Monks, as a religious group, did not start in just one place or time, but most discussions trace their origins to early Christian hermits in the deserts of Egypt and the Near East in the 3rd–4th centuries CE. Over time, these solitary ascetics formed communities, which became the first organized monasteries.

Early beginnings

  • The earliest Christian monks are usually associated with the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, where individuals withdrew from cities to live lives of prayer, fasting, and simplicity.
  • Figures like Anthony of Egypt and Paul the Hermit became models for later monastic life, inspiring others to follow them into the wilderness.

From hermits to communities

  • At first, many monks lived alone as hermits, but as their numbers grew, they started gathering into looser groups and then structured communities.
  • In Egypt, Pachomius organized one of the first communal (“cenobitic”) monasteries, where monks lived in separate cells but worked, ate, and worshipped together.

If you meant modern “monks” in the news

  • A recent trending story in late 2025 features Buddhist monks on a “Walk for Peace” across the United States, who started their journey in Fort Worth, Texas , heading toward Washington, D.C.
  • If your phrase “where did the monks start” refers to that news item, the starting point is their monastery in Fort Worth, Texas, with their route passing through multiple states and drawing growing crowds along the way.

Different traditions, different “starts”

  • Christian monasticism: deserts of Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean in late antiquity, later spreading to Europe through figures like Benedict of Nursia.
  • Buddhist monasticism: much older, rooted in the communities (sangha) around the historical Buddha in ancient India, then spreading through Asia; modern stories, like the peace walk from Texas, are contemporary expressions of that monastic tradition.

If you clarify whether you mean ancient religious history or the recent peace- walk monks, a more tailored “Quick Scoop” style breakdown can be given. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.