Ascetic or affluent? Byzantine diet at the monastic community of St. Stephen’s, Jerusalem from stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bone collagen in skeletons from the Byzantine (5th–7th century AD) monastery of St. Stephen’s in Jerusalem were examined in conjunction with a review of historical sources detailing dietary practices during this period in the Levant. Relatively low δ13C ratios (−19.0 ± 0.5‰, 1σ) indicate a diet consisting primarily of C3 sources and display continuity with textual records describing monastic daily life. Conversely, human δ15N values (9.6 ± 1.2‰, 1σ) are enriched in 15N relative to local fauna (7.3 ± 1.1‰, 1σ) and point to the contribution of animal protein to the diet, an unexpected result based on both the rarity and expense of these luxury food items as well as dietary prohibitions associated with an ascetic monastic lifestyle. No sex-based differences in diet were detected for either δ13C or δ15N values, suggesting that men and women consumed isotopically similar foods. As the vast majority of monastic communities in the ancient Near East were located in the desert, the urban setting of St. Stephen’s monastery allows for a unique glimpse into a rarely-explored facet of Byzantine life.

• δ13C ratios indicate a C3-based diet consistent with monastic literature.
• δ15N values point unexpectedly to animal protein in a supposedly ascetic diet.
• No sex-based differences in diet were detected for either δ13C or δ15N.
• Biochemical data can yield valuable information on commingled collections.