Abstract
Abstract The Christian practice of pilgrimage flourished especially in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries. While the Holy Land remained the primary destination for pious travellers, Egypt, as the cradle of monasticism, also attracted visitors in droves. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the monastic establish- ments west and south-west of Alexandria—Pempton, Enaton, Oktokaidekaton, Nitria, Scetis (Wadi Natrun)—became fixtures on the itineraries of pilgrims hoping to get a first-hand glimpse of holy men and women. Collections of monastic stories such as the Apophthegmata Patrum, the Conferences of John Cassian, and the legends about Daniel of Scetis record many such encounters. However, holy men and women were not the only targets of pilgrimage. With the rise of the Egyptian cult of the martyrs, martyr shrines (martyria) also became major centres for pilgrim activity. The bodies of Christian martyrs were thought to be repositories of healing power, a power made portable in the form of souvenir artefacts sold to pilgrims at or near the shrines.
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