The Monastery of Saint John the Baptist of Hrach: Two Syriac Epigraphs

Abstract

The 17 th century monastery of Saint John the Baptist of Hrach was the first convent for nuns in Kesrouan. It was custom among the Syriac Maronites to have monasteries for religious men and women combined. After the Council of Louaizé in 1736 [1] convents and monasteries for monks would become separated. The monastery of Saint John the Baptist of Hrach however, since its foundation, was exclusively reserved for nuns.