Chapter 6 - Purity Laws and Ascetic Practices

Summary

WHILE ALL BETÄ Ǝsraʾel were required to observe puritylaws, the purity laws observed by the monks were significantly more severethan those observed by the laity, as apparent in Stern's (1862,196–97) description of Betä Ǝsraʾel monasticism:“The dwellings and convents of these ascetics are carefully isolatedfrom the abodes of the impure and unholy people; nay, as every contact withthe common herd communicates contamination, and involves laborious lavationsof body and dress, they will not eat, drink, or sleep in the houses of otherpeople; even their own fields must be cultivated, the harvest reaped, andthe bread prepared by themselves or younger monks.”

Betä Ǝsraʾel monastic purity laws included completephysical separation from the laity and consumption only of food prepared byoneself or by fellow monks (Flad 1869, 32). The monastic compound was a purespace in which monks could move freely, but when venturing outside of it,they took great care not to come into contact with anything impure. Whendescribing the religious community that resided near the Siq^walaprayer house in Səmen Mənaṭa, A.A., originally fromthat village, related that the monks would not leave their compound atSiq^wala, and others would not enter. If someone were to enterand grab them by force, the monks would go to the river, purify themselves,wash their clothes, and remain outside the compound until evening.Afterwards, they could enter their homes. He reported that when the monkswent to the river [to purify them-selves], they would tread carefully andlook at the ground, so as not to step on impure things like dog feces. Theywould take leaves and clean their path. If they reached a path used bylaymen, they would place a stone upon it and step on the stone [so as not tostep on the path]. The monks had their own designated spot by the riverwhere they would go to cleanse themselves. No laymen would approach it. Themonks would wash their clothes all the time, and their clothes would bewhite. It was forbidden for them to wear black [dirty?] clothes.