Tbew (also spelled Thbew,[1] Tbewe, or Tbow) was an Egyptian Coptic Orthodox monastery that was established in the mid-4th century. It was one of the Pachomian monasteries.[2]
Egypt is known as the birthplace of Christian cenobitic monasticism.[2] [3] Tbew was founded by Petronius, a wealthy Christian and fourth-century monk who briefly succeeded Saint Pachomius as leader of the Koinonia.[4] Petronius is also revered as a saint in the Coptic Church.[4] Tbew would be the seventh monastery to join Pachomius' community of monks (known as the Koinonia).[5] Pachomian monasteries are widely considered to be the first Christian monasteries which regulated the behavior, prayer, and daily lives of its monks.[2] Tbew was the last of the five core monasteries to join the Koinonia along the Nile.[5]
Petronius first gathered men on his family's estate who wanted to spend their lives worshiping Christ.[3] After doing so, Petronius went to Pachomius about turning his estate into a monastery after hearing of Koinonia. The rules at the Pachomian monasteries, including Tbew, were influential on the history of Christian monasticism.[2] The rules were adapted by the anonymous author of the Rule of the Master and influenced the Benedictine Rule.[2]
Although not much is known about the architecture of the monastery, historians hypothesized that it was located within a fertile valley.[3]