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Prayer rope
Item used in Christianity to assist prayer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A prayer rope[note 1] is a loop made up of complex woven knots formed in a cross pattern, usually out of wool or silk. The typical prayer rope has thirty-three knots, representing the thirty-three years of Christ's life.[1][2] It is employed by monastics, and sometimes by others, to count the number of times one has prayed the Jesus Prayer (or occasionally other prayers).
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Prayer ropes are part of the practice of Eastern Christian monks and nuns,[3] particularly within Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Catholicism, and Oriental Orthodoxy. Among the Coptic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, a prayer rope is known by its Coptic or Ge'ez name (mequetaria).