(CE:731b-732a)
DAYR ANBA BIDABA, a monastery-village 1.25 miles (2 km) west of Nag Hammadi and south of Bahjurah. It is mentioned in the recension of the Coptic SYNAXARION from Upper Egypt at 13 Kiyahk, the feast day of the saint, who was bishop of the town of QUS (cf. Coquin, 1978, p. 361).
L. T. Lefort believed that this was the monastery of Tmoushons (BAKHANIS), founded by Saint PACHOMIUS, but that is not very probable, for the place-name Tmoushons survives in the Arabic Bakhanis, or Makhanis, which is to the north of Farshut or about 8 miles north of Dayr Anba Bidaba (Lefort, 1939, pp. 399-401).
The monastery was pointed out by J. VANSLEB (1677, p. 413; 1678, p. 247) and by M. JULLIEN (1901, p. 253), who calls it Deir n'Nassara. Its present state was described by O. Meinardus (1965, p. 302; 1977, p. 435).
RENÉ-GEORGES COQUIN
MAURICE MARTIN, S.J.
