Economic production in the monasteries of Egypt and Oriens, ad 320-800

Thesis

This thesis is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, qualitative and quantitative appraisal of the monastic economy in late Antiquity and the period of early Islam. Based on the textual and archaeological evidence of over 1,000 monasteries in Egypt and Oriens, this thesis combines both an in-depth analysis and an overall appraisal of monastic production. It follows an internal and an external, a microlevel and an integrative approach. It considers literary texts, papyri, inscriptions, colophons and published archaeological remains, especially in Syria and Palestine. The analysis of fieldwork data, personally retrieved in Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 2002 and 2003, rounds off the archaeological point of view. This thesis conders the period until AD 800, as in many regions textual and archaeological documentation break off dramatically after ca. AD 770.

The emergence of monasteries in Egypt and Oriens after ca. AD 320 provoked a change of the socio-economic profile of late Antiquity. From the fifth century, coenobia and laurae played an important role in the late antique economy. Monasteries acquired land, employed labour, became centres of production and trade. Such involvement, however, gave rise to substantial internal controversy.

Having first considered monasteries as architectural units ('a working definition'; chapter I), this thesis seeks to investigate the conditions of monastic production (location, landownership etc.) in chapter II. As labour and work were controversial monastic issues, the attitudes towards labour are also examined here.

Authors: Schachner, L

• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford