Abstract

Saint Maron the Hermit Between the Maronite-Syriac Narrative and the Greek-Rūm Context:
A Study in the Literary Testimonies and Archaeological Evidence
Archimandrite Jack Khalil
This study seeks to reexamine the figure of Saint Maron the Hermit in light of Greek literary sources and archaeological findings, challenging the dominant assumption that confines him within the Syriac tradition. While modern narratives often present him as the founding figure of the Syriac Maronite identity, the available evidence-particularly the letter of Saint John Chrysostom and the biography written by Theodoret of Cyrrhus-reveals that Maron belonged to a Greek-speaking ecclesiastical milieu, with no indication of linguistic barriers or the need for translation.
This conclusion is further supported by the archaeological discoveries at Hama, which highlight the cultural and linguistic influence of Greek in St. Maron’s monastery. The study also aligns with identical documented diversity in other ascetic communities of the Antiochian tradition during Late Antiquity. Consequently, the research reopens the debate regarding the etymology and cultural identity associated with the name “Maron,” and calls for a reassessment of early Antiochian Christianity as a space of linguistic and cultural plurality-a richness to be embraced, not a threat to be suppressed.
KEYWORDS: Theodoret of Cyrrhus, st. John chyrsostom, st. Maron the hermit, Antiochian monasticism, ruins of the church of Hama.