Superiors at the Monastery of Sinai: Tracing Convergent Identities

Founded within the Eastern Roman Empire yet soon situated beyond its borders, the Monastery of Sinai remained a vital center of Christian civilization and a prominent Byzantine institution outside imperial territory. Its close ties with the Patriarchates of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch—stemming from its canonical dependence on the first and its geographical proximity to the latter two—as well as with Constantinople as the Prōthronos Church, and with other local Churches whose members sometimes joined the monastic community of Sinai, are reflected in the presence of superiors and other monastic officials of diverse identities, shaped by their varied geographical origins and linguistic backgrounds. Their contribution to the Monastery’s life is attested by artistic monuments—both movable and immovable—created through their initiative or under their patronage.