The Order of Saint John in Jerusalem and the byzantine charity monastic model for the care of the sick.

GREIF, ESTEBAN

Palmela

Encuentro; VIII Encontro sobre Ordens Militares ? 30 ANOS Ordens Militares, Identidade e Mudança; 2019

Gabinete Estudos sobre a Ordem de Santiago

One of the main aspects under examination in studies on medical developments in the crusaders states is the circulation of knowledge and medical practices developed in the Frankish states. In this sense, the Hospital of St. John was one of the institutions that received more attention among the historians. In our proposal, we will focus on different aspects of the organization of the hospital of Saint John ?built during the 50´s of the 12th century-, in comparison with the byzantine medical culture of the time. We will analyze indeed the documents attached to the domus Dei of Jerusalem, paying special attention to the points that appear common to Byzantine?s hospital organization like the layout of the wards, the professional hierarchy, the division of medical works and the patients attended. For this, we will compare the regulations documents of the hospitals attached to the great byzantine monasteries, i.e., The Mother of God Kosmosoteira ?close to the city of Bera in the area of Thrace- and the Monastery of Christ Pantokrator in Constantinople, with the documents of the hierosolimitanian institution.