Saint Philoumenos of Jacob's Well

Philoumenos (Hasapis) of Jacob's Well (Greek: Φιλούμενος Χασάπης; Φιλούμενος ο Κύπριος; or Φιλούμενος Ορουντιώτης, 15 October 1913 – 29 November 1979) was the Hegumen of the Greek Orthodox monastery of Jacob's Well, from the city of Nablus (Neapolis) in the West Bank. He was murdered on 29 November 1979 by a mentally ill Jewish man. Sophocles Hasapis was born on 15 October 1913, in the village of Orounta in the province of Morphou, in Cyprus. At the age of 14, he and his twin brother, the future Archimandrite Elpidios, left their home to become monks at the Stavrovouni Monastery in Cyprus where they stayed for 6 years and then left for the Holy Land to continue their monastic life and attended the local High School. He was ordained a priest and became a trusted priest of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, later being raised to the office of archimandrite. In 1979, he was assigned as the guardian of the Monastery of Jacob's Well. Philoumenos was murdered on 29 November 1979. His assailant, Asher Raby (spelled "Rabi" in some newspaper accounts), a mentally ill 37-year-old resident of Tel Aviv, had intruded the monastery and threw a hand grenade inside, which caused substantial damage. Philoumenos is said by investigators to have been fleeing the explosion and fire caused by the grenade when he was pursued by Raby and hit multiple times with an axe. Investigators stated that Philoumenos appeared to have been trying to protect his face with his hands when a blow to his face or head severed one finger on each hand. Raby escaped the scene of the crime undetected. Raby was subsequently found to have acted alone, "without any connection to a religious or political entity." An investigation launched by the Israeli police initially failed to identify the killer. Raby was arrested on 17 November 1982 as he again attempted to enter the Monastery at Jacob's Well illicitly by climbing over a wall; he was carrying hand grenades.