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The Holy Unmercenaries

The first of July is the feast day of Saints Cosmas and Damian of Rome. They were physicians, and suffered martyrdom in the year 284. They ministered to the sick without charging any fees, and for this reason they are known as the Holy Unmercenaries, οἱ Ἅγιοι Ἀνάργυροι.

A small chapel dedicated to their […]

A Sixth Century Marble Panel at Sinai

Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρός σε, ὁ Θεός. (Ψαλμός μα΄)

‘As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.’ (Psalm 42:1)

A sixth century marble panel in the Sinai basilica was a part of the original templon, […]

Pewter Sky

The sky turns to pewter with the arrival of a new day

Bedouin at the Forty Martyrs

Several bedouin families live in the area around the Church of the Forty Martyrs, known in Arabic as El Arbain.

The monks distribute foodstuffs to the bedouin on the feastday

One of the bedouin plays a five stringed lyre. The frame is made from simple branches with pegs for tuning the strings. An […]

Feast of the Forty Martyrs

Every March, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Forty Martyrs, in the valley to the south of the monastery.

Liturgy in the ancient chapel

Two logs cut lengthwise provide a simple table and benches for the festive meal following the Liturgy. Reeds laced together overhead keep off the sun.

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Chapel Wall

The late afternoon sun creates beautiful light and shadows on the wall of the Chapel of Saint John