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The Therapeutae ("Worshipers" in Greek) were an early pre-Christian monastic order established near Lake Mareotis close to Alexandria, the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt.
They were described in the beginning of the 1st century CE by the writer Philo, in his 10 CE "De vita contemplativa" ("On the contemplative life"). By that time, the origins of the Therapeutae were already lost in the past, and Philo was unsure about the etymology of their name, which he explained as meaning either physicians of souls or servants of God.
One of the first Mediterranean monastic orders
According to Philo, the Therapeutae tended to be widespread geographically: "this class of persons may be met within many places, for both Greece and barbarian countries want to enjoy whatever is perfectly good." (Philo)
They were dedicated to contemplative life, and their activities consisted of ascetic practices, solitary prayers and the study of the scriptures. They "first of all laid down temperance as a sort of foundation for the soul to rest upon, proceed to build up other virtues on this foundation." (Philo)
They renounced property and followed severe discipline: "These men abandon their property without being influenced by any predominant attraction, and flee without even turning their heads back again". (Philo)
The practices described by Philo have been considered as one of the first models of Christian monastic life.
Formative influences
Various formative influences on the Therapeuthae have been conjectured, among them Zoroastrianism, Pythagoreanism, Hellenism or Buddhism.
In particular, the similarities between the Therapeuthae and Buddhist monasticism, a tradition with an anteriority of several centuries, combined with Indian evidence of Buddhist missionary activity to the Mediterranean around 250 BCE (the Edicts of Ashoka), have often been pointed out.
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