Benjamin I, the 38th Patriarch of Alexandria (626-665 AD), is a prominent figure in Coptic history. He lived through one of the most turbulent periods in Egypt’s history with the Persian Occupation (619-629 AD), ten years of Chalcedonian persecution (630-639 AD), and the early years of Arab rule. Despite his importance, very little is known about his life other than what comes from the History of the Patriarchs. Moreover, few of his writings are extant, with the exception of his Sixteenth Festal Letter (643-644 AD) and his sermon On the Marriage Feast at Cana of Galilee, which C.D.G. Müller called “one of the best examples of Coptic homiletics we possess.”
In this volume, Maged S.A. Mikhail presents an expanded introduction and commentary along with a revised English translation of the consummate Coptic homily, On Cana. The study also includes the Coptic text of the sermon based on Vat.copt. 67, which has been published in French by H. de Vis, and in a German edition by C.D.G Müller.