Early Christian Female Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Saint Menas, Saint Simeon the Elder, and Saint Thecla1

Late Antiquity saw many women travel as pilgrims with greater freedom and mobility than previously recognized, often independent of marital or sexual status. This study reveals how shrines like Abu Mena (Saint Menas), Qal'at Sem'an (Saint Simeon the Stylite the Elder), and Seleucia (Saint Thecla) catered specifically to female pilgrims through segregated spaces, gender-specific narratives about pilgrimage dangers, and products designed for women. By integrating textual and material evidence from these sites, researchers demonstrate that while elite female pilgrims like Egeria or Paula have dominated historical accounts, ordinary women constituted the majority of pilgrims and played a significant role in shaping pilgrimage practices.

Stafford, G. (2019). Early Christian Female Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Saint Menas, Saint Simeon the Elder, and Saint Thecla1. Studies in Late Antiquity, 3(2), 251–293. https://doi.org/10.1525/sla.2019.3.2.251