I first read about the Australian Fr Lazarus, living in the cave of St Anthony, in the book Desert Father: In the Desert with Saint Anthony. I wasn’t sure if Fr Lazarus actually was a useful literary construct rather than an actual person until I watched the BBC series of Fr Peter Owen-Jones Extreme Pilgrim where he spends time with Fr Lazarus and we see around St Anthony’s monastery:
The monk mentioned at the end of the above clip is Fr Lazarus.
Now I fell over this youtube video of archaeological and restoration work at this ancient monastery, at one of the sources of Christian monasticism. Fr Maximous el-Antony describes the work and the possibility of discovering St Anthony’s tomb:
If anyone is interested the caption for the top video says: The origins of Islamic prayers in Coptic Christianity.
Thank you for posting this – I am extremely grateful to have been able to see it. Amazing.
May God bless thy day.
sHALOM.bARUch.Elohim.Im rely .Fr.Lazarus journey to St.Anthony”s
Monastery.My biblical interest is Syriac Manuscripts.
Coptic/Syriac Liturgy.
Thank you for the post, like many, I find Fr Peter Owen-Jones programs beautifully simple, touching and deeply inspirational.
God bless.
David