Moses, also called Abba Musa, was the

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 ...

bishop of Awsīm (or Wasīm) in

Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'' arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 ...

from about 735 until after 767. He was an influential churchman in Islamic Egypt.. Moses was a monk before he became a bishop., p. 23. His predecessor, Gamul, was bishop about 728 and Moses had succeeded by about 735., at 302. He was a companion of the Patriarch Michael I.Swanson 2010, p. 16. When in 743 there was a deadlock between northern and southern factions in the election of a new

Patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major episco ...

, Moses successfully put forward Michael as a compromise. His influence probably stemmed in part from his proximity to the Egyptian government in Fustat. Moses was repeatedly imprisoned for refusing to pay new taxes imposed on ecclesiastical landholdings. During the revolt against Umayyad rule (747–750), Moses (by now an old man) and Michael were both summoned before the Umayyad caliph Marwan II. According to John the Deacon, Moses was severely beaten, yet gave thanks to God that he was found worthy to suffer for the church. John, who wrote the second section of the ''

History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria The ''History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria'' is a major historical work of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. It is written in Arabic, but draws extensively on Greek and Coptic sources. The compilation was based on earlier biographical ...

'', was a spiritual disciple of Moses. Moses defended the Coptic church against the encroachments of the Muslim rulers of Egypt. Under the

Abbasids The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

who replaced the Umayyads in 750, Moses visited Fustat several times to plead for tax relief for church lands. He secured lenient treatment for the Copts from the Abbasid governor Abū ʿAwn when, at the governor's request, he interceded with prayer and the waters of the Nile rose three cubits. Late in Michael's patriarchate, Moses succeeded in bring back into the church some

Melitians The Melitians, sometimes called the Church of the Martyrs, were an early Christian sect in Egypt. They were founded about 306 by Bishop Melitius of Lycopolis and survived as a small group into the eighth century. The point on which they broke wit ...

, remnants of a 4th-century schism. Under Patriarch Mina I (767–774), Moses fought to keep Christian holy places. He also wrote a letter to Mina and all the Christians of Alexandria urging them to continue keeping the Lord's Day. Moses was revered in his own time as a

healer Healer may refer to: Conventional medicine *Doctor of Medicine *Health professional Alternative medicine * Faith healer * Folk healer * Healer (alternative medicine), someone who purports to aid recovery from ill health * Spiritual healer F ...

with the gift of prophecy who comforted his fellow inmates during his spells in prison.Swanson 2010, p. 25. He worked to keep the peace between the Copts and the Melkites in Alexandria.

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