During the Byzantine period the Judaean Desert was inhabited by hundred (perhaps even thousands) of monks who lived in two types of monasteries. The first one was known as coenobium; here the monks lived in a common complex and were part of a hierarchic social system. Their daily schedule included prayers, common meals and work. The second type, unique to Palestine, was known as laura, where the monks, known as anchorites, lived in solitude in their cells for most of the week and gathered for common meal and prayer only on Saturday and Sunday. The Laura type was common in Judaean Desert especially in the caves in the cliffs and ravines.
The research, which began in my MA thesis, strove to analyze the nature of the laura monasteries, examining the pattern of their location, water system, economy and social organization.
As part of this project, an archaeological field survey carried out in the Laura of St. Firmin in Nahal Michmas (Wadi Suweinit) uncovered inscriptions in Greek and in Christian-Palestinian Aramaic (CPA).