Saint Moses the Black

Moses the Black (Coptic: Ⲙⲟⲥⲉⲥ; Greek: Μωϋσῆς ὁ Αἰθίοψ, romanized: Mōüsês ho Aithíops; Arabic: موسى الحبشي; 330–405), also known as Moses the Strong, Moses the Robber, and Moses the Nubian , was a Nubian ascetic hieromonk in Egypt in the fourth century AD, and a Desert Father. He is highly venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church. According to stories about him, he converted from a life of crime to one of asceticism. He is mentioned in Sozomen's Ecclesiastical History, written about 70 years after Moses's death. Saint Moses the Black lived during the fourth century in Egypt. He was a Nubian and was black-skinned; therefore, he was called "Murin" (meaning "like an Ethiopian"). In his youth, he was the slave of an important man, but after committing a murder, his master banished him, and he joined a band of robbers. He then roamed the Nile Valley with an infamous and violent gang of 75 robbers. Moses was a man of huge physical stature, strength and courage, and became leader of this gang of robbers that became a social menace and living terror to the communities where they roamed. On one occasion, a barking dog prevented Moses from carrying out a robbery, so he swore vengeance on the owner. In a second attempt, with a sword in his mouth, Moses swam across the Nile towards the owner's hut. The owner, again alerted, was able to hide, and the frustrated Moses stole four of his sheep and took them to slaughter, selling their fleece in exchange for wine. Attempting to hide from local authorities, he took shelter with some monks in a colony in the desert of Wadi El Natrun, then called Scetis, near Alexandria. The dedication of their lives, as well as their peace and contentment, influenced Moses deeply. He soon gave up his old way of life, became a Christian, was baptized and joined the monastic community at Scetis. Moses had a rather difficult time adjusting to regular monastic discipline, and traces of his criminal tendencies lingered.