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If Egyptian Christian monasticism, inspired by Saint Anthony the Great (251-356), is the best known, primitive Syrian monasticism had “huge influence on Europe”, writes the British orientalist Diana Darke in an article published by NewLines Magazine.
“The churches, cathedrals and religious practices that we see in Europe today still bear the marks of this early Christianity. It is a cultural debt that deserves to be recognized and appreciated.”
During the period following the promulgation of the Edict of Milan, in 313, which authorized Christianity within the Roman Empire, “Syria was the beacon of piety and early Christian civilization, where pilgrims, scholars and merchants flocked”.
The first communities of monks
This is where the first monks appear – d