Archaeology Researchers find Byzantine nun with heavy iron rings
It sounds like something out of a horror movie: a female skeleton buried in heavy armor made of iron plates and rings. But apparently it was voluntary self-flagellation.
10.03.2025, 10:34
SDA
Israeli archaeologists have found the body of an ancient nun in a grave near Jerusalem with heavy iron rings around her arms, legs and neck. According to the Israeli Antiquities Authority, this is the first physical evidence of strict asceticism among Byzantine nuns, and not just monks.
The remains were found at the site of a Byzantine monastery around three kilometers northwest of Jerusalem's Old City. The monastery was operated there in the 5th to 7th centuries AD.
"Spiritual heights" through self-flagellation
The wearing of heavy rings was not considered a method of torture among the clergy at the time, but rather a voluntary self-flagellation, according to the statement from the Antiquities Authority. It was believed at the time that "the more a person renounces pleasure and even tortures the body, the higher the soul rises to spiritual heights".
The discovery of the dead nun is a further expression of extreme asceticism, which was widespread among Byzantine monks - and apparently nuns too. At that time, the monks would sometimes have inflicted physical harm on themselves. Forms of mortification included prolonged fasting, being placed in heavy chains, sleep deprivation or confinement in small rooms. "In some cases, the monks threw themselves into a fire or in front of predators."
Skeleton of the nun "as if in armor"
"The woman was found in a single grave under the church altar, which was dedicated to her as a mark of honor," the statement said. "She was bound with 12 to 14 rings around her arms or hands, four rings around her neck and at least ten rings around her legs." Iron plates on her stomach, to which the rings were attached, made the skeleton appear to be wearing armor.
The mortal remains were in poor condition, but examinations of the tooth enamel showed that it was a woman. Other metal objects were found in the grave, including a small cross.
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the eastern part of the Roman Empire with Constantinople (now Istanbul) as its capital. It existed from the 4th to the 15th century and played a central role in the medieval history of Europe and the Middle East.
