Yousab El Abah

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Yousab El Abah (1735–24 January 1826), also known as Joseph el-Abbah and Yousab the Hoarse, was a Coptic Christian bishop, theologian and saint. He was born in El Nikhela, Assiut, Egypt. At age 25, he joined the Monastery of St. Anthony, took the name Yousef el Antony, and lived a life of prayer and study. He became a pastor and then bishop; in 1790 Pope John XVIII of Alexandria made him his disciple and personal secretary. In 1791 he was appointed Bishop of Girga and Akhmim, known as Anba Yousab. He taught about life, preached, and wrote books such as The Weapon of The Believer and Stair Book. During Pope Pius VI’s attempts to unite the Eastern Churches with Rome, Yousab defended the non-Chalcedonian position. He died in 1826, and his body is kept at the Monastery of Saint Anthony in the Eastern Desert. He is revered as a saint in the Coptic Orthodox Church.