Archaeological discovery in Jerusalem appears to show extreme asceticism among Christian nuns of Late Antiquity

The first archaeological evidence in the world for the ancient phenomenon of extreme asceticism practiced by nuns was discovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Monday. 

While written sources have suggested that some nuns in Byzantine-era Israel practiced extreme asceticism, this discovery appears to be the first archaeological evidence of the phenomenon worldwide.

The evidence was found during the excavation of a Byzantine monastery about three kilometers (2 miles) northwest of Jerusalem's Old City. The site has been identified as a monastery that was active between the 5th and 7th centuries A.D.

Asceticism was a common practice in Late Antiquity and Medieval Christianity, involving self-denial of physical or psychological desires to achieve greater spiritual purity and closeness to God.

The skeleton of a person was found buried beneath the altar of the church, which was a position of honor, bound with four heavy metal rings around her neck and others around her arms and legs.

Researchers were able to determine that the body belonged to a woman after analysis of a tooth from the poorly-preserved skeleton showed the presence of specific proteins encoded differentially by the X and Y chromosomes.

Weizmann Institute of Science researchers Dr. Paula Kotli, David Morgenstern and Prof. Elisabetta Boaretto extracted the amelogenin proteins from the enamel and established the female identity of the skeleton. 

According to IAA researchers Zubair Adawi, Kfir Arbiv and Dr. Yossi Nagar, “The woman was discovered in a single grave, dedicated to her as a sign of honor under the church altar - bema. She was bound with 12-14 rings around the arms or hands, four rings around the neck, and at least 10 rings around the legs. Iron plates or discs on her stomach, which were attached to the rings, gave her skeleton an armored form.” 

Adawi noted a prominent fifth-century theologian named Theodoret of Cyrrhus, who described such ascetic practices. 

“Theodoret of Cyrrhus described these practices in his book ‘Historia Religiosa,'” Adawi said. “He mentioned a few examples of monks wearing iron chains.” 

The discovery marks the first known use of the chains by a nun. 

The IAA uncovered additional burial crypts under the church’s altar, which revealed the remains of women, men and children. The wearing of the heavy iron rings was a voluntary action from nuns and monks alike, as part of other ascetic practices, as a form of self-flagellation. 

“The nun is an expression of a phenomenon that was widespread among Byzantine monks in antiquity, which was accompanied by excessive extremism,” Adawi and Arbiv said. 

“The monks forced destructive acts and self-harm onto the body. Among the described forms of affliction were prolonged fasts; wrapping iron chains and various accessories around the body; tying the body to rocks; loading on heavy weights; tying the body and placing it in a device which forced it to stand and to deny sleep; self-imprisonment and contraction into a narrow and isolated living space – inside abandoned towers, caves or cells; in hanging cages; on the tops of pillars (a “stylite”) or even living in the treetops; living under the open sky and exposing the body to the elements; or a in place to be motionless. In some cases, the monks threw themselves into a fire or in front of animals of prey.” 

Those who practiced asceticism, though not always monks or nuns, were regarded as holy figures. Historical records indicate that people often traveled great distances to seek their blessings.

The practice of extreme asceticism among Christians of Late Antiquity appears to have originated in northern Syria and Anatolia before spreading southward to Jerusalem and Egypt, according to Adawi and Arbiv. 

IAA researchers dubbed the body the ‘Nun of the Rings.’ While it is possible she migrated from Syria, joining a community of monks and nuns in Jerusalem from around the Byzantine Empire, she could also have been a local nun who adopted the practice of asceticism as it spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean. The discovery joins that of another body, dubbed the ‘Monk of the Chains,’ which was found a few decades ago near the Mar Elias monastery on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. 

The director of the IAA, Eli Escusido, said: “We have here a fascinating discovery, which will require continued research by our researchers at the Israel Antiquities Authority, in order to better understand the role of women in religious life and nunhood in that historical period.”