Acknowledgments
This book is a revision of my doctoral thesis, ‘Whoever Writes Your Life-story I will Write His Name in the Book of Life.’ The Arabic Life of Antony Attributed to Serapion of Thmuis in Manuscripts of the Red Sea Monasteries (Macquarie and Göttingen, 2016) under the supervision of Heike Behlmer and Malcolm Choat. Research requires support, and I am conscious of my very great dependence on many people who have supported me during my research. I am deeply indebted to the abbots of the Red Sea monasteries of St Antony and St Paul: Bishop Yostos and Bishop Daniel, for the privilege of accessing their libraries of manuscripts for the purpose of this work. My research has also been greatly facilitated by the vicar of St Paul’s Monastery, Father Sawirus al-Anbā Būlā who has shown me constant support and encouragement, together with the librarians of the monasteries: Father Mattias al-Anbā Būlā and Father Dorotheus al-Anṭūnī. I benefitted greatly from their effective cooperation and friendship. I owe, in particular, a heavy debt of gratitude to Father Girgis al-Anṭūnī for his unfailing assistance and enthusiasm and his generous help with translation. I am incredibly grateful. I also wish to thank Father Misael al-Baramūsī, Father Polycarpos Ava Mīnā, and Father Zakka Labib who graciously provided me information for the manuscript inventory. And whilst manuscript libraries are critical to a study like this, I have also been privileged to use the valuable resources at the Franciscan Center for Christian Oriental Studies in Cairo, where Father Wadi Abullif was always generous with his knowledge and time, and Nabil Farouk from the Société d’ archéologie Copte in Cairo who provided many useful references for my work. I thank them both.
This study also allowed me to tap the incredible expertise of a number of scholars who have enriched me with their wisdom and acumen. I am especially indebted to Maged Mikhail and Hany Takla who have responded patiently and promptly to numerous queries and checked various transcriptions against the originals, and Mark Swanson offered particular generosity and essential consultation. Their unfailing support and their insightful and encouraging feedback on drafts of chapters has saved me from various errors and oversights. The remaining errors are my own. I also wish to extend special gratitude to Tim Vivian for his invaluable suggestions and constructive comments on the draft manuscript. His meticulous eye has certainly improved the final product. My thanks also to Shady Nessim, Darryl De Abreu and Abanoub Mikhail for their kind assistance, and it goes without saying that I’m incredibly grateful for the constant support of my family and my parents Khalaf and Zeazaf Agaiby.
Finally, I am deeply indebted to Bishop Epiphanius of blessed memory, the abbot of St Macarius’ Monastery in the Wādī al-Naṭrūn, whose life was taken so tragically in July 2018. He was an earthly angel. He showed great encouragement and enthusiasm for this research and kindness in offering many suggestions that have served to enrich this work. It is to his memory that I dedicate this book.