Paul of Tammah (

Coptic Coptic may refer to: Afro-Asia * Copts, an ethnoreligious group mainly in the area of modern Egypt but also in Sudan and Libya * Coptic language, a Northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century * Coptic alphabet ...

: Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲉ ⲡⲓⲣⲉⲙⲧⲁⲙⲙⲟϩ) (died October 17, 415 AD) was an Egyptian saint who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. He is venerated as a saint in the

Oriental Orthodox Churches The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent ...

Life

Paul of Tammah lived as a hermit in the mountain of Ansena (currently in the El Minya governorate of

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

). He had a disciple named Ezekiel. Paul of Tammah is most known for spending his life in lengthy fasts and worship. The Coptic Orthodox tradition has it that he would only break his fasts when

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

told him to. He is credited to have written a number of ascetical texts. Towards the end of his life, he befriended

Pishoy Pishoy of Scetis (Coptic: ''Abba Pišoi''; Greek: Ὅσιος Παΐσιος ὁ Μέγας; 320 – 417 AD), known in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria as the ''Star of the Desert'' and the ''Beloved of our Good Savior'', was a Copti ...

at the time when the latter fled the

Nitrian Desert The Nitrian Desert is a desert region in northwestern Egypt, lying between Alexandria and Cairo west of the Nile Delta. It is known for its history of Christian monasticism."Nitrian Desert", in F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, eds., ''The Oxfor ...

because of the

Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...

' attacks, and went to dwell in the mountain of Ansena.

Departure and Relics

Paul of Tammah departed on 7 Paopi (October 17, 415 AD). He was buried along with Pishoy in the

Monastery of Saint Pishoy at Deir El Barsha A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

, which still exists today near

Mallawi Mallawi ( ar, ملوي ; Saidi pronunciation: , ) is a city in Egypt, located in the governorate of Minya. Overview Situated in a farm area, the town produces textiles and handicrafts. The total area of the city is about . The souther ...

. On 4 Koiak 557 AM (December 13, 841 AD), Pope Joseph I fulfilled the desire of Pishoy and moved his body as well as that of Paul of Tammah to the

Monastery of Saint Pishoy The Monastery of Saint Pishoy (also spelled Bishoy, Pshoi, or Bishoi) in Wadi El Natrun, Beheira Governorate, Egypt, is the most famous monastery of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria named after Pishoy. It is the easternmost of the four ...

in the wilderness of Scetes. It is said that they first attempted to move the body of Pishoy only, but when they carried it to the boat on the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

, the boat would not move until they brought in the body of Paul of Tammah as well. Today, the two bodies lie in the main church of the Coptic Orthodox

in the Nitrian Desert.

References

Coptic Orthodox Church Synaxarium (Book of Saints)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul Of Tammah 4th-century births 415 deaths Saints from Roman Egypt Egyptian hermits Egyptian Christian monks 4th-century Christian saints