Abbey of Our Lady of Mount Zion
Encyclopedia
The Abbey of Our Lady of Mount Zion, often referred to by modern authors as the Abbey of Sion or Order of Sion, was a small mediaeval monastic order which, according to a papal bull
of the 12th century, had abbeys on Mount Zion
in Jerusalem, on Mount Carmel
, in Southern Italy (Calabria
), and in France.
The French scholar Emmanuel Rey discovered the historical references to the Abbey of Our Lady of Mount Zion and published his findings in 1888.
In Jerusalem, the Abbey's church was on Mount Zion, where it had been built on the ruins of an earlier Byzantine church, Hagia (Holy) Zion. The Abbey existed there for 200 years, one of many such small groups in Jerusalem during the city's occupation by the Crusaders. In the early 13th century, the Abbey's church was destroyed during a Muslim raid, and the monks moved to Sicily
.
In 1617, the remaining monks joined with the Jesuit order.
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of the 12th century, had abbeys on Mount Zion
Zion
Zion is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE...
in Jerusalem, on Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
, in Southern Italy (Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
), and in France.
The French scholar Emmanuel Rey discovered the historical references to the Abbey of Our Lady of Mount Zion and published his findings in 1888.
In Jerusalem, the Abbey's church was on Mount Zion, where it had been built on the ruins of an earlier Byzantine church, Hagia (Holy) Zion. The Abbey existed there for 200 years, one of many such small groups in Jerusalem during the city's occupation by the Crusaders. In the early 13th century, the Abbey's church was destroyed during a Muslim raid, and the monks moved to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
In 1617, the remaining monks joined with the Jesuit order.