The Second Gift of the Nile: Monks and Monasteries in Late Antique Egypt by Ewa Wipszycka

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Second Gift of the Nile: Monks and Monasteries in Late Antique Egypt by Ewa Wipszycka Jennifer Cromwell Ewa Wipszycka The Second Gift of the Nile: Monks and Monasteries in Late Antique Egypt The Journal of Juristic Papyrology Supplement XXXIII Warsaw: The Raphael Taubenschlag Foundation, 2018 Pp. xviii + 565. $85.00. The Second Gift of the Nile is Wipszycka's third substantial volume on Egyptian monasticism, and her first in English, being a revised and reworked version of her 2009 French and 2014 Polish books, incorporating new material and reflecting the evolution of the author's own understanding of the topic. The volume's broad structure comprises two principal parts, one focusing on the textual sources and the second introducing archaeology and looking at various aspects of daily life on the basis of all available material. The breadth of the material and subject matter covered is testament to the author's vast experience. One common theme throughout is the need to interrogate and challenge sources and scholarship, and the same point also holds true for the observations and arguments that Wipszycka herself makes. Part One provides an overview of the literary sources, especially concerning the three most famous figures of Egyptian monasticism—Antony (who receives the longest chapter in the book), Pachomius, and Shenoute. The Historia Monachorum and Palladius's Historia Lausiaca also receive robust introductions. Cassian is dealt with briefly, as his usefulness for Egypt is rejected, based on his distorting of Egyptian monks to present an ideal for his target audience. The Apophthegmata Patrum is also summarily discussed, although why it deserves such minimal attention here is unclear given how often the sayings are drawn upon throughout the volume. A later text, the History of the Patriarchs, also relevant for the study of monasticism, is not introduced in this section but in the book's epilogue, which turns to monastic communities under Arab rule (from 642 c.e.). Part One ends with the non-literary evidence. For many early Christian scholars, much of this material may be unfamiliar and so Chapter Eight may be one that is regularly consulted. Wipszycka covers significant monastic dossiers; note that much of this is not contemporary with the literary sources, dealing with monasticism after its initial blossoming. A point returned to on several occasions is whether discrepancies between literary and non-literary sources is a result of the clash [End Page 637] between ideal and reality, or if the documents reflect the increased maturity of monastic communities that can no longer—for pragmatic purposes—adhere to original ideals. One notable omission from the dossiers is the texts from Deir el-Bachit, despite their being a rare example of both securely provenanced and freely available texts, having been published entirely online between 2011 and 2014 (https://www.koptolys.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/splash.php). Part Two turns to the built environment and largely deals with lived reality and economics, addressing not only monks but also nuns and clergymen present in these communities. Again, this section may represent new territory for many readers, based as it is largely on archaeological and non-literary sources, albeit supported by the literary record. A range of sites are selected according to broad settlement type, increasing in size and social complexity: hermitages, laurae, and cenoebia. Wipszycka stresses the importance of assessing the physical remains to appreciate living conditions and other pragmatic concerns, including start-up and maintenance costs, whether for buildings or the high quality paintings that adorned the walls of many monasteries (and which attest to the wealth and aesthetic preferences of at least some monks). As such, the author is adamant that a knowledge of geography and local conditions is key to appreciate the choices that monastics had to make. In terms of appreciating the importance of setting to the development of these communities, it is a pity that a site such as Deir Abu Hinnis (in central Egypt), built within the confines of an ancient quarry, is not included. Furthermore, new work at the site of Deir Anba Hadra near Aswan (previously known erroneously as the monastery of St. Simeon) will also be an important case to add to such overviews in the...