Saint Amun

Who was Saint Amun?

Ammon or Amun was 4th-century a saint and hermit of Egypt. He was one of the most venerated ascetics of the Nitrian Desert, and Saint Athanasius mentions him in his life of Saint Anthony. His name is the same as that of the ancient Egyptian god Amun.

According to his legend, he was forced into marriage at the age of 20 and persuaded his wife, on their wedding night, to embrace a vow of chastity. The two lived together for 18 years in celibacy, and then he left to become a monk in the Nitrian desert, while she founded a convent in her own house. He cooperated with Saint Anthony and gathered his monks under his direct supervision, thus forming a monastery from sole hermits. Traditionally, he is supposed to have been the first hermit to have established a monastery, known as Kellia, near Nitria. This is by no means verifiable, but it is more certain that Amun's piety and fame drew others to the region. He is considered to have died at the age of 62 years old. His feast day is October 4 in the Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and Roman Catholic Churches. His feast in the Coptic Orthodox Church is on 20 Pashons.