World’s First Archaeological Evidence of Extreme Asceticism Among Nuns Discovered in Jerusalem

The exposed nun is wrapped with chains (Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have found the first-ever evidence of extreme asceticism practiced by nuns in ancient times. Unearthed in Jerusalem during an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation, a skeleton wrapped in chains was analyzed, revealing it belonged to a female—likely a nun. This remarkable find reinforces the understanding that extreme ascetic practices were not limited to men but also included women.

The research, conducted by Dr. Paula Kotli, David Morgenstern, and Prof. Elisabetta Boaretto of the Weizmann Institute of Science, in collaboration with Dr. Yossi Nagar, Zubair ʼAdawi, and Kfir Arbiv from the Israel Antiquities Authority, utilized cutting-edge scientific techniques to determine the skeleton’s biological sex. Due to its poor state of preservation, researchers applied innovative proteome and peptidomic analysis, extracting variations of Amelogenin proteins from the tooth enamel. Since these proteins are encoded by the X/Y sex chromosomes, the team successfully identified the remains as female.

This discovery sheds new light on the ascetic lifestyles of women in ancient religious communities, deepening our understanding of spiritual devotion and self-mortification practices across genders.

“The woman was discovered in a single grave, dedicated to her as a sign of honor under the church altar – bema,” explained the researchers of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Zubair ʼAdawi, Kfir Arbiv and Dr. Yossi Nagar. “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.”

The nun was discovered in a site lying about three kilometers northwest of Jerusalem’s Old City, and was identified as a Byzantine monastery that operated between the 5th and 7th centuries CE. Besides the monastery and church buildings, the Israel Antiquities Authority excavation uncovered burial crypts under the church altar – bema, in which remains of women, men and children were discovered. In the grave, where the bound skeleton was found, iron rings were discovered around its neck, arms and legs, alongside metal objects, including a small cross.

The practice of monks and nuns wearing heavy iron rings stemmed from a belief that bodily affliction led to spiritual elevation, not from punitive measures. These rings were self-imposed tools of self-flagellation, demonstrating their commitment to abstaining from worldly pleasures.

“The nun is an expression of a phenomenon that was widespread among Byzantine monks in antiquity, which was accompanied by excessive extremism,” say Zubair ʼAdawi and Kfir Arbiv, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “The monks forced destructive acts and self-harm onto the body. Among the described forms of affliction were prolonged fasts; wrapping iron chains and various accessories around the body; tying the body to rocks; loading on heavy weights; tying the body and placing it in a device which forced it to stand and to deny sleep; self-imprisonment and contraction into a narrow and isolated living space –inside abandoned towers, caves or cells; in hanging cages; on the tops of pillars (a “stylite”) or even living in the treetops; living under the open sky and exposing the body to the elements; or a in place to be motionless. In some cases, the monks threw themselves into a fire or in front of animals of prey.”

The phenomenon of self-imposed physical restraint extended to women as well. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, writing in the 5th century CE, documents the remarkable 42-year commitment of Marana and Cyra, who bound themselves with chains across their bodies.

This discovery thanks to excavation and innovative scientific research raises new questions about the role of women in the Byzantine monastic world. Known historical figures who came to Jerusalem, some settling in and around it and even establishing monasteries there, such as Egeriae, Melania the Elder, Melania the Younger, Pelagia, Maria and Euphemia, Suzana, Paula, Poemenia, Fabiola, and Silvia.