Anecdota Oxoniensia. Semitic series.

314 CIIURCHES AND MONASTERIES OF EGYPT.
Monastery of Sadmant. At the festival celebrated in this monastery, the Christians
of the Fayyim and other places assemble; and it lies on the road leading to the
Fayyfim, which, however, is only followed by few travellers.
34. Monastery ofAl-Kalamun. This stands in a plain under the mountainpass of Al-Kalamun, through which the traveller reaches the Fayyfim, and which
is called the Pass of Al-Gharak. This monastery was built in the name of the
monk Samuel, who lived in the time between Jesus and Mahtomct, and died on
the 8th of Kthak. In this monastery there are many palms, from the fruit (of
which the 'Ujwah' is prepared. Here is also the Labakh-trce (Persca), which is
only found here; its fruit is of the size of a lemon (malum citrinum), its taste is
sweet like the Rdnij (nux Indica), and its kernel is used for many purposes.
Abu Hantfah says in the Book of Plants: 'The Labakh only grows at Ansina.
It is a tree from which ships' planks are sawn, it sometimes excites nose-bleeding
in the man who saws it; and if two planks of it are fastened closely together and
placed for a year in water, they join themselves together and become one plank.'
In this monastery there are two towers built of stone, both high, large, and
brilliantly white; and within it there is also a well of running water, and outside
another well. In this valley there are a number of old praying-places, one
of which is the valley of Umailih, where there is a running spring and fruitful
palms, the fruit of which is gathered by the Arabs. Outside this monastery there
is a salt-marsh, the salt of which is sold by the monks of the monastery, so
that these districts are provided with salt therefrom.
35. The Monastery of the Virgin SMary outside Tunbudthd contains only one
monk, and does not stand on a frequented road. In the district of Al-Bahnasa
there were many monasteries now destroyed.
36. Monastery ofi B Fdnd, north of Bani Khalid, built of stone, and of fine
architecture. It belongs to the district of Al-MIunyah, and formerly there were
a thousand monks here, but now only two; it lies on the dam below the
mountain.
37. The Monastery of Bdalzjah, at a short distance from Al-Alanhi, belongs
to the inhabitants of Daljah, and was one of the largest monasteries, but is now
ruined, so that it only contains one or two monks. It stands opposite to Daljah,
at about two hours' distance.
38. Monastery of Sa'nt Mercurius or A AfaarkZrah. This monastery stands
' A juice with which children are fed (Wiistenfeld).