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Sabbas

Sabbas, also Savvas in Greek, is the name of a prominent early Christian monk and saint who helped shape cenobitic monasticism in the Jerusalem region during the late antique period. He is best known for founding a network of monasteries in the Judean Desert and for establishing the Monastery of Saint Sabbas near Jerusalem, commonly known as Mar Saba.

According to hagiography, Sabbas lived as a hermit before forming a community under the mentorship of Theodosius

Sabbas died in the early 6th century; his legacy is honored in both the Eastern Orthodox and

the
Cenobiarch,
and
he
helped
organize
a
stable
system
of
communal
monastic
life
that
attracted
monks
from
across
the
Christian
world.
The
monastic
settlement
around
Mar
Saba
evolved
into
one
of
the
most
influential
centers
of
religious
life
in
the
Byzantine
Levant,
playing
a
significant
role
in
the
spread
of
cenobitic
practices
and
in
the
preservation
of
scriptural
and
scholarly
traditions.
Roman
Catholic
churches.
The
Mar
Saba
complex
remains
inhabited
and
is
notable
for
its
austere,
cliffside
architecture
and
enduring
role
in
monastic
history.
The
name
Sabbas/Savvas
survives
as
a
given
name
in
Greek-speaking
communities
and
appears
in
various
historical
and
hagiographical
sources.