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UNESCO said the Saint Hilarion Monastery site, which dates back to the fourth century, had been put on the endangered list at the demand of Palestinian authorities and cited the “imminent threats” it faced
Saint Hilarion Monastery
Saint Hilarion Monastery, at the archaeological site of Tell Umm el-'Amr, is an ancient Christian monastery close to Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, Palestine
The ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery represent one of the earliest monastic sites in the Middle East, dating back to the 4th century.
Founded by Saint Hilarion, the monastery began with solitary hermits and evolved into a coenobitic community.
It was the first monastic community in the Holy Land, laying the groundwork for the spread of monastic practices in the region.
This prime location facilitated its role as a hub of religious, cultural, and economic interchange, exemplifying the flourishing of monastic desert centres during the Byzantine period
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