Editing Abbey (section)

=== Laurae and Coenobia ===
{{Main article|Pachomius}}
At Tabennae on the [[Nile]], in [[Upper Egypt]], Saint [[Pachomius]] laid the foundations for the coenobitical life by arranging everything in an organized manner. He built several monasteries, each with about 1,600 separate cells laid out in lines. These cells formed an encampment where the [[monk]]s slept and performed some of their manual tasks. There were nearby large halls such as the church, refectory, kitchen, infirmary, and guest house for the monk's common needs. An enclosure protecting all these buildings gave the settlement the appearance of a walled village. This layout, known as the ''laurae'' (lanes), became popular throughout [[Israel (region)|Israel]].

As well as the "laurae", communities known as "caenobia" developed. These were monasteries where monks lived a common life together. The monks were not permitted to retire to the cells of a laurae before they had undergone a lengthy period of training. In time, this form of common life superseded that of the older laurae.<ref name=birt/>

In the late 300s AD, [[Palladius of Galatia|Palladius]] visited the Egyptian monasteries. He described three hundred members of the coenobium of [[Panopolis]]. There were fifteen tailors, seven smiths, four carpenters, twelve camel-drivers and fifteen tanners. These people were divided into subgroups, each with its own "[[oeconomus]]". A chief steward was at the head of the monastery.

The produce of the monastery was brought to [[Alexandria]] for sale. The moneys raised were used to purchase stores for the monastery or were given away as charity. Twice in the year, the superiors of several [[Cenobitic monasticism|coenobia]] met at the chief monastery, under the presidency of an "[[archimandrite]]" (the "chief of the fold" from the word, "miandra" (a sheepfold)) in order to make their reports. [[Chrysostom]] recorded the workings of a coenobia in the vicinity of [[Antioch]] in Syria. The monks lived in separate huts ("kalbbia") which formed a religious hamlet on the mountainside. They were subject to an abbot, and observed a common rule.{{sfn|Venables|1911}}