Moses the Black


Moses the Egyptian
Icon of St. Moses
Desert Father
Hieromonk and Hieromartyr
Born330 AD
Egypt
Died405 (aged 7475)
Scetis, Egypt, Eastern Roman Empire
Venerated inEastern Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodoxy
Catholic Church
Anglican Communion
Lutheranism
Major shrineParomeos Monastery, Scetis, Egypt
FeastAugust 28 (Chalcedonian)
July 1—Paoni 24 (Oriental)
July 2 (Episcopal Church)
PatronageAfrica, nonviolence

Moses the Black (Greek: Μωϋσῆς ὁ Αἰθίοψ, romanized: Mōüsês ho Aithíops; Arabic: موسى الاسود; Coptic: Ⲙⲟⲥⲉⲥ; 330–405), also known as Moses the Strong, Moses the Robber, and Moses the Egyptian, was an ascetic hieromonk in Egypt in the fourth century AD, and a Desert Father. He is highly venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church. According to stories about him, he converted from a life of crime to one of asceticism. He is mentioned in Sozomen's Ecclesiastical History, written about 70 years after Moses's death.