Saint PACHOMIUS - Page 2 of 6

Julian The Apostate (332-363)

JULIAN THE APOSTATE (332-363) A roman emperor who attempted to restore the classical pantheon. Julian was born in Constantinople, son of Julius Constantius and Basilina. With his half-brother Gallus, he survived the massacre that claimed many of the relatives of Emperor Constantine I on 9 September 337, including their father and elder brother. Julian was, …

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Coptic Literature

Heritage / By Armia FAYEZ

COPTIC LITERATURE National literatures are defined not only by the language in which they are written but also by ethnic and cultural affinities that bind their authors. That is why we may distinguish an American literature in English from British literature or a Latin-American literature in Spanish from Spanish literature. The literature in the Coptic …

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Copto-Arabic Synaxarion

Books / By Armia FAYEZ

COPTO-ARABIC SYNAXARION A list of saints used in the Coptic church Editions of the Synaxarion This book, which has become a liturgical book, is very important for the history of the Coptic church. It appears in two forms: the recension from Lower Egypt, which is the quasi-official book of the Coptic church from Alexandria to …

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Tabennese

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

TABENNESE A location of the first monastery of Saint PACHOMIUS, and though he and his successors soon lived in the second house established at PBOW, it still gives its name to the type of monasticism that he inaugurated. His monks were called Tabennesiotes, and the superior general was called either “archimandrite of Pbow” or “archimandrite …

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Saint Theodorus Of Alexandria

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

SAINT THEODORUS OF ALEXANDRIA A greek-speaking disciple of Saint PACHOMIUS. He must be distinguished from THEODORUS OF TABENNESE (the Egyptian), an assistant of Pachomius who eventually succeeded him. The vocation of Theodorus of Alexandria is narrated in the Coptic and Greek Lives of Pachomius, and he is mentioned several times in the LETTER OF AMMON. …

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Antinoopolis (Arabic, Ansina)

Places / By Arsanious Adel

ANTINOOPOLIS (Arabic, Ansina) Literary and Archaeological Sources In the fourth and fifth centuries the town of Antinoopolis flourished, for it was the capital of the province of the Thebaid as far as Aswan. The nuns were numerous, and the hermits and monks lived in the vicinity. This we learn from contemporary documents: the texts relating …

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Apa

Culture / By Arsanious Adel

APA The Coptic term apa is interchangeable with the Arabic abba, which occurs in Semitic languages, including Syriac, Aramaic, and even Hebrew, all meaning “father.” This is a title of reverence usually preceding names of persons in the church hierarchy. Historically the title is extended to the names of secular martyrs as well. It is …

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Saint Antony Of Egypt

Eminent / By Arsanious Adel

SAINT ANTONY OF EGYPT (feast day, 22 Tubah), third- fourth-century hermit. The principal source of our knowledge of the life of the man whom an ancient tradition calls “the Father of the Monks” is the biography written shortly after Antony’s death (356) by Saint ATHANASIUS, patriarch of Alexandria. Its authenticity as a work of Athanasius …

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Dayr Anba Bidaba

Places / By Arsanious Adel

DAYR ANBA BIDABA A monastery-village 1.25 miles (2 km) west of Nag Hammadi and south of Bahjurah. It is mentioned in the recension of the Coptic SYNAXARION from Upper Egypt at 13 Kiyahk, the feast day of the saint, who was bishop of the town of QUS (cf. Coquin, 1978, p. 361). T. Lefort believed …

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Dayr Anba Bakhum (Barjanus)

Places / By Arsanious Adel

DAYR ANBA BAKHUM (Barjanus) ABU SALIH THE ARMENIAN (1895, p. 243) is the only ancient author to mention this dayr. He placed the village of Barjanus in the district of Taha (al-A‘midah). In the Arabic versions of this Life the place-name (Coptic: “percoush”) is transcribed Brgush (National Library, Paris, Arabe 4787, fols. 196r-229r; Saint Antony, …

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