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Sawirus Ibn Al-Muqaffa‘

SAWIRUS IBN AL-MUQAFFA‘ Earliest great Coptic writer in the Arabic language. Sawirus was born early in the tenth century to a pious family that provided him with a thorough Christian education. His dates of birth and death are not known with precision, but his life must have covered most of the tenth century. His name …

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Victor Of Shu

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

VICTOR OF SHU An early-fourth-century saint. Victor was born in Asyut. He served as a soldier in the fortress of Shu (Qasr Shu) south of Asyut, at the age of twelve. In accordance with the rescript of Diocletian, he was asked to offer sacrifice to the idols, but refused. His superior tried to persuade him …

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Barlam And Yuwasaf

Culture / By Arsanious Adel

BARLAM AND YUWASAF A collection of fables widely diffused in the Christian East; it is also known among Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews. In Arabic, these fables are found from the beginning of the ninth century. Other recensions or reworkings of the lost Arabic original are known. Two of these are in Georgian, and these gave …

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Fis, Saint

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

FIS, SAINT An extensive life of this saint and an account of several of his miracles can be found in two manuscripts of Coptic origin. The Life of Abu Fis (National Library, Paris, Arabe 4775, fols. 179v-96v, ninth century) was copied by the Muslim Muhammad ‘Izzat, as commissioned by E. Amélineau. Since this text is …

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Abd Al-Masih, (Ibn Nuh)

Eminent / By Youssef Matta

ABD AL-MASIH, KNOWN AS IBN NUH. Everything known about this author comes from the Coptic encyclopedist Abu al-Barakat IBN KABAR (d. 1324), who mentions him in his Lamp of Darkness at the end of Chapter 7 (Riedel, 1902, p. 666; Samir, 1971, p. 326; trans. Riedel, p. 703) as follows: “Masa‘il wa-Ajwibah fi Ma‘ani al-I‘tiqad …

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