- Sowha
Sowha are Coptic Christian
monks who dwell in thedesert living off the land with aid from no man. They live neither in monasteries nor evencaves , a favorite residence of deserthermits such asAnthony of the Desert .Sometimes at night, the singing ofpsalms by sowha can be heard in the mountain canyons around monasteries.The sowha are shrouded in myth. Some believe if one sees or speaks to one, it means that
God will soon call you home.The sowha are believed to be closer to
heaven than earth, making their transition after death to heaven a relatively short one. It would seem they are granted a special grace by which God may be pleased to send them back to earth to complete a mission for the Lord or so that theirpraise may once more ascend from the deserts ofEgypt to heaven to theglory of God.References
*cite book | first=Mark | last=Gruber | year=2002 | title=Journey Back to Eden: My Life and Times Among the Desert Fathers| publisher= Orbis | id=ISBN 1-57075-433-0
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