The Economic Symbiosis of Cities, Monasteries and Pilgrimage, and its Role in the Economic Prosperity of Palestine in the 4th – 7th Centuries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52575/2687-0967-2025-52-1-69-86Keywords:
city, monastery, monk, pilgrimage, pilgrim, economy, economic symbiosis, monastic economy, Palestine, Late AntiquityAbstract
The article is devoted to the study of the economic symbiosis of cities, monasteries and pilgrimage, and its role in the economic prosperity of Palestine in the 4th – 7th centuries. The cities were connected by a well-planned road network, which allowed pilgrims and merchants to travel together for safety. Monasteries had several sources of income, including the work performed by monks, such as cultivating the land and weaving
baskets. Donations, wills, and testaments in favor of the monastery were also significant sources of income. These funds supported the monasteries themselves, allowing them to pay taxes, build guesthouses, and possibly even rent land. The extent of proceeds from the sale of ampullae, providing services for pilgrims (exurcions), and charging for accommodation at guesthouses is more difficult to estimate. In the 5th–6th centuries, even a modest fee at monasteries was quite appropriate and acceptable. In some cases, entire churches, monasteries, or even regions could be exempt from taxation. However, the wealth and prosperity of the monasteries, which contributed significantly to the regional economy of Late Antique Palestine, also had significant social functions during a time of transformation and change. The funds, among other things, were used to support hospitals, homes for the elderly, orphanages, and the poor. Similar institutions were established at monasteries. All of this, along with other factors, contributed to the economic development of Palestine and allowed the cities and monasteries to prosper in Late Antiquity, becoming a developed center for Christianity where people sought inner purification and physical healing as well as spiritual guidance during critical moments in their lives.
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