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Stele of Apa Shenoute

5th–6th century

Not on view

Apa Shenoute (346/47–465) was among the most dynamic religious figures in late antique Egypt. Recruited as abbot (apa) of the White Monastery in Sohag when the community included only a few dozen elderly monks, Shenoute oversaw the monastery’s expansion to a population of more than three thousand. He provided a model for monastic communities in Egypt through his reforms and writings and remains a popular figure in the Coptic Church today. The bearded figure, identified in Coptic as "Apa [Father] Shenoute," may commemorate the saint or perhaps a monk sharing his illustrious name.

Stele of Apa Shenoute, Limestone — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Stele of Apa Shenoute

Date: 5th–6th century

Geography: Made in Egypt

Medium: Limestone

Dimensions: 20 7/8 x 12 3/16 in. (53 x 31 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin—Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Berlin (4475)

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Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.