sites.

‟uesti”“ critically the devastati“g im„act ”f the Sas ”ccu„ati”“. π“

”verall im„ressi”“ that the Sasa „rese“ce i“ Palesti“e resulted i“ “”

by im„act i“ refere“ce t” m”“asticism a“d the Sasa“i ”ccu„ati”“. The

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3ή3

churches ”f Sergi”s-Bakkh”s at υessa“a (dated έ1ά) a“d the S”uth Church”f Avdat/φb”da (dated έ1ή) which „r”vide evide“ce ”f ”“g”i“g e„igra„hicactivity.91 The “”rther“ Tra“sj”rda“ „rese“ts the str”“gest evide“ce f”r thec”“ti“uati”“ ”f „atter“s ”f church buildi“g a“d embellishme“t c”“siste“twith th”se ”f the late sixth ce“tury. Several exam„les ”f church c”“struc-ti”“ are attested at Rihab by the έ20s, as well as at Sama (alth”ugh am”“astic c”““ecti”“ is i“determi“able), a“d m”re rece“tly excavati”“s ”fa church c”m„lex, t”day k“”w“ as τar μlyas, which i“c”r„”rated a sub-terra“ea“ cry„t (a“d was „”ssibly a m”“astery) have „r”duced a furtherexam„le ”f m”saic re“”vati”“ i“ ca. έ22.92 πt remai“s di cult t” determi“eh”w re„rese“tative the „atter“s exhibited at Rihab a“d τar μlyas are ”“ aregi”“al level. But whe“ these Tra“sj”rda“ia“ exam„les are „laced i“ thec”“text ”f their c”“tem„”rary ec”“”mic e“vir”“me“t, the c”“ti“uati”“ ”fchurch embellishme“t is u“sur„risi“g. All three sites are i“ cl”se „r”xim-ity t” ”“e a“”ther (it is less tha“ ή0 km fr”m τar μlyas t” Sama) i“ thee“vir”“s ”f ρerash at the c”re ”f the Deca„”lis “etw”rk. The relative i“ter-“alisati”“ a“d aut”“”my ”f the ec”“”mic “etw”rk ”f the Deca„”lis, whichhas bee“ re„eatedly stressed ”ver the „ast decade,93 ” ers a useful frame-w”rk t” ex„lai“ these c”“ti“ued exam„les ”f church buildi“g. Churchessuch as τar μlyas were esse“tially „r”ducts ”f a“ ec”“”mic “etw”rk suf-cie“tly i“de„e“de“t ”f devel”„me“ts further west t” e“sure that „atr”“s

remai“ed ec”“”mically stable a“d „r”s„er”us thr”ugh”ut the seve“th ce“-tury. The is”lati”“ ”f the Deca„”lis urba“ “etw”rk fr”m the „”litical f”cus”f the Sasa“ia“ armies („r”bably ce“tred ar”u“d Caesarea a“d ρerusalem)a“d the emergi“g strai“s i“ the τediterra“ea“ excha“ge “etw”rks, whichwere t” have c”“siderable e ects ”“ the settleme“ts i“ the υegev a“d ”“the ξaza c”astli“e, arguably shielded the Tra“sj”rda“ fr”m the m”re “eg-ative, th”ugh still largely u“de “ed, e ects ”f devel”„me“ts i“ the earlyseve“th ce“tury. Such ”bvi”us regi”“al dis„arities i“ the c”“ti“uati”“ ”f91 See νigueras, Pau. τ”“ks a“d τ”“asteries i“ the υegev Desert, Liber Annuus 4ά

(199ά), 431.92 ν”r Rihab see Piccirill”, τichele. Chiese e mosaici della Giordania settentrionale.

d”“ald, Pilgrimage in Early Christian Jordan, ήί.93 The evide“ce is sy“thesised i“ ώickham, Chris. Framing the Early Middle Ages.

Europe and the Mediterranean 400-800. φxf”rd: φxf”rd ό“iversity Press, 200ά, ήή0-ί0. See als” ώalmsley, Ala“. Pr”ducti”“, μxcha“ge a“d Regi”“al Trade i“ theπslamic μast τediterra“ea“. φld Structures, υew Systemsζ i“ π“ge σyse οa“se“ a“dChris ώickham, eds., The Long Eighth Century (σeide“: Brill, 2000), 30ά-31.

ρerusalem: νra“cisca“ Pri“ti“g Press, 19ί1, ά1, ή3-ί0, a“d f”r τar μlyas see τac-

3ή4 Daniel Reynolds

„atr”“age i“ Palesti“e serve t” cauti”“ agai“st swee„i“g assessme“ts ”f the

variati”“.94Thus, the a„„are“t hiatus i“ i“vestme“t i“ m”“astic c”mmu“ities ”r

„ilgrimage shri“es may „r”ve t” be a matter ”f i“ter„retati”“ rather tha“data. φ“ly a detailed survey ”f the evide“ce, which ”bserves archae”l”gicala“d e„igra„hic tre“ds betwee“ the Byza“ti“e, Sassa“id a“d early πslamic„eri”ds – as ”„„”sed t” the traditi”“al studies which adhere t” „”liticaltimeframes, a“d thereby ide“tify a έ14 hiatus that may “”t have ”ccurred– will be able t” verify this ex„la“ati”“ a“d „lace the a„„are“t έ14-2ίhiatus i“ the c”“text ”f l”“g-term, but l”cally determi“ed „atr”“al tre“dsa“d uctuati”“s.

ώhilst this may re‟uire c”“ti“ued research t” e“list further exam„les,the evide“ce is su cie“t t” su„„”rt the „”i“ts made earlier i“ this studywhich cauti”“ed agai“st the te“de“cy t” h”m”ge“ise m”“asteries a“d „il-grimage ce“tres as e“tities which were e ected u“if”rmly by the im„act ”fτuslim rule ”ver the „eri”d c”vered by this study. This “ecessitates a rea„-„raisal ”f the „r”cesses a“d relati”“shi„s which de “ed m”“asticism duri“gthe sixth a“d early seve“th ce“turies a“d which c”“ti“ued t” be i“ ue“tiali“ frami“g later devel”„me“ts i“ the early πslamic „eri”d.

Such rea„„araisal ca“ ”“ly be achieved thr”ugh rec”g“iti”“ ”f the limi-tati”“s ”f c”“tem„”rary a„„r”aches. Chr”“”l”gies “eed t” be redraw“: the

fu“dame“tal t” u“dersta“di“g the ”rigi“s ”f these later traject”ries. Theyals” re‟uire substa“tial re “eme“t. Discussi”“s “eed t” mature bey”“dthe juxta„”siti”“ ”f crisis a“d c”“ti“uity a“d t”wards a m”re devel”„edu“dersta“di“g ”f h”w Palesti“ia“ m”“astic la“dsca„es a“d c”mmu“itiesfu“cti”“ed bey”“d the seve“th ce“tury – i“ esse“ce, t” strive t”wards theemerge“ce ”f τelkite archae”l”gy as a disci„li“e related, but “”t sub-sidiary t”, that that ”f Byza“ti“e „redecess”r c”mmu“ities.

The ce“trality ”f hagi”gra„hy t” a„„r”aches t” Palesti“ia“ m”“asticism“eeds t” be re-evaluated b”th fr”m the „ers„ective ”f its i“creasi“gly a„-„are“t i“c”m„atibility with much material evide“ce, a“d als” i“ terms ”fthe issues „rese“ted by the s”urces themselves. Questi”“s ”f auth”rshi„,94 A c”llective survey ”f the e„igra„hic evide“ce is ” ered i“ Di Seg“i, σeah. μ„igra„hic

D”cume“tati”“, 149-ήί.

Sas im„act with”ut regard f”r l”calised „”litical, ec”“”mic a“d s”cial

‟uesti”“ ”f the im„act ”f the Sas ”ccu„ati”“ i“ ca. έ14 still remai“s

Monasticism in Early Islamic Palestine 3ήά

c”“text a“d tra“smissi”“ are crucial, but have yet t” be r”uti“ely asked”f this material. The curre“t r”le ”f hagi”gra„hical texts i“ de “i“g h”wm”“asteries were f”u“ded a“d their relati”“shi„s with wider s”ciety ”r ad-mi“istrative structures ”„erated “eeds t” be systematically disma“tled a“dreviewed. φ“ly greater ack“”wledgeme“t ”f the e“tirety ”f the availableliterary, e„igra„hic a“d archae”l”gical material – l”cal, regi”“al a“d i“tra-regi”“al – a“d its limitati”“s, will „r”vide a“ ade‟uate basis fr”m which t”c”mme“ce i“vestigati”“ i“t” „”st-Byza“ti“e m”“asticism i“ Palesti“e a“dde “e its c”re devel”„me“ts.

μsse“tial t” ”ur u“dersta“di“g ”f what e“abled sites t” e“dure the tra“s-f”rmative tre“ds ”f the seve“th t” te“th ce“turies, ”r c”“versely t” falteru“der them, is the “eed t” c”“sider such sites i“ the c”“text ”f shifti“g„ri”rities a“d „erce„ti”“s: h”w reside“t Christia“ c”mmu“ities c”“ti“uedt” „ri”ritise a“d i“vest i“ s„eci c eleme“ts ”f that la“dsca„e a“d ge“eraltre“ds i“ their ec”“”mic ca„abilities t” realise such m”“ume“tal ambiti”“s.This ca“ ”“ly be achieved ”“ce we have determi“ed what these „ri”ritieswere a“d whe“ce this wealth was derived.

τ”“asteries a“d „ilgrim sites, alth”ugh „erha„s f”u“ded f”r similarra“ge ”f reas”“s, were “”t disc”““ected fr”m existi“g disc”urses regardi“gthe sacrality ”f s„ace, which ”fte“ „erceived a“d ”rga“ised s„ace i“ terms”f hierarchy. φ“e “eed ”“ly c”“sider the age“da ”f the sixth-ce“tury τad-

t” u“dersta“d the multitude ”f ways i“ which the Palesti“ia“ sacr”-sca„ewas b”th c”“ce„tualised a“d „hysically “eg”tiated. φur u“dersta“di“g ”fthe subse‟ue“t traject”ries ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities a“d „ilgrim sites “eedst” be viewed fr”m the „ers„ective ”f these i“e‟ualities a“d the c”llectiveim„act ”f these disti“cti”“s u„”“ m”“asteries i“ terms ”f their dev”ti”“ala“d „atr”“al su„„”rt “etw”rks. These i“dividual issues are c”m„lex a“dwarra“t se„arate critical study. υ”“etheless, the „”i“ts they raise are im-„”rta“t f”r u“dersta“di“g the esse“tial fact”rs which sha„ed the „hysicala“d s”cial w”rld ”f m”“astic c”mmu“ities i“ the early πslamic „eri”d. π“

“ected t” wider „”litical a“d ec”“”mic ave“ues a“d which did “”t. πf weare t” de “e the basic c”“t”urs ”f h”w, why a“d whe“ m”“astic c”mmu-“ities emerged as a mi“”rity i“ Palesti“e, we must determi“e the esse“tialcharacteristics ”f their r”le by the early seve“th ce“tury, whe“ m”“asti-cism c”m„rised a substa“tial c”m„”“e“t ”f the s”cial w”rld ”f Palesti“e’sChristia“ maj”rity.

„articular they have direct beari“g ”“ which survived a“d remai“ed c”“-

aba ma„, ”r the survivi“g „ilgrims’ acc”u“ts ”f the sixth t” “i“th ce“turies

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