The churches of Nubia were singularly small with
the exception of the transformed temples. Howbeit, the
more pretentious churches were built with carved stone
columns and lintels.^19
D. Daniel, the Priest of Scete (or Shiheat)^20- The outstanding Bishops of this age, only a few of
whom were mentioned by name in the above section were
but stars of the first magnitude in a sky crowded with
myriads of other stars. In the monasteries, an intensive
life of worship was carried on, and the hymns of praise
echoed and re-echoed across the land. The fervour of the
monks was so great that the reputation thereof filled the
country, like a sweet smelling incense; the years of
spiritual abundance were succeeded by more such years
without interruption.^21
The Pakhomian monks regulated their lives and
services most carefully, and thus supplied their
compatriots with teams of workers. The care for the sick,
the administration of the apostolate charity, the direction
and maintenance of hospitals which had become numerous
and already specialised; the most affable and considerate
hospitality; these and other services proved to what
extent the monks exerted themselves to practice
Christianity. The monasteries were successfully evolving
into “the repositories of knowledge, whether religious or
profane”, and so played a great part in the history of the
Coptic community and Church, as well as in this history
of Egypt.^22
The influence of the monasteries was largely due
to the fact that the monks not only acquired learning for
themselves, but that whoever of them advanced
sufficiently, was entrusted with educating other young