When was the first monastery founded?

Answer 1

The father of western monasticism is considered to be St Anthony of Egypt, who was born in the 3rd century. He was the son of wealthy parents and inherited their money when he was only 20 years of age. However, he did not care for possessions and for 15 years went to live with various ascetics who lived on the outskirts of towns. At the age of 35 he went to live a solitary life in the desert near the present day Der el Memum. He gained a reputation for wisdom and holiness, attracting several people who wanted him to form a community of ascetics. In 305AD, the group formed what may be called the first Christian monastery with Anthony as its first leader (abbot - a derivation of the word 'ABBA' meaning 'father', or more accurately 'daddy'). In around 340AD, 2 of Anthony's disciples brought monasticism to Europe. Check out these websites: http://newadvent.org/cathen/01553d.htm http://newadvent.org/cathen/10459a.htm