Abu Fanah

Abu Fanah (also known as Abu Fana, Apa Bane, or Saint Fanah) (c. 354-395) was an Egyptian Christian hermit. A monastery in the diocese of Mallawi, Upper Egypt, was named after him.

Abu Fanah was reportedly born to a Christian family in Memphis, Egypt. He became an anchorite due to the inspiration of the Western Desert hermits he visited as a young man [Otto F.A. Meinardus, [http://books.google.com/books?id=Cmey73GtfuUC&pg=PA215&dq=%22apa+bane&sig=ACfU3U27vInS0dovePtWJMbYaXrkzJWApQ Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity] , American University in Cairo Press, 1999, p. 215 ] .

Ancient sources such as the [http://touregypt.net/documents/aquileiaindex.htm 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), [http://touregypt.net/documents/lausiacindex.htm 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 Fanah and who lived in the area where the monastery of Abu Fanah 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 ho 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 was a man who 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." [ [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/apabane.htm Tour Egypt] ]

Fanah also became noted for his knowledge of the Psalms and would ultimately be linked to miracles. [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.]

He is noted for his ascetic life and concern for the poor. He also reportedly predicted the date of Theodosius I's death. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Cmey73GtfuUC&pg=PA215&dq= Otto F.A. Meinardus, Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity, American University in Cairo Press, 1999, p. 215] .] The monastery dedicated to him is one of the oldest in Egypt. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=bCtxJwWlVW4C&pg=PA166&dq= 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]

ee also

*Monastery of Abu Fanah

References

External links

* [http://www.mallawi-demet.org/Arabic/abofana/menu.html Official Website of the Monastery of Saint Fana ]
* [http://www.arabwestreport.info Arab West Report]