Photo by
Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority/TPS-IL on 10 March, 2025
Buried in Chains: Jerusalem Find Uncovers Radical Ascetic Practices by Byzantine Nuns
Jerusalem, 10 March, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- The first archaeological evidence in the world for extreme asceticism practiced by nuns was discovered in Jerusalem, providing physical proof of a phenomenon previously known only through historical accounts, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Monday.
“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,” Antiquities Authority researchers Zubair ʼAdawi, Kfir Arbiv and Dr. Yossi Nagar said.
Along with the rings, a small cross was also discovered, indicating her religious devotion. The church and monastery, which operated between the 5th and 7th centuries CE, were home to monks and nuns who practiced extreme forms of asceticism. According to the excavation directors, “The monks forced destructive acts and self-harm onto the body,” including practices like “wrapping iron chains and various accessories around the body,” which were believed to elevate the soul.
This discovery confirms that ascetic practices, which were once thought to be the domain of male monks, were also embraced by women.
“Ascetic nuns represent a fascinating phenomenon worth dwelling on,” said Dr. Amit Re’em, the Antiquities Authority’s Jerusalem District Archaeologist. “These literally extraordinary women
lived and functioned in a rigid male and patriarchal environment, which inhibited their activities.”
While historical records often focus on male ascetics, women like the nun in Jerusalem also adopted these extreme practices. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, a 5th-century Christian writer, mentions two women, Marana and Cyra, who bound themselves with chains for decades. “The nun is an expression of a phenomenon that was widespread among Byzantine monks in antiquity, which was accompanied by excessive extremism,” said ʼAdawi and Arbiv.
The revelation raises new questions about the role of women in the early Christian monastic tradition. Women in Byzantine monastic communities often had to navigate a patriarchal system that excluded them from many religious roles. Some, like the famous Saint Pelagia, disguised themselves as men to be accepted into male-dominated monastic life. Others, like Saint Marina, lived as men to participate in ascetic practices.
“In order to take part in the idealistic religious ideals of the life of nuns and ascetics of that time, which were mostly a male domain, of necessity they had to disguise themselves as men, and live thusly until their death,” Re’em said.
The iron rings, although they might seem to suggest torture, were not used as a form of punishment. Historical records indicate that such practices were voluntarily undertaken by monks and nuns as a form of self-flagellation. The belief was that by afflicting the body, the soul could reach higher spiritual levels. The woman’s self-imposed suffering is an example of this extreme asceticism, which was common among Byzantine monks but has now been shown to also include women, the researchers explained.
Because of the body’s poor condition, the Antiquities Authority collaborated with the Weizmann Institute of Science to determine its gender. The researchers employed proteomic analysis of tooth enamel, which enabled them to identify unique proteins present in the enamel. These proteins, encoded by X/Y sex chromosomes, confirmed that the skeleton belonged to a woman.
According to ‘Adawi and Arbiv, “The discovery indicates that the extreme asceticism practice, and especially that of wrapping the body with chains, began in northern Syria and Anatolia, expanded to Asia Minor, and reached westward to Europe—to Italy, France, and England. At the same time, the phenomenon expanded southwards and reached Jerusalem and Egypt.”
