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Apocryphal Literature

APOCRYPHAL LITERATURE Properly speaking, this consists of the so-called Old Testament pseudepigrapha. The Old Testament books called “apocryphal” by Protestants and “deuterocanonical” by Roman Catholics were until recently included in the biblical canon of the Coptic church. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century and by order of CYRIL V (1874-1927) were the following …

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Dayr Al-Muharraqah

Places / By Arsanious Adel

DAYR AL-MUHARRAQAH ABU SALIH THE ARMENIAN, who wrote in the early thirteenth century, is the only ancient author who mentions Dayr al-Muharraqah. He situated it in Giza near Bunumrus, also known as Abu al-Numrus (Ramzi, 1953-1968, Vol. 2, , p. 3 and p. 39). There is still a village of this name to the south …

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Archelaus Of Neapolis

Eminent / By Arsanious Adel

ARCHELAUS OF NEAPOLIS An imaginary figure invented by the Coptic authors of the period of the CYCLES. Various homilies are attributed to him. Information on his fictional personality can be drawn only from the content of his homilies, and his mention in the Coptic-Arabic SYNAXARION on 22 Kiyahk also derives from one of these. He …

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Anastasius Of Eucaita

Eminent / By Arsanious Adel

ANASTASIUS OF EUCAITA A fictitious character invented in the Period of the CYCLES (eighth century), in relation to the legends concerning the martyr THEODORUS STRATELATES, who was from Eucaita. Anastasius is said to have been bishop of Eucaita, the successor of a certain Sukianus, and it is stated that he composed an encomium in honor …

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Saints Apaiule And Tolemaeus

Eminent / By Arsanious Adel

SAINTS APAIULE AND TOLEMAEUS A monk and a soldier martyred under DIOCLETIAN (feast day: 21 Tubah). The text of their Passion exists in only one codex in Sahidic dialect (Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, M 583), edited by E. A. E. Reymond and J. W. B. Barnes (1973, pp. 131-37). As usual, it begins with …

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Dayr Al-Malak Mikha’il (Fayyum)

Places / By Arsanious Adel

DAYR AL-MALAK MIKHA’IL (Fayyum) The ruins of this monastery are still visible in the district of Ibshaway, in the west of the Fayyum, in the desert some distance from the village of al- Hamuli (Meinardus, 1965, pp. 335-36; 1977, pp. 462-63). In the manuscripts deriving from this monastery, its position is given in terms that …

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Cyril Of Jerusalem

Eminent / By Arsanious Adel

CYRIL OF JERUSALEM Bishop of Jerusalem (c. 350-387) due to the efforts of the Arianite faction. However, because his doctrine was substantially anti-Arian, he was repeatedly exiled by the Arian emperors Constantius (357-362) and Valens (367-378). The Egyptian tradition recognized him as orthodox and regarded his character and work with favor. Consequently, the Copts accorded …

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John Of Mayuma

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

JOHN OF MAYUMA The sixth-century bishop who wrote an anthology of miraculous tales. John of Mayuma was a monk from the Monastery of Bayt Rufina, whence the name John Rufus, by which he is also known. He succeeded Peter the Iberian as bishop of Mayuma near Gaza in Palestine. Around the year 515, John composed …

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Hagiography, Coptic

Theology / By Armia FAYEZ

HAGIOGRAPHY, COPTIC The writing about the saints of the Coptic church. Many religions venerate saints and so have produced a vast literature around them. Best known in the West is the monumental Acta Sanctorum (Lives of the Saints), compiled by the Society of Bollandists, a group of Jesuit scholars, beginning in the seventeenth century and …

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Gregory Of Nazianzus, Saint (329-389)

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS, SAINT (329-389) Known as the Theologian. Along with Saint BASIL THE GREAT and Saint GREGORY OF NYSSA, Gregory of Nazianzus is one of the three Cappadocian Fathers. He was born in Nazianzus. For a few months, he was bishop of Constantinople, but he then withdrew to private life. Among his principal works …

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