Abanoub or Abanob or Abanoub Al-Nahisy (, also ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲃ) is a 4th-century

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

and

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

from

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. His name is related to the Egyptian god Anoubis. He was born in Nehisa in the

Nile Delta The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the eas ...

to Christian parents. Abanoub was 12 years old when he was killed and beheaded, after being tortured for refusing to leave

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. His feast day is July 31 (

Epip Epip (), also known as Epiphi (, ''Epiphí'') and Abib. (), is the eleventh month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lasts between July 8 and August 6 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Epip is also the third month of the Sea ...

24). His relics are preserved in St. Virgin Mary and St. Abanoub Churches in

Sebennytos Samannud ( ) is a city (''markaz'') located in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt. Known in classical antiquity as Sebennytos (), Samannud is a historic city that has been inhabited since the Ancient Egyptian period. As of 2019, the population of the '' ...

, Egypt. His title is often ''The Child Martyr.''

History

Abanoub was born in the city of Nehisa (), modern Kafr al-Abhar in the district of

Talkha Talkha ( ) is a city in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The city is located on the west bank of the Damietta, a distributary of the Nile in the Delta region. Is about 120 km northeast of Cairo. Talkha is situated opposite the city of Mans ...

. He was the only son of parents who reared him in the fear of God. They died when Abanoub was a young child. At age twelve, Abanoub entered the church to hear the priest asking the congregation to remain faithful during the persecutions provoked by Diocletian, the Roman emperor. Abanoub received the Holy Sacraments, then he prayed to God to guide him to where he could confess his faith in Jesus. He returned to his house, and straight away he rose up, and gave all the gold, silver, and apparel his father had left him to the poor and needy, then went to Samanoud, walking along the river bank. On the way, he had a vision of the

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

, who told him that he would suffer at Samanoud. He confessed the Name of the Lord Christ before Lucianus the governor. Abanoub also insulted Lucianus's idols such that the governor ruler became furious and gave orders that the child be whipped. The soldiers beat Abanoub severely, but the Archangel Michael miraculously healed him. On the following day, the governor took Abanoub on a boat to a city called

Athribis Athribis (; Greek: , from the original , ) was an ancient city in Lower Egypt. It is located in present-day Tell Atrib, just northeast of Benha on the hill of Kom Sidi Yusuf. The town lies around 40 km north of Cairo, on the eastern bank o ...

, and as a form of punishment, Abanoub was hung upside down from the mast. The soldiers, along with their ruler, began to drink and dance, while hitting Abanoub on the mouth. Abanoub's nose bled, but then, unexpectedly, the soldiers became blind and the ruler paralyzed. The soldiers cried to Abanoub to pray for them and promised to become Christians. Abanoub replied, "This will only happen in Athribis, so that everyone there should know that there is no other God but Christ". The angel of the Lord came down from heaven, released Abanoub, and wiped up the blood that was running down from his nose and mouth. Strong winds brought them swiftly to Athribis. When they arrived in Athribis, the soldiers were healed, and they cast their uniforms in front of the ruler of Athribis. The governor became infuriated and ordered that they all be killed. The governor of Athribis tortured Abanoub severely, then sent him to the city of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

. There he was tortured until he delivered up his soul and received the crown of martyrdom. St. Julius El-Akfahsi, who wrote the biography of St. Abanoub, was present. He took Abanoub's body and sent it with some of his men to Abanoub's hometown, Nehisa.

Veneration

In 960 AD, St. Abanoub's body was transferred to St. Virgin Mary Church in Samanoud. Many churches were built in his name. Many signs and miracles were manifested from his body which is now located in his church in the city of

Samanoud Samannud ( ) is a city (''markaz'') located in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt. Known in classical antiquity as Sebennytos (), Samannud is a historic city that has been inhabited since the Ancient Egyptian period. As of 2019, the population of the '' ...

. His feast day is July 31 (Epip 24)."Saint Abanoub", Saint George Coptic Orthodox Church, Nashville, Tennessee
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References

{{authority control Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 4th-century Christian martyrs Christian child saints Saints from Roman Egypt Angelic visionaries Michael (archangel)