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Saint Benjamin I of Alexandria | |
|---|---|
| Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark | |
| Papacy began | 623 |
| Papacy ended | 16 January 662 |
| Predecessor | Andronicus |
| Successor | Agathon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Barshüt, Beheira Governorate, Egypt |
| Died | 16 January 662 |
| Buried | Saint Mark's Church |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Denomination | Coptic Orthodox Christian |
| Residence | Saint Mark's Church |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 16 January (8 Toba in the Coptic calendar) |
Pope Benjamin I of Alexandria, 38th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He is regarded as one of the greatest patriarchs of the Coptic Church. Benjamin guided the Coptic church through a period of turmoil in Egyptian history [1] that included the fall of Egypt to the Sasanian Empire, followed by Egypt's reconquest under the Byzantines, and finally the Arab Islamic Conquest in 642. After the Arab conquest Pope Benjamin, who was in exile, was allowed to return to Alexandria and resume the patriarchate.
- ^ Atiya, Aziz S. The Coptic Encyclopedia. New York:Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. ISBN 0-02-897025-X.