The Monastery of Apa Apollo as Landowner and Employer

Abstract

Monasteries need attention as a new ‘alternative’ form of rural settlement, often comparable in size and population to larger villages. This chapter, using Apa Apollo as a case-study, examines to what extent monasteries had a communal village-like identity and organization, and how closely they interacted with surrounding villages. The monastery of Apa Apollo, located at Bawit in Middle Egypt, was founded in the late 4th century and was most likely inhabited until about the 12th century. By examining the available papyrological evidence of the 7th and 8th century, this study illustrates that in the early Arab period, monasteries like that of Apa Apollo no longer seem to be the small scale institutions of the 4th century, but developed into more elaborate economic units. Although they operated much like secular large estate holders, they had a distinctive rural centre.