Saint Fana: Difference between revisions
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The History of the Egyptian Monks states: |
The History of the Egyptian Monks states: |
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<blockquote>"We saw another old man who was gentle above all others. His name was Benus and the brothers with him asserted that no oath or lie had ever come from his mouth, that no one had ever seen him losing his temper with anyone, or indulging in unnecessary, idle conversation. He lived his life in a profound silence, his manner was always peaceful, in all things he |
<blockquote>"We saw another old man who was gentle above all others. His name was Benus and the brothers with him asserted that no oath or lie had ever come from his mouth, that no one had ever seen him losing his temper with anyone, or indulging in unnecessary, idle conversation. He lived his life in a profound silence, his manner was always peaceful, in all things he seemed to be angelic. His humility was very deep, counting himself as nothing in every way. We ourselves urgently pressed him to favour us with some encouraging conversation, but his modesty prevented him from giving us more than just a few words." <ref>[http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/apabane.htm Tour Egypt]</ref></blockquote> |
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Fana also became noted for his knowledge of the [[Psalms]] and would ultimately be linked to miracles. <ref>Jill Kamil, [http://books.google.com/books?id=7cHSEZgCA30C&pg=PA265&dq=#PPA265,M1 Christianity in the Land of the Pharaohs, 2002, p 265-266], Sīrat al-Qidīs Abū Fānā al-Mutawahid (Biography of Saint Abū Fānā the Hermit), Bishopric of Mallawī, 1998, reprinted in 2008.</ref> |
Fana also became noted for his knowledge of the [[Psalms]] and would ultimately be linked to miracles. <ref>Jill Kamil, [http://books.google.com/books?id=7cHSEZgCA30C&pg=PA265&dq=#PPA265,M1 Christianity in the Land of the Pharaohs, 2002, p 265-266], Sīrat al-Qidīs Abū Fānā al-Mutawahid (Biography of Saint Abū Fānā the Hermit), Bishopric of Mallawī, 1998, reprinted in 2008.</ref> |
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Revision as of 14:06, 11 May 2010
Saint Fana (also known as Abu Fana, Abu Fanah, or Apa Bane) (c. 354-395) was an Egyptian Christian hermit. A monastery in the diocese of Mallawi, Upper Egypt, is named after him.
Saint Fana was born to a Christian family in Memphis. He became an anchorite due to the inspiration of the Western Desert hermits he visited as a young man [1].
Ancient sources such as the History of the Egyptian Monks (Historia Monachorum in Aegypto), the story of a visit of seven monks to Egypt in 394-395 AD, Sayings of the Fathers (Apophtegnmata Patrum), Palladius' Lausiac History (Historia Lausiaca) and Sozomen's Church Hisotory (Historia Ecclesiastica) make reference to a hermit called Benus or Banus who can be identified as Saint Fana, and who lived in the area where the monastery of Saint Fana was later built.
The History of the Egyptian Monks states:
"We saw another old man who was gentle above all others. His name was Benus and the brothers with him asserted that no oath or lie had ever come from his mouth, that no one had ever seen him losing his temper with anyone, or indulging in unnecessary, idle conversation. He lived his life in a profound silence, his manner was always peaceful, in all things he seemed to be angelic. His humility was very deep, counting himself as nothing in every way. We ourselves urgently pressed him to favour us with some encouraging conversation, but his modesty prevented him from giving us more than just a few words." [2]
Fana also became noted for his knowledge of the Psalms and would ultimately be linked to miracles. [3]
He is noted for his ascetic life and concern for the poor. He also reportedly predicted the date of Theodosius I's death. [4] The monastery dedicated to him is one of the oldest in Egypt. [5]
See also
References
- ^ Otto F.A. Meinardus, Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity, American University in Cairo Press, 1999, p. 215
- ^ Tour Egypt
- ^ Jill Kamil, Christianity in the Land of the Pharaohs, 2002, p 265-266, Sīrat al-Qidīs Abū Fānā al-Mutawahid (Biography of Saint Abū Fānā the Hermit), Bishopric of Mallawī, 1998, reprinted in 2008.
- ^ Otto F.A. Meinardus, Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity, American University in Cairo Press, 1999, p. 215.
- ^ Egypt in the Byzantine World, 300-700 By Roger S. Bagnall, pg 166, Rene-Georges Coquin and Maurice Martin in the Coptic Encyclopedia, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991, Vol. 3, p.698-700