Before stepping into pastoral leadership, Cyril of Alexandria spent five years in the Egyptian desert, memorizing the entire Bible in Greek. According to a later Coptic historian, his uncle and patriarch Theophilus sent him there so that the future bishop could internalize Scripture deeply before guiding souls.

According to Severus of Al’Ashmunein (fl. 955–987), before Cyril of Alexandria (376–444) was called to pastoral ministry, he first entered the Egyptian desert. There, he memorized the Bible in Greek. Why? Presumably, Cyril and his patriarch Theophilus felt that Cyril needed to have the primary text of Christianity memorized before he could guide the souls of those under his care.

Severus explains, “the patriarch [Theophilus] sent [Cyril] to the Mount of Nitria, to the desert of Saint Macarius. And Cyril dwelt there five years in the monasteries, reading the books of the Old and New Testaments; for Theophilus urged him to apply himself assiduously to his studies, saying to him: «By these studies thou wilt some day arrive in Jerusalem on high, which is the dwelling-place of the saints». … so Cyril learnt all the Scriptures by heart.”^[1]

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