Remains of a woman buried while bound in 30 iron rings were discovered in an ancient Byzantine monastery near Jerusalem. This is the first archaeological evidence in the world of extreme asceticism among female nuns – a phenomenon previously known only from historical writings.
Researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Weizmann Institute of Science revealed the rare finding using innovative technology that enables identification of the biological sex of the buried person through analysis of proteins from tooth enamel. The examination was necessary due to the poor condition of the skeleton and revealed that the bound monk was actually a woman.
"The woman was discovered in an individual grave, dedicated to her beneath the church platform as a sign of honor," explain researchers Zubair Adawi, Kfir Arbiv, and Dr. Yossi Nagar from the Israel Antiquities Authority. "She was bound with 12 to 14 rings around her arms or hands, four rings around her neck, and at least 10 rings around her legs. Iron plates or discs on her abdomen, which were connected to the rings, gave her skeleton the appearance of armor."
The site where the nun was discovered is located about three kilometers northwest of the Old City of Jerusalem and has been identified as a Byzantine monastery that operated between the 5th and 7th centuries CE.
It is important to emphasize that carrying the heavy iron rings was not a method of torture or punishment imposed on monks and nuns, but was done voluntarily. Historical sources indicate that this was one of the extraordinary ways in which monks – and apparently nuns as well – practiced self-mortification. The prevailing concept at that time was that the more a person abstained from pleasures, and even tortured the body, the more the soul would rise to lofty spiritual heights.
According to excavation directors Adawi and Arbiv, "The nun is an expression of a phenomenon that was common among Byzantine monks in ancient times, which was individual in nature and accompanied by excessive extremism." They detail that monks forced self-destruction and self-harm on their bodies through various methods: "Among the described torture methods were prolonged fasting, wrapping iron chains and various accessories around the body or tying the body to rocks, loading heavy weights, tying the body and putting it in a device to force it to stand and prevent it from sleeping, self-imprisonment, and confinement to a narrow and isolated living space."
The researchers note that the new discovery strengthens the understanding that extreme asceticism began in northern Syria and Anatolia, expanded to Asia Minor, and reached Western Europe while simultaneously heading south – to Jerusalem and Egypt.
Dr. Amit Ram, Jerusalem region archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, emphasizes the importance of the discovery in its historical and gender context: "Ascetic nuns are a fascinating phenomenon. These women lived and operated in a rigid patriarchal male environment that restricted their movements. In order to take part in the noble religious ideals of monastic life and asceticism of that time, which were mostly the domain of men only, they were forced – according to traditions and legends – to disguise themselves as men, and thus lived until their death."
From historical writings, many women are known to have arrived in Jerusalem, settled there and in its surroundings, and some even established monasteries there. It is possible that the "ring nun" who was discovered was a nun who came to Jerusalem from Syria after being exposed to the phenomenon there, or she was a local nun who adopted the method.
Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, concludes: "This is a fascinating discovery, which will require further research by Israel Antiquities Authority researchers to better understand the role of women in religious and monastic life during that period."
