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National Geographic
5 days ago
- General
- National Geographic
Nun's skeleton reveals that some ancient women were extreme hermits
Head of a holy woman, from a mosaic in Turkey. Photograph By Bridgeman Images Today the most extreme forms of devotion to God in Christianity involve tithing, abstaining from meat on Fridays and during Lent, taking religious orders and devoting oneself to a life of celibacy, and, perhaps, taking vows of poverty or even silence. All of these practices pale next to the forms of asceticism practiced in the Byzantine period, when the most dedicated monks isolated themselves from human contact in the desert, restricted their food and sleep, wrapped themselves in uncomfortable sore-inducing chains, and lived their lives on top of small pillars. Traditionally, the most hardcore ascetics were believed to have been men, but recent scholarly and archeological research has revealed that female monastics were equally devoted to self-mortification. In 1924, excavations at Khirbat el-Masaniʾ near Ramat Shlomo (in Israel) uncovered a Byzantine monastery dating to approximately 350–650 CE. Located just three kilometers northwest of Old Jerusalem, the monastery stood along one of the main roads leading from Jaffa and Lydda to the city. Among the tombs discovered at the site were the remains of an unidentified individual unusually wrapped in a metal chain. During the fifth century CE, as Christian monasticism was on the rise, the practice of self-chaining gained popularity among ascetics in Syria. Asceticism and bodily self-denial was seen as a way of emulating the suffering of Christ and drawing closer to God. At the time the tombs were excavated, it was widely believed that such ascetic practices were exclusive to men. So for nearly a century, scholars assumed this person had been male. However, a recent study employing advanced DNA analysis has revealed that the remains belonged to a woman. This would make this one of the first-ever archaeological finds of extreme asceticism among Byzantine women. (Eight things people get wrong about ancient Rome) Byzantine-style mosaic of the Garden of Eden, part of the Old Testament cycle from the Monreale Cathedral Mosaics in Palermo, Siciliy. The Latin inscription reads, MULIER SUGGESTIONI SERPENTIS TULIT DE FRUCTU ET COMEDIT DEDITQUE VIRO SUO ('At the serpent's suggestion, the woman picked the fruit and ate it, and gave it to the man.') Photograph By Ghigo Roli / Bridgeman Images Byzantine churches were often decorated with shimmering mosaics, portraying events from the life of Christ on their upper walls. This fragmentary head of Christ, with its caring expression, is probably from such a scene. Photograph By Gift of Mary Jaharis, in memory of her late husband, Michael, 2017, The Metropolitan Museum of Art A self-tormenting nun During the original excavation of Khirbat el-Masaniʾ, archaeologists uncovered two crypts containing scattered skeletal remains of multiple individuals—including children, women, and men. Based on the grave goods, burial context, and stratigraphy, these interments were dated to the fifth century CE. A third tomb, which held the highly fragmentary remains of the chained individual, was also discovered. At the time, the bones were too incomplete to determine the individual's sex or age at death. But this spring, a team of Israeli researchers, led by archeological scientists Dr. Paula Kotli from the Weizmann Institute of Science, finally pinned down an identity. By conducting a proteomic analysis on enamel obtained from the only tooth recovered from the tomb, the team determined that burial belonged to an adult aged between 30 and 60 years old at the time of their death. The results, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, proved that the individual buried in chains in tomb three was actually a woman. As the authors note, 'the ascetic nun symbolizes a phenomenon of isolation, perhaps enclosure, and in extreme cases self-torment. This is the first evidence showing that the Byzantine self-torment ritual was performed by women and not exclusively by men.' The discovery marks a significant advance in the methods used to determine sex in fragmentary remains. Yet, evidence for asceticism among late antique women is more widespread than one might assume. (Christianity struggled to grow—until this skeptic became a believer) Detail of the 'Procession of Virgins' mosaics from the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Byzantine School, 6th century. Photograph By Leemage/Corbis/Getty Images Dr. Caroline Schroeder, Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Professor of Data Scholarship at the University of Oklahoma and author of several pioneering studies on monasticism, told National Geographic, 'in late antiquity and Byzantium, people of all genders engaged in a wide variety of ascetic practices. In Egypt in the fourth and fifth centuries we have irrefutable evidence from papyri, monastic letters, and episcopal writings for women who practiced asceticism in their family homes, in homes they themselves owned or rented, and in communities of women [monasteries].' In general, asceticism meant abstaining from sex (even if married), limiting one's food intake, withdrawing from the world, rigorous engagement with prayer, and a life of discomfort and seclusion. These practices were not limited to Egypt. In Syria, we have copious evidence documenting what might be considered more extreme forms of asceticism. Schroeder mentioned a ninth-century male monk who described a women's monastery he encountered where residents lived in seclusion as stylites. Stylites 'were monks who lived for years atop a tall pillar, often exposed to nature's elements and totally dependent upon people on the ground to provide them with food and water,' Schroeder explained. 'The most famous is the original stylite, Symeon the Elder, who lived on his pillar for 36 years, praying, doing prostrations and other exercises, and experiencing physical decay. People came from all over for his blessings, to hear his preaching, and also to request his judgments in disputes between individuals and political leaders.' Stylites were physically constrained by the pillars—they were not able to stretch out fully, there were no bathroom breaks (which caused quite a stench), and they were exposed to the elements—and they also survived on limited sustenance and without the comfort of companionship. Schroeder pointed out that 'a monastery with women stylites is evidence that some women practiced as physically rigorous and severe asceticism as men.' With respect to the new study of the chained woman from outside Jerusalem, Schroeder pointed to an example recorded by fifth-century CE theologian Theodoret of Cyrrhus in his Religious History. In this collection of saint's lives, Theodoret describes visiting two Syriac sisters, Marana and Cyra, who wore heavy iron rings and chains as a form of extreme self-denial. According to Theodoret, these women lived in a roofless house—that exposed them to the unforgiving elements—the door of which had been sealed with mud and stones so that they were shut off from the world and unable to leave. Small windows allowed for food and water to be passed to the women. (Schroeder told me that Theodoret says that, since he was a bishop, they allowed him to dig through the door to see them.) The women wore iron collars, iron belts, and chains on their hands and feet. Even though the two women were secluded from the world, they, like Symeon the Stylite, became ancient Christian celebrities. They attracted pilgrims who travelled to receive their blessing. Saint Donatus, priest and anchorite, from "Les Images De Tous Les Saincts et Saintes de L'Année" (Images of All of the Saints and Religious Events of the Year.) Print By Jacques Callot , The Metropolitan Museum of Art Gender is a complicating question when it comes to asceticism because some women dressed as men when they entered monasteries. Dr. Christine Luckritz Marquis, Associate Professor of Church History at Union Presbyterian Seminary and author of 'Better Off Dead? Violence, Women, and Late Ancient Asceticism,' said 'the reality is that we have many individuals who were trans saints. While some women might merely dress as male monks to safely practice asceticism among men, there is no reason to believe that others did not truly feel themselves trans monks. And some men were castrated, becoming eunuchs for God, so they too did not fit into a simple two-sex binary.' The more fluid gender categories were complicated by the ambivalent attitude that male religious leaders had toward women in general. For commentators like Theodoret, Schroeder added, ascetic women were 'a bit of a paradox… On the one hand, women were viewed as inherently weaker than men and also the gender that carried the guilt of Eve for breaking God's command in the Garden of Eden. But on the other hand, they were capable of such strenuous devotions and, when they achieved them, were seen as even extra holy for going beyond the expectations of their gender.' An anchorhold against the south wall of All Saints church in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Built circa 1500 CE, it would have housed an anchorite devoted to solitary prayer. Photograph By UrbanImages/ Alamy From late antiquity onwards, into the medieval period, women's asceticism persisted. Anchorites—men and women who walled themselves up in permanent enclosures in lifelong solitary confinement—became more common among European women. Many of them lived in small cells, known as anchorholds, that were attached to local churches. In German-speaking regions, bishops would say the office for the dead as the anchorite entered their cell as a symbol of the ascetic's death to the world. Though small windows allowed them a limited view of the church's altar and access to food, water and the Eucharist, anchorites took vows to remain in their cells. The eleventh-century hagiographer Goscelin of Saint-Bertin refers to several anchorites who burned—or came close to burning—alive when the towns in which they lived in were sacked or looted. Other women embraced physical suffering an illness. In her book Holy Feast and Holy Fast, Caroline Walker Bynum documents the centrality of pain and illness to the spiritual lives of late medieval women. For those women even self-inflicted illness was a way of drawing near to God. Bynum writes that 'some Italian saints drank pus or scabs from lepers' sores.' In the German Nonnenbücher, a fourteenth-century collection of inspirational spiritual biographies of nuns authored by women, the desire for illness was so strong that the sisters exposed themselves 'to bitter cold' and prayed 'to be afflicted with leprosy.' The late fourteenth century, French anchoress Jane Mary of Maillé, 'stuck a thorn into her head in remembrance of Christ's crown of thorns.' As late as the sixteenth century, an account of the life of St. Alda of Siena recalled that she slept on a bed of paving stones, whipped herself with chains, and wore a crown of thorns. 'Among the more bizarre female behaviors' in this period, writes Bynum, 'were rolling in broken glass, jumping into ovens, hanging from a gibbet, and praying upside down.' For modern readers the critical question is why late antique people would want to engage in these practices of self-punishment and self-effacement at all. Theodoret characterizes Marana and Cyra's ascetic devotion as a kind of spiritual athleticism. Schroeder explained that the women took on these goals 'on these challenging practices with joy, knowing that the 'goal' or prize of their contests is a 'crown of victory' and eternity with Christ their 'beloved.'' Luckritz Marquis agreed, saying that while there were many reasons that people practiced asceticism, the goal was 'ultimately to be closer to God.'
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jacob Bridgeman odds to win the 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rocket Mortgage Classic details and info Watch golf on Fubo! Bridgeman odds to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 9:03 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Bridgeman odds to finish in the top 5 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic Bridgeman odds to finish in the top 10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic Other betting markets for Bridgeman at the Rocket Mortgage Classic Bridgeman recent performances Although Bridgeman has not won any of the 18 tournaments he has taken part in this season, he has earned three top-five finishes. In his past four events, Bridgeman has an average finish of 42nd.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
People with mental illness can languish in jail. This Pennsylvania county thinks a new mobile clinic can help.
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. Every year, hundreds of Pennsylvanians languish in jail because they're considered mentally unfit to stand trial, despite conditions that can worsen their state and plunge them deeper into the criminal justice system. To avoid that scenario, Allegheny County has created the state's first mobile competency restoration clinic. The program will assess and treat people who have been charged with a crime, but can't aid in their own defense because of a mental or behavioral health issue. The move expands access to this treatment, which is generally available only at two state hospitals. Supporters hope it can become a model for other counties, where as of now, people deemed 'incompetent' to stand trial can wait months for a bed. The county also plans to change how local courts handle cases involving competency issues, a move intended to prevent people from getting lost in the system, especially for low-level crimes. These announcements come two years after a Spotlight PA investigation identified serious issues with Pennsylvania's competency system. The 2023 investigation found that the legal process meant to help people instead routinely traps them in jail, where they may deteriorate further. The story highlighted one woman, Rachel Bridgeman, whose precarious mental health trapped her in the Allegheny County Jail while she awaited treatment, despite the minor, nonviolent charges she faced. Allegheny County officials say the new clinic will ensure people like Bridgeman aren't incarcerated just because they need competency restoration, a specific type of psychiatric therapy that helps them understand their legal situation. 'I think there's a lot of agreement where we don't always have a lot of agreement on these cases,' said Erin Dalton, director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. 'People see that this isn't good for anyone.' The county's public defense office and other advocates for criminal defendants see the program as a step forward. But advocates said the changes could go further, citing the county's ongoing practice of holding people in jail before their competency can be determined. They also expressed concern that the court will refer people to the program who are not able to regain their competency. 'I think we are cautiously optimistic that, if this is well-intentioned with the competency docket or mobile office restoration, that it will be employed legally,' said Sarah Linder Marx, a deputy director in the Allegheny County public defender's office. 'But we are definitely approaching it with a healthy level of skepticism,' she said. Outside Allegheny County, just two places — Torrance and Norristown State Hospitals — provide the specific therapy needed to both improve someone's mental health and help that person understand their legal situation. Both hospitals have a limited number of beds, which has created a backlog of people waiting for treatment. They often sit in jail. On average, Allegheny County has about 125 people waiting for competency restoration annually, according to county officials. But Torrance has about 100 beds to serve all of Western Pennsylvania. In 2023, a Spotlight PA analysis found most individuals undergoing competency assessments or waiting for restoration faced misdemeanors that could stem from experiencing mental health issues in public. 'We don't want people held on low-level offenses who we think are safe to be supported in the community,' Dalton said. 'And now the district attorney and the judges and everyone have another option which they just haven't had before.' Centurion, a private prison health care company, has signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with Allegheny County to provide competency restoration therapy both within the county jail and in community settings. The team is mobile, with no fixed home base, said Debbie Scovill, who oversees behavioral health care in the Allegheny County Jail. 'So, a lot of their services are done at the jail,' Scovill said. 'They do have some partners in the community, like if they have a desire to run a group or to do meetings with patients, they can use spaces at those partnering agencies to do some boots on the ground in locations, but they are pretty much mobile.' The itinerant design was intentional, said Jenn Batterton, who manages collaborations between the justice system and the county human services department. People may be at different phases of involvement with the justice system, she said, 'but the hope is that now more often, we'll be able to serve them in the least restrictive setting, so neither Torrence nor the jail, but in the community.' The program will serve only Allegheny County for now, but others may soon follow suit. Both Bucks and Delaware Counties are pursuing similar programs. In concert with the new effort, the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania will next month debut a separate docket, or calendar of cases, dedicated to cases involving competency issues. Gathering these cases in one place will help expedite them and ensure people get needed care sooner, Allegheny officials argued. Both the mobile restoration team and the new competency-focused docket are promising, said Samantha Sridaran, who leads a team focused on cases involving mental health within the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender. 'I've had several conversations with [the mobile competency restoration team],' Sridaran said. 'I think they have really great ideas about how to really, actually, truly help our clients in the long term.' But Sridaran, Linder Marx, and other advocates for criminal defendants told Spotlight PA they worry about unintended, criminal consequences of any court-ordered program. 'If things don't go well, we are still encapsulating people in the criminal legal system, and there's always potential things may escalate even further,' Linder Marx said. 'I just don't want this to be employed as a weapon against individuals, if it were to not work as intended.' Sridaran has also seen judges order competency restoration for people who cannot be restored: those who have unchangeable conditions such as intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, or cognitive impairment. And Allegheny County has still not resolved an underlying issue that imposes a 'behavioral hold' on individuals who are suspected to be incompetent to stand trial, effectively keeping them in jail while someone without a mental health condition may have walked free. The county public defender's office has argued is illegal. Ideally, these individuals would be evaluated within 48 or 72 hours by the court system's behavioral assessment unit. But advocates said the delay can be longer; in the 2023 investigation, Spotlight PA found Bridgeman waited two weeks. 'The public defender's office's position is that no one should be incarcerated because they're incompetent,' Linder Marx said. 'That's not in line with the spirit or intent of … our laws. That's not a reason to incarcerate somebody.' If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Can a great opening weekend for summer travel last?
The Brief Domestic travel numbers were projected to be strong for the holiday weekend, but international travel has seen a considerable drop. Projected drops in international tourism revenue are exacerbated by domestic concerns regarding the strength of the country's economy. Tariff anger, possibilities of unfriendly treatment and a strong U.S. dollar devaluing the purchasing power of foreign currency also contribute to declines in international tourism. OAKLAND, Calif. - Projections held that 45.1 million people in the United States were expected to drive or fly more than 50 miles from their home this Memorial Day Weekend. The final numbers are not in yet, but it may be that the actual final number of holiday voyagers exceeds that predicted figure. It's been a very good holiday weekend for travel, but can it last? Fewer Visitors It was strangely quiet at Oakland International Airport on Monday, with many people having chosen to fly back Sunday or wait until later this week to make the return trip. Even though TSA screened a record 2.95 million passengers on Friday nationwide – up 6.3% from a year ago – the bigger, longer-term picture is more sobering. In March, year over year, international arrivals were down 14%. The biggest declines were recorded among visitors from Canada, Asia, Western Europe and South America. Fewer foreign travelers are coming to the U.S. over tariff anger; some are fearful of possible unfriendly treatment. Also, the strong U.S. dollar makes foreign currency less valuable. The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that U.S. tourism spending is down 7% from last year, but is also a whopping 22% lower than the pre-pandemic peak in 2019. Out of 184 nations, only the U.S. is projected to see a drop in tourism dollars to the tune of $12.5 billion dollars. That projected drop in tourism revenue is exacerbated by domestic concerns regarding the strength of the country's economy. Economic Anxiety Domestically, a LendingTree study found that, out of 2000 people, two-thirds of them think a recession is coming, which is a sure recipe to slow down consumer spending. "I think there will be a recession," said Southwest passenger Rodney Bridgeman. "There's a lot of things going on in the world and the economy and the government." Even with airfares down, many people are downsizing or eliminating travel plans. "They will cut back quite a bit because, the thing is, people are losing jobs for one thing and the cost of things are going up, so I think they'll lose business a little bit," Bridgeman said. More Travel Expenses To make matters worse, on Wednesday – just in time for summer – an enormous change is coming at Southwest Airlines. The Dallas-based airline will begin charging its passengers for their checked bags, ending its longstanding free checked bags policy for most of its passengers. It is unclear how much Southwest will charge passengers for their bags, and the new policy does not affect passengers who booked the highest levels of service – A-List and Business Select – or who have Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards. Still, the news of the fees comes as a disappointment to many travelers, and serves as an unwelcome discouragement at a time when international travel is already in jeopardy. "I think they're going to lose a lot of people because now it's just like everyone else," said Southwest passenger Shelley Ross-Bell. "It doesn't matter which airline you fly on." The Source AAA study, LendingTree study, KTVU reporting
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jacob Bridgeman odds to win the 2025 PGA Championship
Jacob Bridgeman odds to win the 2025 PGA Championship PGA Championship details and info Date: May 15-18, 2025 May 15-18, 2025 Course: Quail Hollow Club Quail Hollow Club Location: Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC Previous Winner: Xander Schauffele How to watch the PGA Championship Thursday: ESPN, The Golf Channel ESPN, The Golf Channel Friday: ESPN, The Golf Channel ESPN, The Golf Channel Saturday: CBS (KBAK-Bakersfield, CA), ESPN, NBC (WBGH-Binghamton, NY) CBS (KBAK-Bakersfield, CA), ESPN, NBC (WBGH-Binghamton, NY) Sunday: CBS (KBAK-Bakersfield, CA), ESPN, NBC (WBGH-Binghamton, NY), NBC (WBIR- Knoxville, TN) Watch golf on Fubo! Bridgeman odds to win the PGA Championship PGA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:04 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Bridgeman odds to finish in the top 5 at the PGA Championship Bridgeman odds to finish in the top 10 at the PGA Championship Other betting markets for Bridgeman at the PGA Championship Bridgeman recent performances Bridgeman has participated in 13 tournaments this season, and he has come away with three top-five finishes. In his past four tournaments, Bridgeman has finished in the top five once.
