Originally posted on November 4, 2017 South Sinai was inhabited by hermits from the early days of monasticism, long before the establishment of the Monastery of St. Katherine. They built gardens, kept animals, built chapels and hermitages, and laid the foundation of what became a thriving monastic life. On Mt. Sinai and all around the high mountains there are hundreds of Byzantine sites. Chapel of St John Climacus in Sinai The roots of monasticism go back all the way to the time of Christ, and the movement evolved in the deserts of Egypt from the 3rd century AD. Monasticism spread across the Middle East, and even reached Europe. Influenced by the early monks, several monastic traditions evolved. The mystical and other-worldly nature of the Christian message very early laid the groundwork for the ascetical life. The example of the Old Testament Prophets, of John the Baptist and of Jesus himself, going into the wilderness to pray and fast set the example that was readily followed by the ...
