The Monastery of the Abyssinians and the Abyssinian Treasures in the Monasteries of Wadi n-Natrun

Abstract

Since the foundation of early Christian monasticism in the desert of Scetis, pious visitors seeking to learn about Christian isolophilia were attracted to visit the monks of Egypt. Travellers came from every corner of the ancient Christian world. They were not only from the northern provinces, such as Europe or Asia Minor, but also from the African provinces, such as Libya, Nubia, and Abyssinia. The travelers from the latter regions established their monastic community in Scetis, known later as Dayr al-Habaš. In this paper I would like to present samples of the Abyssinian evidence in Wadi n-Natrun and some of their treasures left behind.