Echoes of Holiness: The Recensions of the Life of St. Bishoi (Paisios)

St. Bishoi (Paisios) is one of the most renowned Egyptian monastics of the fifth century. He has been consistently venerated in the Orthodox East over the centuries, and today he remains one of the most popular saints among Egypt’s Christians. This paper explores the Arabic recensions of the Life of St. Bishoi based on the oldest available manuscripts. It identifies its various recensions, and charts the arc of his Life in the extant Greek, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions. The focus then shifts to several accounts that aid in dating the Arabic recension along with others that have become emblematic of the saint’s current hagiography.