Monk Buried in Chains in Ancient Jerusalem turns out to be a Woman

Christianity changed after its adoption as the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD. Inspired by centuries of Christian martyrs, asceticism became a prominent feature of its followers.

Before the Romans adopted it, many emperors had elected to persecute the Christians within their territories, and martyrdom was a frequent end for the most pious and unrepentant of Christians. But with state support Christians needed a new way to suffer for their Lord.

Hence the asceticism, with Christians opting to punish their “sinful” flesh voluntarily where once they had been punished by pagans for their beliefs. Such practices grew in the post-Roman Byzantine empire of eastern Europe and the near east, but it was usually something men did.

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However a new excavation and study of a burial in Byzantine Jerusalem has shown that not all were men. The body in the grave, heavily bound in chains, is that of a woman.

According to the new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science this is the first evidence of female self-torment rituals discovered in the Byzantine Empire. This opens up all sorts of questions about how this woman came to be buried in this fashion, and may entirely rewrite the religious history of the period.

The burial is in a Byzantine monastery at Khirbat el-Masani, a site some 3km from Jerusalem, near the main road to Jaffa and Lydda. During the excavations of the site two crypts were uncovered containing scattered remains, dated to the 5th century based on an analysis of the grave goods. 

Amidst these remains lies the woman, weighed down with heavy chains which were intended to limit mobility in living wearers. Such relics and indeed such burials are known from other locations, but only with men. An analysis of the remaining teeth of this corpse confirms this is the first woman found in this way.

The chains obscure much of the heavily degraded body, tightly wrapped around the neck, arms and lower legs. The bones beneath were so delicate that they crumbled to the touch. 

Many questions remain to be asked about this extraordinary find. Is this a single example of such asceticism in a woman, a unique burial. Or is our understanding of Byzantine Christianity entirely incomplete. Do we have to rewrite history?

Header Image: The ascetic “monk” was actually a woman, the first such burial ever to be found. Source: Journal of Archaeological Science.