Historical finds continue to show us how the Christian faith has been integral for people for centuries, even up to the very point of denying themselves in some of the most extreme ways.
Recently, Israel’s Antiquities Authority discovered the remains of a 1,600-year-old woman. As “The Times of Israel” reported, the woman was found to have metal rings around her neck, arms and legs, along with iron plates on her stomach.
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Not only were this woman’s remains discovered with these very strange torture means around her, but she was buried under a church’s altar, about three kilometers from Jerusalem’s Old City, a factor which may indicate her importance to that body of Christ.
So, why would this woman have essentially been in chains if she was a person of honor?
Just as “The Times of Israel” points out, the Byzantine period, when this particular female was likely alive, was known for self-flagellation practices, including the wearing of metal rings, self-isolation, extreme fasts and other measures of intense self-discipline practices. This discovery, however, is the very first of its kind of a female participant in these drastic measures to deny self for the sake of faith. It is also believed that she was a nun.
Zubair Adawi, the excavation director of the IAA, told “The Times of Israel,” “…I had never seen anything like it…to find something similar, we have to go back to the 1990s, when the skeleton of a chained male monk was uncovered…”
/**/This remarkable discovery offers a rare glimpse into the extreme devotion and ascetic practices of early Christian believers. Could this woman have been a revered figure, willingly embracing suffering as a path to greater holiness? It is a striking reminder that throughout history, men and women of faith have gone to extraordinary lengths to draw closer to God, even at great personal cost.
As believers today, we are challenged to reflect on the depth of our own devotion. While such extreme practices are not necessary, the spirit of self-denial and surrender to Christ remain at the heart of true discipleship.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
