The Spiritual Meadow

by John Moschos

Moschos and Stylite

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... 2 Table of Figures ...... 4 Who was John Moschos? (c.550 – 619) ...... 5 An Introduction to Spiritual Meadow ...... 6 Moschos’ Prologue – To his beloved in Christ Sophronius Sophista ...... 8 1. The life of the holy old man John and the Cave of Sapsa ...... 9 2. The life of an old man who fed lions in his own cave ...... 11 3. The life of Conon, a presbyter of the of Pentoucla ...... 12 4. A story told by Abba Leontius ...... 14 5. Abba Polychronius’ story about three ...... 15 6. Another one of Polychronius’ stories ...... 16 7. The life and death of an old man who refused to be the leader of the Monastery of the Towers ...... 17 8. The life of Abba Myrogenes (who had dropsy) ...... 18 9. The wonderful charity of an elder ...... 19 10. The life of Barnabus (the ) ...... 20 11. The life of Abba Hagiodulus ...... 21 12. A saying of Abba Olympius ...... 22 13. The life of Abba Mark (the anchorite) ...... 23 14. The brother who was attacked by the spirit of fornication and became leprous ...... 24 15. A miraculous deed of Abba Conon ...... 25 16. A story which Abba Nicholas told about himself and his companions ...... 26 17. The elder who received Communion three times a week ...... 27 18. The life of another elder who slept among lions ...... 27 19. A story that Abba Elias told about himself...... 28 20. The conversion of a certain soldier through a miracle God performed (and his profitable life) ...... 29 21. The deaths of an anchorite (and his murderer) ...... 30 22. The life of Conon (another elder) ...... 31 23. The life of the Theodulus ...... 31 24 – The life of an old man living in the cells of Cuziba ...... 32 25 – The brother of the monastery of Cuziba, who memorized the words of the ...... 33 26 – The life of brother Theophanes, his marvellous vision, and his communion with heretics ...... 34 27 – The presbyter of the village of Mardandos ...... 35 28 –Abba Julian the Stylite’s wondrous deed ...... 36 29 – A miracle of the most holy Eucharist ...... 37 30 – The Life of Isodore, a monk from Melitene (another miracle of the holy Eucharist) ...... 38 31 – The conversion of Mary (the prostitute) ...... 39 32 – The conversion and life of Babylas (the actor) and his two concubines ...... 40 33 – The life of the holy Theodotus (of ) ...... 41 34 – The life of the godly Alexander ( of Antioch) ...... 41 35 – The life of Elias, archbishop of , and of Flavian, patriarch of Antioch ...... 42 Glossary of Terms...... 43 Map of Locations...... 47 Glossary of Locations ...... 48 Glossary of People ...... 53 Bibliography ...... 56

Table of Figures

Figure 1 - John Moschos ...... 5 Figure 2 - St. icon...... 9 Figure 3 - icon ...... 11 Figure 4 - St. John baptizes Christ icon ...... 12 Figure 5 - Coptic icon of , the founder of Christian Cenobitic ...... 14 Figure 6 - Image of Ascension from the Rabbula Gospels ...... 15 Figure 7 - The Epitaphios: the Burial of Christ Icon...... 16 Figure 8 - St. icon ...... 17 Figure 9 - Image - heals a man with dropsy ...... 18 Figure 10 - Last Supper Icon ...... 19 Figure 11 - The Ladder of Divine Ascent ...... 20 Figure 12 - A Resurrection icon ...... 21 Figure 13 - Veneration of the Holy Cross icon ...... 22 Figure 14 - Tormented anchorite icon ...... 23 Figure 15 - The Healing of 10 lepers icon ...... 24 Figure 16 - Virgin Mary of Sorrows: Seven Swords Icon ...... 25 Figure 17 - St. Gerasimos of Jordon icon ...... 26 Figure 18 - Icon of the conversion of Holy Paul (by Todor Mitrovic) ...... 29 Figure 19 - Beheading of John the Baptist icon ...... 30 Figure 20 - Multiplication of the loaves icon ...... 31 Figure 21 – Icon of Simon of Cyrene carrying Christ's cross ...... 32 Figure 22 - A Eucharist icon ...... 33 Figure 23 - Saint Luke the New Stylite, of Chalcedon (10th century) ...... 36 Figure 24 - Icon of the of Antioch (including duo stylites)...... 37 Figure 25 - icon ...... 39 Figure 26 - Female Orthodox Saints icon ...... 40 Figure 1 - Icon ...... 42 Figure 27 - The Monastery of Saints John and George of Cuziba ...... 48 Figure 28 - The ruins of St. Euthymios ...... 49 Figure 29 - The Monastery of St. Gerasimos ...... 50 Figure 30 - Saint Sabas Monastery ...... 51 Figure 31 – The Monastery of St. Theodosius ...... 52 Figure 1 - Map of the Late Roman Empire Egyptian Diocese, with Thebais in the south ...... 52 Figure 32 - St. Sabas Icon ...... 54

Who was John Moschos? (c.550 – 619)

Figure 1 - John Moschos Icon

John Moschos (550?-619) was a monk, traveller, and writer. He lived successively with the monks at the monastery of St. Theodosius in Jerusalem, among the in the valley, and in the New Lavra1 of St. Sabas south-east of .

In about 578 CE he went to with his companion Sophronius2, going as far as the Great Oasis. After 583 he went to Mt. Sinai and spent about ten years in the of Aeliotes. He then visited the , near Jerusalem and the . In 604 he went to Antioch, returning to Egypt in 607. Later he came to and in 614-615 to . All this while he was collecting information and stories about the world he travelled in.

On his deathbed he requested that Sophronius bury him either on Mt. Sinai or at Jerusalem’s St. Theodosius monastery. Mt. Sinai being then controlled by the Muslims, Sophronius buried him at St. 3 Theodosius. The result of his travels is the work present here: the Leimonarion or Spiritual Meadow, of one of the first detailed descriptions of the world of monasteries. In it he describes his own experiences with the many monks and that he met during his travels. Most importantly, he tells the stories they told him.

1 A lavra is any large Orthodox monastery. Initially, it denoted those organised as a set of detached monks’ cells clustered around a monastic . The monks met weekly to celebrate the Sunday liturgy together; otherwise they lived as hermits. 2 Sophronius Sophista was born in in around 560 CE. He and became ascetics together in their late teens, eventually becoming travelling companions. Sophronius became patriarch of Jerusalem in 633 CE, only to hand over control of the city to the conquering Caliph Omar in 637. He died a soon after. 3 The word Leimonarion can be translated either as “spiritual meadow” or “new paradise.” An Introduction to Spiritual Meadow

In the spring of the year 587 A.D, had you been sitting on a bluff of rock overlooking Bethlehem you would have been able to see two figures setting off, staff in hand, from the gates of the great desert monastery of St. Theodosius. The two figures - an old grey-bearded monk accompanied by a tall, upright perhaps slightly stern younger companion - would have headed off South East through the wastes of Judea, towards the then fabulously rich port-metropolis of Gaza.

It was the start of an extraordinary forty year journey that would take John Moschos and his pupil Sophronius the Sophist in an arc across the entire Eastern Byzantine world, from the shores of the Bosphorus to the sand dunes of desert Egypt. Now Byzantine caravanserais were rough places and the provincial Greek aristocracy did not enjoy entertaining: as the Byzantine writer Cecaumenus put it "house parties are a mistake for guests merely criticise your housekeeping and attempt to seduce your wife." So everywhere they went, the two travellers stayed in some of the thousands of monasteries, caves and remote hermitages which then littered the Middle East. There they dined with the monks and ascetics. In each , Moschus jotted down onto papyrus accounts that he heard of the sayings of the stylites and , the sages and mystics of the Byzantine East, before this world, clearly on the verge of collapse, finally disappeared forever.

Later, exiled in , Moschos wrote an account of his travels; entitled The Leimonarion or Spiritual Meadow, his book received an enthusiastic reception in monasteries across the . Within a generation or two it had been translated into Latin, Georgian, Armenian, Arabic, and a variety of Slavonic languages. It was, if you like, the greatest travel bestseller in Byzantine history.

Now as you all know the monastic world described by John Moschos was a very different scene from the settled world of the medieval western ; it was a place where: St. Cyril could applaud his Coptic monks for lynching and murdering the pagan lady philosopher Hyperia as she passed in her litter though ; where oracle-like stylites settled the domestic disputes of E. Christendom from atop their pillars, where dendrites took literally Christ's instruction to behave like the birds of the air, and who therefore lived in trees and built little nests for themselves in the branches - and where other hermits walled themselves up in hermitages, suspended themselves in cages and where one gentleman named Baradatus even sowed himself up in animal skins so that he would be baked alive in sweltering midsummer heat - a sort of Byzantine boil-in the bag monk.

Yet for all this, there is a great deal in the period and in the ideals of Moschos' monks that is still deeply attractive: the Great Orthodox monastic tradition which aims at the purification of the soul through the taming of the flesh, where the material world is pulled aside like a great heavy curtain to allow man's gaze to go straight to God. Moreover the monasteries where this spiritual warfare took place were fortresses that preserved everything that had been salvaged from the wreck of classical civilisation, so preserving the learning of antiquity from the encroaching barbarism.

Moschos' Spiritual Meadow has an attractive carefree scholar-gypsy feel to it, and there is an endearing lightness of touch and sense of humour evident in its stories. One typical tale concerns a novice from Antinoe in Upper Egypt 'who,' according to Moschos, 'was very careless with his own soul'. When the novice dies, his teacher is worried that he might have been sent to hell for his sins, so he prays that it might be revealed what has happened to his pupil’s soul. Eventually the teacher goes into a trance, and sees a river of fire with the novice submerged in it up to his neck. The teacher is horrified, but the novice turns to him saying, 'I thank God, oh my teacher, that there is relief for my head. Thanks to your prayers I am standing on the head of a bishop.'

Yet reading between the lines these were clearly dangerous times: Empire was under assault, from West: from Slavs, Goths and Lombards, while on the East you had the whole fabric was cracking under raids by desert nomads and the legions of Sassanian Persia. In 614 Moschos' home monastery of St. Theodosius was burned to the ground by the Persian army and all their brethren - hundreds of unarmed monks - put to the sword. Nevertheless, when John Moschos died in 619, the empire still ruled, however shakily, from the Veneto to Southern Egypt. But Moschos' companion, Sophronius, was to live to see this entire Eastern Byzantine world finally shatter and fragment.

In his old age, Sophronius was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem: left to him to defend the Holy City against the first great army of Islam as it swept up from Arabia, conquering all before it. Now Arabs not great at siege-craft: when outside Damascus had to borrow ladder from monastery to get over the walls - but with the Imperial legions already ambushed on the banks of the Yarmuck, and no prospect of relief - hopeless struggle.

On a February day in the year A.D 638, after a siege lasting twelve months, the Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem, riding upon a white camel. Sophronius handed over to him the keys of the city and through his tears was heard to murmur: "Behold the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the Prophet." He died, heartbroken, a few months later. He was buried in the monastery of St. Theodosius; beside him, in the next niche in the crypt, was laid the body of his friend John Moschos.4

4 This was taken from “From The Holy Mountain: A Journey in the shadow of ” by William Dalrymple Moschos’ Prologue – To his beloved in Christ Sophronius Sophista

Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem

It is obvious to all, my beloved son, that the meadows are at their most beautiful in springtime, with its variety of flowers commanding the attention of all who gaze, impossible to ignore, beneficial in multitudinous ways, delighting the eyes and pleasuring the sense of smell.

Part of this meadow indeed flourishes with the colour of roses; part grows white with lilies, easily attracting the attention of the onlooker away from the colour of the roses. Other parts shimmer with violets, the imperial purple flower. This profusion of sights and fragrances of countless flowers gratifies the senses.

Think of this present work in this way, Sophronius, my holy and most faithful son, because within you will find the holy virtues of the holy men who have enlightened our time "planted by the running waters", as the Psalmist says (Psalms 1.3). And though all of them are acceptable to God and of great grace, yet each one is distinguished by some particular grace more than the others, so that out of this great variety of virtues arises a picture of pleasing beauty. Out of these flowers I have picked the most beautiful, and woven a corona for you out of this everlasting meadow, my most faithful son, which I offer to you, and through you to everyone.

For this reason it seems good to call this present work a Meadow, for the delight, comfort and usefulness which those who read may take from it. It is not only right belief and meditation on divine truth which lead to a life of moral integrity, but also the written accounts of their virtuous lives. Therefore I have undertaken this task trusting in the Lord, beloved son, and hoping that it will commend itself to your charity. Just as a bee seeks out only what is useful and true, so I have I described the lives of the holy fathers that souls may be enlightened. 1. The life of the holy old man John and the Cave of Sapsa

Figure 2 - St. John the Baptist icon

There was an old man called John in the monastery of Eustorgius5. The holy Elias, Archbishop of Jerusalem, wanted to put him in charge of all Jerusalem’s monasteries. John demurred, saying that he wanted to travel to Mt Sinai so he could pray there.

5 The Monastery of Abba Eustorgius was founded by Eustorgios c. 450 CE near Jerusalem; the exact location is unknown, but it is likely to have been on Mount Zion (Source: Derwent Chitty, The Desert a City pp. 93-94) The Archbishop urged him to be made an before going off to wherever he wanted. The old man still would not agree, so at last the bishop let him go if John would accept this responsibility when he returned.

He thanked the Archbishop and began his journey, taking his with him6. They crossed the Jordan7 and had hardly taken a step when the old man began to feel stiff and shortly afterwards became feverish.

The fever increased to such an extent that he was unable to walk, so they went into a little cave that they found to rest. The fever got so bad that even after staying in the cave for three days, John was still unable to move. The old man then had a dream. In it he saw someone standing next to him saying: "Tell me, old man, where are you going?"

"To Mount Sinai", he replied.

"No, I beg you, don't go," came the answer.

The old man would not agree, and the vision faded, but his fever got even worse. The next night the same person appeared and said "Why do you persist in being punished like? Listen to me and stop trying to leave."

"Who are you," said the old man.

"I am John the Baptist," came the reply, "and I warn you, don't go anywhere, because this narrow cave is greater than Mount Sinai. The Lord Jesus used to come into this cave often when he was visiting me. Promise me that you will stay here and I will restore your health."

Hearing this, the old man promised that he would stay in the cave. His health was immediately restored and he spent the rest of his life there, making the cave into a church and gathering other brothers about him.

The name of that place is Sapsa8, and it is watered by the nearby brook Cherith9 to which Elias was sent in the time of drought from the other side of Jordan.

6 disciple: In the east one enters monasticism not by being a novitiate as in the west, but by an apprenticeship to an experienced elder. The apprentice owes his master full obedience. (Wortley, Notes, c.1) 7 In this case, from west to east, i.e., into the desert. 8 A monastery was founded at Sapsa when was patriarch of Jerusalem (494 CE-516) 9 Now called Wadi Chorath, this is the 'Brook Cherish' from :3-4 where Elijah is fed by ravens: "3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." 2. The life of an old man who fed lions in his own cave

Figure 3 - Saint Ignatius of Antioch icon10

In this same area of Sapsa, there lived another old man of such virtue that he welcomed lions into his cave and fed them by hand, so full of divine grace was that man of God.

10 St. Ignatius was an early Christian writer and bishop of Antioch. While en route to Rome, where he was killed by lions in Coliseum, he wrote a series of letters that now forms a central part of a collection of works authored by the Apostolic Fathers. 3. The life of Conon, a presbyter of the monastery of Pentoucla

Figure 4 - St. John baptizes Christ icon

When we visited Abba Athanasius in the Lavra of our holy father Sabas11, he told us of an Alexandrian presbyter called Conon who was in charge of Baptisms at the monastery of Pentoucla12.

11 The Lavra of Saint Sabas is a Greek Orthodox monastery overlooking the Kidron Valley at a point halfway between the Old City of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It was founded in 483 CE by Saint Sabas the Sanctified (439– 532), a Cappadocian-Syrian monk. It is one of the oldest and most famous inhabited monasteries in the world. At the height of its fame, it contained over 150 anchorites. It seems not to have been so much a coenobitic community as a lavra, i.e., an assembly of independent ascetics living largely apart from each other but with some central organisation to provide the weekend services for which the elders assembled. It still exists and is known today as Mar-Saba. 12 The monastery of Pentoucla was located slightly to the west of the Jordan. Very little is known about it, though its proximity to the Jordan probably explains its popularity as a place for baptisms. The fathers had decreed that the high quality of his character made him worthy of baptising others. So he anointed with the Holy Chrism13 and baptised those who came.

But whenever he had to anoint a woman, he became so agitated that he wanted to leave the monastery. While battling with this thought, the holy John the Baptist appeared to him saying: "Endure, and persevere and I will lift this burden from you."

One day an attractive young Persian woman came to be baptised. She was so beautiful that the presbyter could not bring himself to anoint her bare flesh with oil.

When Archbishop Peter heard that the girl had already been there two days, he was exceedingly angry with the presbyter, and even wanted to delegate this ministry to a deaconess, but refrained from doing because he didn’t want to be seen to do something contrary to the canons.

But Conon took his cloak and went, saying that he would not stay in that place any longer.

He had got as far as the hills, when – behold! − Holy John the Baptist met him and spoke to him gently, saying: "Go back to your monastery and I will end this battle for you."

"I will not go back," replied Abba Conon indignantly. "You’ve often made these promises but haven’t kept them."

Then the Holy John made him sit down and take off his clothes. He made the sign of the cross three times on his navel and said: "I have ended your battle, but you have forfeited any reward."

After that, Conon returned to the cenobium and took up his baptismal ministry again.

The next day he anointed and baptised the young Persian woman, hardly even noticing that she was a woman.

He continued baptizing for another twelve years in such tranquillity of mind and body that he never experienced any excitement of the flesh, nor consciously thought of anyone specifically as a woman. And so in peace he lived out his days.

13 Chrism − also called myrrh, holy anointing oil, and consecrated oil − is a consecrated oil used in the Anglican, Assyrian, Catholic, Old Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Latter Day Saint, and Nordic Lutheran churches in the administration of certain and ecclesiastical functions. 4. A story told by Abba Leontius

Figure 5 - Coptic icon of Pachomius the Great, the founder of Christian Cenobitic monasticism

Abba Leontius was the superior of the cenobium 14of our holy father Theodosius15. He told us the following story:

After fleeing from the infidels, the monks suffered more persecution while they were living in the New Lavra16.

I [Abba Leontius] went and stayed in that Lavra. One Sunday I went to church to receive the sacred mysteries, and as I entered I saw an Angel standing at the right side of the altar. Terrified, I returned to my cell. There, the voice of the angel came to me saying:

"From the moment that alter was made holy, I was commanded to remain with it forever."

14 Coenobium: A monastery. Coenobitic monasticism is the version of monasticism where monks live a communal life that is ruled by an Abbot. As opposed to decentralised, idiorrhythmic monasticism, where monks live independent lives. Monasticism where you live as a is called eremitic monasticism 15 St. Theodosius Monastery was founded by Saint Theodosius c. 478 in the Wilderness of Judaea between Bethlehem and Saint Sabas on a conspicuous hilltop that is now called Deir-Dosi. At the time the community had about 400 monks and was famous for its hospitality and for taking care of needy people. It became the largest and the most highly organised of the Judean communities, and was almost certainly John Moschos' home monastery. 16 The New Lavra − which is in the Valley of Tecoah − was initially founded by Abba Romanos, but it was destroyed in 484. It was then refounded by sixty monks who were forced to leave Saint Sabas in 508. 5. Abba Polychronius’ story about three monks

Figure 6 - Image of Ascension from the Rabbula Gospels

Abba Polychronius, a presbyter17 of this same Lavra, told me the following story:

When I was in the Lavra of the Towers18 near the Jordan, I noticed that one of the brothers was very lax in doing his Sunday duties19.

However, some time afterwards, I noticed that he was now fulfilling them with great zeal and devotion.

"You are taking much better care of your soul now brother," I said.

"Father, I’m going to die soon," he said. Three days later he was dead.

Around that time, another brother in the monastery also died, and the steward asked me to help him carry the brother’s possessions to the steward’s office.

As we did this I noticed him weeping. "Why are you weeping, Abba?" I asked.

"Today we are carrying my brother's things," he said. "But in two days you will carry mine."

And so it was. Two days later he died.

17 An elder of the Christian church. The word derives from the Greek presbyteros, elder or senior 18 This monastery was founded by James, a Saint Sabas monk, at the beginning of the sixth century. It was west of the Jordan, not far from . 19 Monks, whether resident in the lavra or in secluded hermitages, were expected to assemble on Sunday, the Lord's Day, for common prayer, the holy Eucharist, and (usually) a meal. 6. Another one of Polychronius’ stories

Figure 7 - The Epitaphios20: the Burial of Christ Icon

Abba Polychronius also told this story about an incident that happened while he was staying at the Monastery of Saint Mary at Jerusalem21.

A brother who had died at the hospital at Jericho22 was being taken back by to be buried at the Lavra of the Towers.

From the moment the brothers left the hospital until they arrived at the Towers, a star appeared overhead and travelled with them the whole way. It never ceased to shine over the dead brother until they buried him.

20 An Epitaphios, from the Stavronikita Monastery, Mt Athos (16th Century). An Epitaphios is an embroidered icon that depicts the burial of Christ − the name literally means “winding-sheet.” It is used in Good Friday and Holy Saturday services to represent the burial of Christ. 21 The Monastery of Saint Mary at Jerusalem was founded by Justinian the Great (527-565). It was named after the near-by church of the Mother of God (sometimes called Saint Mary the New) begun at the beginning of the sixth century but completed by Justinian and finally dedicated in 543. 22 The hospital at Jericho was run by men from Saint Sabas. 7. The life and death of an old man who refused to be the leader of the Monastery of the Towers

Figure 8 - St. Anthony the Great icon

There was another old man at the Monastery of the Towers who was full of such obvious virtue that when the abbot of the monastery died, its brethren wanted to make him the abbot.

"I am not worthy of such an honour," the old man said.

"Take no notice of me. Just leave me to weep for my sins. I’m not able to cure souls. That is the business of great fathers like Antony and Pachomius23."

The brothers would not accept this, so every day they came to beg him again, and he would again refuse.

Finally, overwhelmed by their persistent requests, he said: "Let me pray about it for three days, and whatever the Lord tells me to do I will do it."

This was on Good Friday. He died on Easter Sunday morning.

23 Saint Anthony the Great (c. 251 CE -356) the primordial Christian monk, and Pachomius the Great (c. 292 CE - 348), the founder of Christian Cenobitic monasticism. 8. The life of Abba Myrogenes (who had dropsy)

Figure 9 - Image - Jesus heals a man with dropsy

In the Monastery of the Towers, there also lived an elder called Myrogenes.

Because of his many years of great austerity and the harsh way he treated himself, he had developed dropsy24.

To the other elders who helped take care of him, he would always say: “Pray to God with me, fathers. Pray to God that I may endure this terrible disease. ”

When Archbishop Eustochius25 of Jerusalem heard about this, he decided to send Myrogenes some things that he might need.

But Myrogenes refused to accept any of them.

Instead, he sent this message to the archbishop:

“Pray for me, father. Pray to God that I be spared eternal punishment.”

24 Now called edema, it is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin and in the cavities of the body. It can be very, very painful. 25 Patriarch of Jerusalem 552 CE-563/4.

9. The wonderful charity of an elder

Figure 10 - Last Supper Icon

In the same Monastery of the Towers, there was an elder who practiced extreme poverty. But he was also known as a generous giver of alms.

One day a beggar came to the elder’s cell seeking alms. The only thing the elder could give him was a single loaf of bread.

“I don’t want bread. I need clothing!” said the beggar.

Wanting to help the man, the old man led him by the hand into his cell.

When the beggar came inside, he realized that the only things the elder had were what he was wearing.

The beggar was so impressed by this that he the opened his own bag and emptied the contents on the floor, saying: “Please take what I have. I will get what I want from somewhere else.”

10. The life of Barnabus (the anchorite)

Figure 11 - The Ladder of Divine Ascent26

There was an anchorite27 called who lived at The Caves of the holy Jordan. One day he went down to the for a drink and he got a thorn deeply embedded in his foot. He left it there, so after that his foot always hurt, and, because he wouldn’t let any doctor see it, it festered

So he had to go to the Monastery of the Towers to get help. There he was given a cell. Every day the festering got worse, but those who came to see him said that the more he suffered, the stronger his spirit became.

After Abba Barnabas had been at the Monastery of the Towers for some time, another anchorite went out to visit his cave. When he entered it, he saw an angel standing by an altar that Barnabas had built and consecrated.

The anchorite asked the angel: “Why are you here?”

"I am an angel of the Lord. From the moment this alter was consecrated, God entrusted it to me."

26 The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an treatise on Eastern written by (c. 600 CE). Divided into 30 steps, in memory of the thirty years of the life of Christ, it explains how to achieve the highest degree of religious perfection. It became immensely popular. 27 A person who becomes a hermit for religious reasons.

11. The life of Abba Hagiodulus

Figure 12 - A Resurrection icon

Abba Peter, a presbyter at the Lavra of our holy father Saint Sabas, told us this story about Abba Hagiodulus: One day, when he was superior of the Monastery of St. Gerasimos 28, a brother who lived there died.

When the prior struck the wood 29 to call the brethren to come and mourn together, Abba Hagiodulus came and saw the body of the brother lying in the church. He was sad because he had not been able to take leave of him before he died. Going up to the coffin, he said to the dead man: 'Rise up and kiss me goodbye, brother.' And the corpse rose up and kissed him. Then the elder said to him: “You may rest· now until the Son of God comes to raise you up again.”

Sometime later, the Abba was walking along the banks of the Jordan. He was wondering what had happened to the stones that Joshua had set in the middle of the river30. As he was thinking this, the waters suddenly parted, and he saw the twelve stones. He humbly prostrated himself, gave thanks to the Lord, and then went on his way.

28 The Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Gerasimos near Jericho commemorates St. Gerasimos, whose lavra was nearby. The history of the monastery is also linked to another Christian narrative. The were said to have found refuge in a cave here during their flight from . An underground chapel was built on the spot where the Holy Family is believed to have spent the night. 29 In many Eastern monasteries, the monks are still summoned to prayer by the beating of a wooden stick. 30 Joshua 4:9 – “And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.”

12. A saying of Abba Olympius

Figure 13 - Veneration of the Holy Cross icon

“Give me a word31,” a brother asked Abba Olympius, a presbyter of the monastery of St Gerasimos.

“Don’t hang out with heretics,” he said, “control your tongue and your stomach, and wherever you are say constantly: ‘I am a stranger and a pilgrim32.’”

31 This is a commonly-used invitation to an elder to speak an apophthegm, a saying of wisdom. 32 A standard teaching of eremitic monasticism is that they are 'strangers and pilgrims' in a foreign land.

13. The life of Abba Mark (the anchorite)

Figure 14 - Tormented anchorite icon

Abba Mark, the anchorite, who lived near the monastery of Pentoucla for 63 years, had the ability to fast for a whole week. This caused many to believe that he was not made of flesh and blood.

He also worked day and night, gave everything he earned to the poor, and accepted nothing from anyone.

Some friends of Christ heard about him and came to offer him a donation.

“I can’t accept that,” he said. “My hands provide enough food for me and all who come to me.”

14. The brother who was attacked by the spirit of fornication and became leprous

Figure 15 - The Healing of 10 lepers icon

On another occasion, Abba Polychronius also told us this tale:

There was once a brother living in the cenobium of Pentoucla who was both extremely ascetic and attentive to his soul’s health.

But one day he was suddenly attacked by the spirit of fornication.

He fought against it but soon realized that he was losing the battle, so he left the monastery and went to Jericho to satisfy his lust.

But just as he was entering a den of fornication, he was suddenly covered with leprosy.

He immediately went back to the monastery, where he gave thanks to God and said: “God has stricken me with this so that my soul might be saved.”

And he glorified God exceedingly.

15. A miraculous deed of Abba Conon

Figure 16 - Virgin Mary of Sorrows: Seven Swords Icon

It was said of Abba Conon − higoumen33 of the Pentoucla Monastery − that one day as he was going to Betamarim34, he met some Jews who wished to kill him.

They ran towards him with drawn swords. But when they reached him and raised their arms to strike him, their hands hung motionless in the air.

The old man then said a prayer, freed their hands, and sent them on their way.

33 The title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title abbot. In Greek it means "the one who is in charge.” 34 “The place of the bites” − No one has, as yet, been able to identify this place.

16. A story which Abba Nicholas told about himself and his companions

Figure 17 - St. Gerasimos of Jordon icon

There was an old man named Nicholas living in the Lavra of Abba Peter near the holy Jordan who told us the following story:

Once when I was in Raythoun35, three of us were sent to do some work in the Thebaid.36 While traversing the desert, we got lost. After a few days of wandering, our water supply ran out. After a few more days, we became so faint with thirst, we couldn’t go any further. Finally, we came across some tamarisk trees, and threw ourselves down in the shade, expecting to die there.

While I was lying there, I fell into an ecstasy and in my visions I saw a pool of water that was overflowing, and two men standing on the edge of it drawing water with a wooden vessel.

“Be kind to me, sir.” I asked one of them, “Please let me have some water, for I am dying.” But He refused.

“Give him some,” the other said. “No, don’t give him any,” he replied, “He doesn’t take care of his soul.”

“Even so,” said the other, “let us give him some for hospitality’s sake.”

So they did give us water, and, after drinking, we felt our strength return. After that we walked for three more days until we arrived at a populated area.

35 Now called Tor, it is on the Suez near Sinai. 36 The area around Thebes in Egypt. Thus this was a very long journey across the desert from the Suez to beyond the . 17. The elder who received Communion three times a week

The same old man Nicholas told us the following story:

There was a certain elder at the Lavra of Abba Peter who spent fifty years in his cave.

He never drank wine and the only bread he ate was made from bran.

But he received communion three times a week.

18. The life of another elder who slept among lions

Abba Polychronius, the presbyter, told us about another elder at the Lavra of Abba Peter who often went off and wandered on the banks of the Jordan, and, if he came across a lion’s den, he would sleep there.

One day he found two lion cubs in a cave. So he wrapped them up in his cloak and brought them back to the church.

He said to the brothers: “If we kept to the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, these animals would be afraid of us. But because we are sinners, we are frightened of them.”

Greatly edified, the brothers went back to their cells.

19. A story that Abba Elias told about himself

Abba Elias the grazer37 told us about the time when he was living in a cave near the Monastery of the Eunuchs38 to avoid being in communion with Archbishop Macarius39 of Jerusalem.

“One day at about the sixth hour,” he said, “with a boiling August heat beating down, there was a sound at my cave’s . I went out to see what it was and there was a woman there. I asked her what she wanted. She said that she was following the same kind of life as me and that her cave was about a mile away, and she pointed towards the south.”

“’I have been wandering about in the boiling desert,’ she said, ‘and I am fainting with thirst. Could you let me have some water?’

“I fetched my water jar, gave her a drink, and then she went on her way.”

Soon after she had gone, the devil began to put lewd thoughts into my head, and I was overcome with a burning desire. So I grabbed my walking stick and went out into the desert’s burning heat to find her.

But when I was still about a stadium40 from her cave, still on fire with lust, I suddenly went into a trance: A hole opened up in the earth and I was dragged down into it. In the hole I saw putrid corpses strewn about; men, women and children decaying, giving off an incredible stink.

There was a man of venerable appearance standing amongst the corpses. He looked at me and pointing at the corpses said:

“Look carefully, this is the fate of man, woman, and child. Enjoy your lust but remember: Your sin will deprive you of your place in the Kingdom of Heaven. How pathetic are the lives of humans! And you would forfeit the reward of all your struggles for just one hour of pleasure!”

“I fell to the ground, overwhelmed by the stink. But the man came to me and lifted me up. And I went back to my cell, thanking God.”

37 The boskoi, monks who eat grass – for more info see the Glossary entry. 38 The Monastery of the Eunuchs near Jericho was originally founded in 473. In 528 it was taken over by the eunuchs of Empress Julienne, Emperor Valentinian's mother; hence the name. 39 The Bishop of Jerusalem briefly in 552 and again c. 563 to c.575. 40 1/8 of a mile 20. The conversion of a certain soldier through a miracle God performed (and his profitable life)

Figure 18 - Icon of the conversion of Holy Paul (by Todor Mitrovic)41

One of the fathers told us what a bearer of the Dragon Standard42 had told him:

“We were fighting the Mauritanians in Africa. They had defeated us and we were fleeing. They pursued us and many were killed.

One of them cornered me and was raising his spear to kill me. Right then, I knelt and began to pray:

'Lord God. You who appeared to your servant Thecla43· and saved her from the ungodly. Save me from this bitter death. If you do, I promise to go into the desert lead the solitary life.’

When I looked up, the barbarian was gone.

I went to the Lavra of Kopratha44 and, by the grace of God, have lived thirty years in this cave.

41 Click here to read an interview with the modern Iconographer Todor Mitrovic. 42 In Latin Draconius: A Roman soldier who carried a standard with an image of a dragon into battle. 43 St. Paul's companion − who was martyred at Leucia in Isauria in the first century − experienced many wondrous deliverances. 44 Kopratha was a lavra near the Jordan. Its exact location is unknown. 21. The deaths of an anchorite (and his murderer)

Figure 19 - Beheading of John the Baptist icon

Abba Gerontius, the prior of the monastery of our holy father Euthymios45, told me the following story:

“There were three of us anchorites living beyond the Dead Sea, over towards Besimon. One time when we were walking on a mountain-side near the Sea, we saw another anchorite walking by the shore.

As we watched, some Saracens who were travelling through the area passed him. As they walked by the anchorite, one of them turned back and cut off his head.

We watched all of this happen from the mountain-side.

As we were weeping and mourning the murder, we suddenly saw a bird swoop down from above, pick the Saracen up, carry him up high and then drop him to the ground, where he became carrion.”

45 The Monastery of Saint Euthymios was founded in the fifth century and lasted until the twelfth. You can see its ruins at Khan el Amar, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. 22. The life of Conon (another elder)

Figure 20 - Multiplication of the loaves icon

There was another elder called Conon, a Cilician, in the cenobium of the archimandrite46 Theodosius.

This is rule of life that he kept for thirty-five years: He ate bread and drank water once a week, he worked unceasingly, and he never stepped outside of the church.

23. The life of the monk Theodulus

We saw another old man in the same monastery called Theodulus who had once been a soldier. He fasted every day and never slept lying down.

46 In Greek it literally means 'the ruler of a sheep-fold.' The term was originally (4th century) interchangeable with higoumen, but by the 6th, it meant 'a person in charge of several monasteries.’ 24 – The life of an old man living in the cells of Cuziba

Figure 21 – Icon of Simon of Cyrene carrying Christ's cross

There was an old man living in the cells of Cuziba47. The elders there told us this story about him:

Back when the old man was younger and living in his home village, if he knew of anyone who was too poor to sow his field, he would take some his own seed and secretly sow the field for them.

When he went to the desert and moved into the cells of Cuziba, he did similar things. He would walk along the road from the Holy Jordan River to Jerusalem carrying bread and water, and if he saw someone struggling with fatigue, he would shoulder their burden, sometimes carrying it as far as the Mount of Olives.

He would then do the same thing for other people on the way back. You would sometimes see the old man carrying a large load sweating under the burden, other times with a small child on his shoulders, or even two of them.

He never rested. He would repair people’s shoes, give them water to drink, and if they were hungry, he would give them bread. And if you were naked, he would even give you the clothes he was wearing.

He did this all day long − and if he found someone dead on the road, he would say the proper prayers and then bury them.

47 The Monastery of Saints John and George of Cuziba is located in , in the eastern . The cliff- hanging complex, which emerged from a lavra, was established c. 420 CE and reorganised as a monastery around 500. It was destroyed by the Persians in 614 but was rebuilt and is still operating today. 25 – The brother of the monastery of Cuziba, who memorized the words of the Eucharist

Figure 22 - A Eucharist icon

Abbot Gregory − who had once been a member of the Imperial guard – told us a story about a brother in the Monastery of Cuziba who had memorized the words of the Eucharistic liturgy.

One day this brother was sent to fetch the bread and wine, and as he was returning he recited the words of the sacred offering. The then placed this bread and wine on the altar

When Abba John the presbyter − who afterwards became bishop of Caesarea in – performed the offering, he did not see the Holy Spirit appear as was usual. He became very upset, wondering if the Holy Spirit had turned away from him because of some sin. Weeping, he returned to the sacristy and threw himself face-down there.

At that moment, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “Because the brother who brought the offerings had recited liturgy while he was on the way, the offerings were already consecrated.”

After this, the superior laid down a rule that from then on no one should learn the words of the liturgy unless he was ordained. Nor was it ever to be recited in any place that was not consecrated.

26 – The life of brother Theophanes, his marvellous vision, and his communion with heretics

There was an esteemed elder called Cyriacos who belonged to the Lavra of Calamon near the Holy River Jordan. One time, a pilgrim brother named Theophanes came from the land of Dara48 to seek counsel about his habit of thinking lewd thoughts. Cyriacos gave him some advice about self-control, which greatly encouraged and edified the brother. He also asked Theophanes if he would like to remain with him.

“Unfortunately, father,” he said, “I would love to stay, but I am in communion with the Nestorians49, so I can’t.” When the Cyriacos heard ’ name, he became so agitated with the fear that Theophanes would be damned for all time that he immediately fell to his knees and begged him to renounce this evil and destructive heresy.

“You have no hope of being saved unless you truly believe that Holy Mary is the birth–giver of God,” he pleaded. “But, father,” replied Theophanes, “That’s what all the other heretics say: If I don’t agree with them, I will be damned. So, I don’t know who to believe. Please pray to God for me so that I can figure out what is true.”

Cyriacos was delighted to hear what Theophanes said. “Come, come into my cave,” he said, “and pray to God that he will reveal the true faith to you.” Cyriacos then left the brother in the cave and went to the Dead Sea, where he also prayed to God for him.

The next day, at about the ninth hour, while he deep in prayer, Theophanes suddenly saw a man of truly awesome form standing next to him. “Come. I will show you the truth,” the man said, and he then led Theophanes to a dark and stinking place that was full of fire. There, in the flames, Theophanes saw Nestorius, , Apollinaris, Dioscuros, Severus, Arius, Origen50 and many others of their ilk. “This place that has been set aside for heretics and blasphemers − and for all those who follow their teachings,” the man continued. “So, if you like the look of this place, stick with your beliefs, but if you don’t, you better return to the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, as Cyriacos advised you. For I tell you, even if a person practises every virtues there is, if he doesn’t believe the right beliefs, he will be end up here.”

Hearing this, Theophanes immediately came to senses. He went back to Cyriacos’ cave and told him all that he had seen. He also told him that he wanted to return to the communion of the Holy – which he did. And, after that, he remained with the old man for four years and then died in peace.

48 This is probably Dara in Mesopotamia, which was a heavily fortified roman border-post in the wars with Persia. However, it could also be a remote town on the Black Sea coast. 49 Followers of the heretic Nestorius who taught that Christ was in fact two persons, one human and one divine, and that it was the human aspect that was crucified. This logic leads to denying that Mary was the (the Mother of God), because she gave birth to his human aspect, not to a God. 50 A rogue’s gallery of heretics. 27 – The presbyter of the village of Mardandos

About ten miles from the town of Aegaion in , there is a village called Mardandos. In that village, there’s a church dedicated to St John Baptist where an old priest lived, a man of great virtue and worthiness. One day the villagers came to the bishop of Aegaion to complain about the old man.

“Take this priest away from us. He causing trouble,” they said.

“What is he doing?” asked the bishop.

“He comes on Sundays to celebrate Mass sometimes at the third hour, sometimes at the ninth, whichever seems to suit him. And he does not stick to the ceremony’s proper order.”

So the bishop, acting on this, requested that the priest come to talk to him.

“Why are you −a man with great authority − acting like this?” asked the bishop, “You must know the proper way to perform the service?”

The priest replied, “Yes, what you are saying is quite true. But the fact is, when I try to celebrate mass, I’m never quite sure how it’s going to go. On Sundays, after the night office, I sit down near the holy altar, and for as long as I am unable to discern the Holy Spirit overshadowing the altar, I do not begin the Mass. But when I see that the Holy Spirit has arrived, I perform it.”

The bishop was immediately won over by the priest’s integrity. Later, he summoned the villagers, and explained everything to them, and this set their minds at rest.

Abba Julianus the Stylite, as a way of greeting this priest, sent him a piece of cloth with three smouldering coals rolled up inside. The priest understood the message. So he poured water on the coals and sent them back to the Abba in the same cloth. They lived about twenty miles away from each other.

28 –Abba Julian the Stylite’s wondrous deed

Figure 23 - Saint Luke the New Stylite, of Chalcedon (10th century)

One of Julian the Stylite’s disciples, Abba Cyril, told us the following story:

My father and brother and I heard of the fame of Abba Julian, so journeyed from our own town to visit him. At the time, I had an affliction that nobody had been able to cure. But when I came to him, he prayed and cured me on the spot. So we all decided to renounce the world and stay with him.

Abba Julian put my father in charge of the grain supply. One day my father went to him and told him that there wasn’t any grain left. “Go and gather whatever you can find, brother, and grind it for today,” the Abba shouted from the top of his column, “God will take care of our tomorrow.”

My father was troubled by this because he knew that there was no grain at all. So, instead, he withdrew to his cell. But soon he got another message from Abba Julian telling him to come to him at once. He did so. “Brother Conon,” the Abba shouted from the top of his column (this time a little more forcefully), “Go and prepare food for the brothers, just use whatever you can find!”

Verging on anger, my father got the keys to the granary and then went there assuming that he would be grinding dust. But when he unlocked the door, he found that the granary was bursting with grain, and, when he saw this, he went and humbly prostrated himself before the Abba, seeking his pardon. 29 – A miracle of the most holy Eucharist

Figure 24 - Icon of the Saints of Antioch (including duo stylites).

About thirty miles from the city of Aegina in Cilicia there were two perched stylites about six miles away from each other. One of them belonged to the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The other − a veteran stylite who had been on his column for much longer – was a follower of the wicked teachings of Severus51.

The heretical stylite disputed with the orthodox one in many ways, contriving to win him over to his own sect. And he seemed to be getting the better of the duel.

The orthodox stylite, as though by divine inspiration, requested that the heretic send him a portion of his (heretical) Eucharist. Delighted and thinking that he had converted the other, the heretic sent it immediately.

When the Catholic stylite received this portion, he put it into a pot of boiling water − and it immediately disintegrated. After that, he took a portion of the Catholic Church’s Eucharist and put it into the same boiling water. The water immediately cooled, and the portion remained dry and unblemished.

He still has it. In fact, he showed it to us when we visited him.

51 Severus was the Monophysite patriarch of Antioch. He had persuaded the Emperor Anastasios to stop persecuting those who had not accepted the rulings of the Council of Chalcedon in 451, i.e., to stop persecuting the Monophysites. He was deposed by the Byzantine Emperor Justin I in 518, causing a schism in the church. 30 – The Life of Isodore, a monk from Melitene (another miracle of the holy Eucharist)

There is a market-town in Cyprus called Tadai, and near it there is a monastery at a place called Philoxenos52. When we arrived at the monastery, we met a monk named Isodore, a native of Melitene53.

This monk would pass the whole day loudly weeping and mourning. The other monks beseeched him to stop this so he (and everyone else) could get some peace and quiet. But he wouldn’t stop.

“I am the greatest sinner off all time!” he said with tears in his eyes.

“Surely, no one is without sin,” we said to him, “but God alone.”

“Believe me, brothers,” he replied, “I have never met any sinner worse than me. Listen to my story and you’ll understand.”

“I was a married man when I lived in the world, and my wife and I both held to the teachings of Severian.

So one day I came home and found that my wife was not there. I was told that she had gone with a female neighbour – a Catholic – to receive Catholic Communion. I ran quickly to try to stop her, but when I got to the church I found that the deed was done.

I was furious, so I grabbed her by the throat and made her vomit up the wafer. And then I picked it up and threw it into a pile of shit. After I did that, I looked at it for awhile and it began to glow.

Two days later – and this is the true, I swear it! – I walked past a severely deformed, half-clothed beggar who was staring at me.

I stopped and stared at him. After a few minutes he said: ‘You will suffer the same eternal punishment as me.’

‘What do you mean? Who are you?’ I asked.

’I am the man who struck the face of He who redeemed us all. I struck the Lord Jesus Christ during his Passion54.’

“And this is why I can’t stop crying,” moaned Isodore.

52 Probably named for the Archbishop of Cyprus during the reign (527 CE-565) of Justinian. 53 Modern Malatya in the Eastern Anatolia. In Roman times it was called Melitene. 54 John 18:22-23: “22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” 31 – The conversion of Mary (the prostitute)

Figure 25 - Mary Magdalene icon

Two elders were travelling from Aega to Tharsus. They were very tired and the heat was intense, so they stopped for refreshment at a small, seedy inn that was on the way. When they entered, they saw three young men who had a prostitute with them.

So the elders found a place to sit that was away from the others, and one of them took the Holy Gospel out of his travelling bag and began to read it aloud. When she heard him reading, the prostitute left the young men and came and sat down next to the elder.

The elder waved her away, saying: “You wretch. Have you no shame? How dare you sit near us?"

“Please Father, I beg you!” she said, “Please don’t send me away. I know I’m a sinner. But the Holy Saviour didn’t send away the prostitute who came to him.”

“Yes, but that prostitute didn’t stay a prostitute,” he said.

“Father, I vow in the name of the Son of the living God,” she replied, “that from this day on I will stop being a prostitute.”

After that, she left the three young men − and all of her possessions − and went with the two elders. They took her to a women's monastery called Nakkiha, near Algaion. I met her when she was an old woman − a woman of great wisdom − and she told me this story herself. Her name was Mary.

32 – The conversion and life of Babylas (the actor) and his two concubines

Figure 26 - Female Orthodox Saints icon

There was an actor named Babylas who lived in Tarsus in Cilicia, and he had two concubines, Cometa and Nicosa. They all lived lives of great debauchery, doing anything the demons put into their heads. One day, for some reason, Babylas decided to go into a church. He sat down and listened while the Gospel of Matthew was being read − the part where it says: “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand55” This struck him strongly. Suddenly, conscience-stricken, he wept with horror, and loudly crying over the sins he had done, he ran out of the church.

He called to his two companions. When they came, he said, "You both know very well that I have lived this life of sin with you, but I never preferred one of you over the other. So I've decided to give you everything I have to share equally. Today, I've decided to renounce the world and become a monk."

Immediately, the concubines burst into tears. “We fully shared this life of debauchery with you, so we have also put our souls in great danger,” they said. “Now that you’re going to try to save your soul by pleasing God, are you going to send us away and do it by yourself? No way! We’re doing it too!.” Right after this, the actor renounced the world and cloistered himself in one of the city's wall-towers. The concubines sold all of the property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and joined a female monastery.

I met this man myself, and was greatly edified by him. He is exceptionally gentle, humble, and merciful. Let those who read this, profit from what I have written.

55 Matthew 3.2 33 – The life of the holy bishop Theodotus (of Antioch)

One of the Fathers told us about Theodotus56, an extremely kind-hearted man who was once the archbishop of Antioch.

One feast day, he sent dinner invitations to several of his . One of them didn’t want to go, so he ignored the invitation. Theodotos didn’t comment about this at time. Instead, on another occasion, he went in person to the cleric and invited him to join him at his table.

The fathers told us another story about Theodotus to show how gentle and humble he was. One time he went on a journey with one of his clerics. The archbishop was he was being carried in a litter, and the cleric was riding a horse.

“Let’s reduce the boredom of this journey by changing places,” he said to the cleric. “You get in the litter and I’ll ride the horse.”

“I can't do that,” said the cleric, “it would be disgraceful if people saw me in the litter and you riding the horse.”

But the holy and humble Theodotus persisted until he convinced the cleric that there was no possible harm in it, and eventually persuaded him to switch places.

34 – The life of the godly Alexander (Patriarch of Antioch)

There was another patriarch of Antioch named Alexander57 who was also very devout and kind hearted. One of his secretaries stole some gold and fled in fear to the Thebaid in Egypt. There, he was captured by brigands while wandering about, and then taken as a captive to a very remote part of Egypt.

When the godly Alexander heard about this, he paid the ransom of eighty-five pieces of gold.·

When the captive had returned, the bishop was so loving and gentle with him that one of the inhabitants of the city remarked that there was nothing more profitable than to sin against Alexander.

On another occasion one of the slandered the godly Alexander before all the clergy In response, Alexander prostrated himself before the man saying: “Brother, forgive me”.

56 (d. 429) Patriarch of Antioch from 420-429 CE. He was celebrated as "the pearl of temperance"; an example of which: he re-admitted the Apollinarians to the church without insisting that they renounce their errors. However, he also presided at the Antioch synod where Pelagius was condemned and expelled from Jerusalem. And, in 424, when Alexander − founder of the Acoemetae − visited Antioch, Theodotus refused to receive him because he was suspected of heretical views. 57 Alexander I succeeded Porphyrus as bishop of Antioch, serving from c. 408 to his death c. 421 CE. 35 – The life of Elias, archbishop of Jerusalem, and of Flavian, patriarch of Antioch

Figure 27 - Council of Chalcedon Icon

Abba Polychronius said of the holy Elias, Archbishop of Jerusalem, that when he was a monk he didn’t drink wine − and even when he became Patriarch, he still didn’t drink wine.

Another story is told of this same Elias and also of Flavian, Patriarch of Antioch, that the Emperor Anastasius58 drove them both into exile because they followed the doctrines of the Council of Chalcedon59. Elias was sent to Eilat60 and Flavian to .

On one particular day, both Elias and Flavian had the same thought: “Anastasius has died today.”

Then both of them had this second thought: “I shall died too and be judged along with him.”

Two days later they both died.

58 Anastasius [430–518] was a Monophysite, which means he believed that Christ had a single nature that was both divine and human. It was declared heretical in 451 CE at the Council of Chalcedon. Moschos and Sophronius are its sworn enemies. 59 The Council of Chalcedon of 451 CE was called by Emperor Marcian to (for the most part) suppress the Monophysite heresy. Its key achievement was formulation of the : Christ has a double nature,one God-like, the other human. 60 In Egypt Glossary of Terms agape A Greco–Christian term referring to (1) the highest form of love and (2) the love of God for man and of man for God. It also denoted certain early Christian religious meals that seem to have been originally closely related to the Eucharist. anathema A formal curse by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine. anchorite A person who becomes a hermit for religious reasons. The word derives from the Greek anakhoretes, one who has retired.

Apostolic See Any episcopal see (an area of a Bishop’s ecclesiastical jurisdiction) whose foundation is attributed to one or more of Jesus’ apostles. In Greek it literally means 'the ruler of a sheep-fold.' The term was originally (4th century) interchangeable with higoumen, but by the 6th, it meant 'a person in charge of several monasteries.

Boskoi (Aka Grass Eater, Grazing monks, or Grazers) Monks who ate grass: “... they were denominated grazers because they had no houses, ate neither bread nor meat and drank no wine, but dwelt constantly on the mountains and passed their time in praising God by prayers and hymns according to the law of the church. At the usual hours of meals they each took a sickle and went to the mountain to cut some grass on the mountains as though they were flocks in pasture and this served for their repast. Such was their course of .” - Sozomen, Historia Ecclesiastica cenobium (From the Greek koinos, common, and bios, life) A monastery. Coenobitic monasticism is the centralised form of Byzantine monasticism, with communal life for the monks under an Abbot’s direction.

As opposed to the lavra, which was a decentralised organization where hermits lived largely independent lives, meeting once a week for the .

Communion (Aka Eucharist) The Christian service where bread and wine (representing the body and blood of Christ) are consecrated and shared. The first Communion is called The Last Supper. The ritual probably originated with the Essenes, and suggests Jesus’ connection with the group consubstantial Of the same substance or essence (used especially of the three persons of the in Christian theology).

Copt An Egyptian Christian. The Coptic church broke away from the Orthodox churches because the disagreed with the theological decisions made at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE. The Copts felt robbed.

Council of Chalcedon The 451 CE meeting where was declared heretical. dropsy An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the area located just beneath the skin and in the cavities of the body. It can cause severe pain.

Ecumenical Councils In the history of , the first seven ecumenical councils include the following: the in 325, the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681 and finally, the in 787.

Eremite A religious hermit who lives in the wilderness. The word derives from the Greek eremos, wilderness. higoumen The title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title abbot. In Greek it means "the one who is in charge.”

Holy Unmercenaries An epithet applied to a Christian saints who refused payment for good deeds. These include healers or Christian physicians who, in conspicuous opposition to medical practice of the day, tended the sick free of charge The combination of divine and human natures in the single person of Christ. lavra (Aka laura) Any large Orthodox monastery. During Moschos’ time, it denoted those organised as a set of detached monks’ cells – e.g. caves - clustered around a monastic church. The monks met weekly to celebrate the Sunday liturgy together; otherwise they lived as hermits.

Gibbon: “The fervent monasteries of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria were surrounded by a Laura, a distant circle of solitary cells.”

Leimonarion In English, the name can be translated either as “spiritual meadow” or “new paradise”; in Latin, Pratum Spirituale.

Lent The most important fasting season of the church year in the . It prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Easter.

Maundy (from the Latin mandatum, command) The name is taken from the first few Latin words sung at the ceremony of the washing of the feet, “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” (“I give you a new commandment, That ye love one another as I have loved you”) (John 13:34).

Maundy Thursday The Christian holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter.

Monophysitism (From Greek monos, single, and physis, nature) The belief that Christ had a single nature that was both divine and human. It was declared heretical in 451 CE at the Council of Chalcedon. Moschos and Sophronius are its sworn enemies.

Monothelitism (from Greek μονοθελητισμός, doctrine of one will) The heretical view that Christ has two natures but only one will.

Nestorians Followers of the heretic Nestorius (a Bishop of Constantinople) who taught that Christ was in fact two persons, one human and one divine, and that it was the human that was crucified. This logic leads to denying that Mary was the Theotokos (the Mother of God), because she gave birth to the human, not the God. Nestorius was condemned for this heresy at the Council of Ephesus.

Novatianism An Early Christian sect devoted to the theologian Novatian (c. 200 CE –258). It held the heretical view that the Lapsi (baptized Christians who had denied their faith during the Decian persecution c. 250 CE) should not be readmitted to the church. numisma A coin. From the Greek nomisma, coin. nummus The nummus (plural, nummi) was a copper coin of low value issued by the Byzantine empire during Late Antiquity. presbyter An elder of the Christian church. The word derives from the Greek presbyteros, elder.

Prior Derived from the Latin for “earlier, first”, it is an ecclesiastical title for a superior, usually lower in rank than an abbot or . Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior.

Saracen In Moschos' time the word denoted a middle-eastern desert nomad; eventually it came to denote Muslims as well, especially around the time of the Crusades. It derives from the Greek Sarakenos, which perhaps derives from the Arabic sarki, eastern.

Serapis A Graeco-Egyptian god. The cult of Serapis was introduced during the 3rd century BCE on the orders of Ptolemy I of Egypt as a means to unify the and in his realm.

Soldier Saints Third and fourth century Roman soldiers who converted to Christianity, and were then tortured and executed. stadium Approximately two hundred yards – precisely 606¾ feet stylite (from the Greek stylos, pillar) A religious hermit who lives on top of a pillar. The primordial stylite was Simeon Stylites (396 CE –459) who perched for 40 years on top of a 50–foot column near Antioch. synod (from the Greek synodos, assembly) A church council (usually) convened to decide an issue of doctrine or administration. A metal container suspended from chains in which incense is burned during worship.

Map of Locations

Glossary of Locations

Aeliotes A Lavra on Mt. Sinai. (Lavra) “At the end of the sixth century a monk from Palestine by the name of John Moschos set out from the flourishing monastic world in the Judean desert east of Jerusalem to visit the equally vibrant religious communities in the Egyptian desert. After spending some time living among the monks up the Nile River, he settled at the Lavra of Aeliotes on Mt. Sinai where he remained for ten years. His purpose was to see at first hand the way of life practiced by Christian monks outside Palestine and to collect their stories and sayings.” (From the Holy Mountain, Dalrymple)

Cuziba The Monastery of Saints John and George of Cuziba is located in Wadi Qelt in the eastern (Monastery) West Bank. The cliff-hanging complex, which emerged from a lavra, was established c. 420 CE and reorganised as a monastery around 500. It was destroyed by the Persians in 614 but was rebuilt in the 12th century during the Crusader era, abandoned after their defeat, and then rebuilt again by Greek monks starting at the end of the 19th century.

Figure 28 - The Monastery of Saints John and George of Cuziba

Eustorgios The Monastery of Abba Eustorgios was founded by Eustorgios c. 450 CE near Jerusalem; (Monastery) the exact location is unknown, but it is likely to have been on Mount Zion (Derwent Chitty, The Desert a City pp. 93-94)

Euthymios The Monastery of Saint Euthymios was founded in the fifth century and lasted until the (Monastery) twelfth. You can see its ruins at Khan el Amar, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

Figure 29 - The ruins of St. Euthymios

Gerasimos The Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Gerasimos (aka ) commemorates St. (Monastery) Gerasimos, whose lavra was nearby. Tradition has it that , Mary, and the baby Jesus took refuge in a cave near there during their flight from Herod the Great. An underground chapel was built on the spot where the Holy Family is believed to have spent the night.

Figure 30 - The Monastery of St. Gerasimos

Saint Sabas A Greek Orthodox monastery overlooking the Kidron Valley at a point halfway between (Monastery) Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It was founded in 483 CE by Saint Sabas (439 CE –532), a Syrian monk. Known today as Mar-Saba, it is one of the oldest functioning monasteries in the world.

Figure 31 - Saint Sabas Monastery

Lavra of the (Aka The Lavra of the Turrets) This was founded by James, a Saint Sabas monk, at the Towers beginning of the sixth century.

Monastery A monastery near Jericho that was originally founded in 473 CE. In 528 it was taken over of the by the eunuchs of Empress Julienne, Emperor Valentinian's mother; hence the name. Eunuchs

New Lavra Located in the Tecoah Valley, the New Lavra was founded by Abba Romanos, was destroyed in 484 CE, and was then refounded by the sixty monks who were forced to leave Saint Sabas in 508.

Pentoucla This monastery was located slightly to the west of the Jordan. Very little is known about (Monastery) it, though its proximity to the Jordan probably explains why it was as a place for baptisms.

Saint Mary The Monastery of Saint Mary at Jerusalem was founded by Justinian the Great (527-565). at Jerusalem It was named after the near-by church of Saint Mary the New. (Monastery)

St. (Aka Deir-Dosi) Founded by Saint Theodosius (c. 478) in the Wilderness of Judaea Theodosius between Bethlehem and Saint Sabas on a hilltop containing a cave where the Magi were (Monastery) believed to have rested on the return journey from Bethlehem. During Moschos’ era, the community had about 400 monks and was famous for its hospitality and charity. It was almost certainly John Moschos' home monastery, and when he died, he was interred there, eventually resting alongside Sophronius, who died shortly after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 638 CE. In the 1990s a sole still lived in and supervised the monastery.

Figure 32 – The Monastery of St. Theodosius

Thebaid (aka Thebais) The area around Thebes (aka ) in Egypt.

Figure 33 - Map of the Late Roman Empire Egyptian Diocese, with Thebais in the south

Glossary of People

Alexander I of Alexander I succeeded Porphyrus as bishop of Antioch, serving from c. 408 to Antioch his death c. 421 CE. Little is known about his previous life; however, he was noted for his asceticism. His accomplishments include: (1) ending the Meletian schism at Antioch, (2) aiding in restoring ’s reputation, and (3) bringing the followers of Eustathius, Paulinus, and Evagrius back into communion with the Church of Antioch.

Anthony Saint Anthony the Great (c. 251 CE -356) the primordial Christian monk

Arius (c. 250 CE–336) The promulgator of : The heretical Christian belief that though Jesus was divine, he was not identical with or equal to God the Father. It was declared heretical because it ranked the Father above the Son. His opposition to what would become the dominant (Homoousian Christology) made him a primary topic of the First Council of Nicaea, which was convened by Emperor Constantine the Great in 325 to iron out this theological disagreement.

Eustochios (Aka Eutychios) Patriarch of Jerusalem 552 CE − 563/4

Gerasimos A Saint (d. 475 CE) who was born in Lycia, went to Jerusalem in 451 and took up residence in the desert by the Dead Sea. He later founded the lavra which bears his name one mile from the Jordan.

John the Evangelist The name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John.

Nestorius (c. 386 CE – 450) Archbishop of Constantinople from 428 to 431, he believed and taught that Mary should not be deemed the Theotokos (the one who bears God). Instead, she was to be considered to be the Christotokos (the one who bears Christ - i.e. the one who only bears the human nature of Jesus). This brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen, most notably , who accused him of heresy. At the First Council of Ephesus in 431, he was declared a heretic. In 435, Theodosius II sent him into exile in Upper Egypt, where he stayed until 450.

Pachomius (c.292 CE – 348) The founder of Christian Cenobitic monasticism.

Sabas the Sanctified (439 CE – 532) A Cappadocian-Syrian monk, priest and saint who lived mainly in Palestine. He was the founder of several monasteries, most notably the one known as . His name is derived from Aramaic Saba, old man.

Figure 34 - St. Sabas Icon Severus The monophysite patriarch of Antioch, he had persuaded the Emperor Anastasios to stop persecuting those who had not accepted the rulings of the Council of Chalcedon in 451, i.e., to stop persecuting the monophysites. He was deposed by the Byzantine Emperor Justin I in 518, causing a schism in the church.

Simeon Stylites the (c. 390 CE) A Syrian ascetic saint who became famous for living 37 years on a Elder small platform on top of a pillar near modern Aleppo. Several other stylites later followed his model.

"Thus we can say with reasonable certitude that Simon Stylites was an illiterate, born on the Syrian border c. 389. He was dismissed from a monastery for excessive asceticism and went to live in a cistern, where he had himself walled up with no food during lent. His chain, with a stone attached, prevented him from walking more than a few yards -- witnesses testified that the gap between the skin and the chain was infested with worms.

Near Antioch he lived on a column first ten feet high, later raised to sixty. His platform was two yards square, and there he prostrated himself 1,244 times a day and during Lent was, in addition, chained to a stake. He had a ladder for special occasions, but normally communicated by basket.

He died in 459, having spent 37 years on his column, from which he preached regularly and administered cures, so it was claimed, for infertility. The emperor dispatched 600 men to retrieve his body from the Bedouin, and a church was built over his grave, about 476-90, with the remains of his column in its central court: it can still be seen as a ruin today." (Paul Johnson, )

Simeon Stylites the Dalrymple went to visit St. Simeon’s church in the early 1990: “Atop a Younger mountain stood St. Simeon Stylites the Younger, the greatest showman among the stylites. In reality, he was the Christian version of an oracle. The church was built to orient not towards the altar and to God, but backwards, to this grotesque figure at the back of the nave on his pillar. The church was built during the stylite’s lifetime, a magnificent structure crafted by the finest masons, architects, and sculptors. A walnut wood enclosure stood around the top of the pillar to prevent St. Simeon’s vertigo (as well as a pipe for the removal of his bodily wastes). It was deluxe stylitism: like holding a hunger strike at the Ritz.”

Sophronius Sophista (c. 550 CE –639) A Saint born in Damascus c.560 CE, he and were ascetics together in their late teens, and eventually became travelling companions. Sophronius became patriarch of Jerusalem in 633 CE, just in time to hand it over to the conquering Caliph Omar in 637. He died a soon after.

Theodotus of Antioch (d. 429) Patriarch of Antioch from 420-429 CE. He was celebrated as "the pearl of temperance"; an example of which: he re-admitted the Apollinarians to the church without insisting that they renounce their errors. However, he also presided at the Antioch synod where Pelagius was condemned and expelled from Jerusalem. And, in 424, when Alexander − founder of the Acoemetae − visited Antioch, Theodotus refused to receive him because he was suspected of heretical views.

Zeno Emperor Flavius Zeno the Isaurian (c. 425 CE – 491) was Eastern Roman emperor from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491.

Originally, he was an officer serving in the Eastern Roman army who became an ally to Emperor Leo, marrying his daughter. He took the name Zeno to make himself more acceptable to Roman hierarchy. Domestic revolts and religious dissension plagued his reign, which also saw the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Bibliography

Please note that this document was constructed by combining and severely editing two English translations of the Spiritual Meadow:

(1) Benedict Baker’s translation of the Ambrosius Camaldulensis’s Latin translation of Moschos’ original Greek text and

(2) John Wortley’s translation of Jean Baptiste Cotelier’s Latin translation. I have yet to find a direct translation from the Greek.

Baker, Benedict A translation of the Spiritual Meadow

Dalrymple, William From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium HarperCollins, London, 1997

Russell Norman Lives of the Desert Fathers (1981) (translator)

Stephalius Merry tales of the monks (1892)

Wortley, John The Spiritual Meadow of John Moschos Cistercian Publications, 1992, Kalamazoo, Michigan