Updating Monastic Etiquette: the References to the Asceticon of Abba Isaiah (5th c.) in the Order of the Novice Brothers (8th c.)

The 18th letter of the epistolary collection of John of Dalyatha (8th c.) takes the form of a short text called the ‘Order of the Novice Brothers.’ It consists of 45 instructions, aiming to provide guidance to young monks at the beginning of their ascetic life. This set of rules focuses mainly on the control of proxemics and bodily and relational habits. The text circulated in various languages and countries of the Christian East and West throughout the centuries of the Middle Ages. Among the 45 instructions of the ‘Order of the Novice Brothers,’ there are some cross-references to discourses from the Asceticon of Abba Isaiah (about 5th c.), particularly from Discourse 10. The present contribution analyses the impact of Abba Isaiah’s teaching on this later East Syrian monastic rule, evaluating the relationship between the text and the respective passages in the Syriac translation of the Asceticon. The exegesis of the Asceticon by Dadisho' Qatraya (7th c.) will also be considered to clarify the conflict line between schools and monasteries in employing and updating this literature during early Islamic centuries.