600’s           Ethiopic kingdom remains linked with Coptic patriarchate; metropolitan chosen by patriarch of Alexandria; builds monolithic churches of Lalibela.

    605–616      Anastasius, patriarch of Alexandria.

610–641      Lengthy reign of Heraclius the younger, emperor of the Christian orient, who asserts Byzantine interests in Egypt.

    616–623      Andronicus, patriarch of Alexandria.

    619–629      Persian occupation of Egypt ends Byzantine Rule.

    622–680      Monothelite controversy.

    622              The Hejira, Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina, begins Islamic era; first year in Muslim calendar, 1 A. H. = Anno Hegirae.

    623–662      Benjamin I, patriarch of Alexandria, author of Easter Epistles and Homily on Cana Wedding, spends ten years in exile under Heraclius and three under the Muslims.

    625              Muhammad begins dictating Qur’an to scribe.

    628–646      Maximus the Confessor residing in Africa as refugee from Palestine due to Persian invasion, was tried, tortured, and died in exile in 662; writes on forced baptism at Carthage in 632.

    629–642      Byzantine recovery of Egypt.

    630              Death of Stephen of Alexandria, philosopher-alchemist-astronomer.

    631–642      Emperor Heraclius sends Cyrus as pro-Chalcedonian patriarch of Alexandria, and governor of Egypt, attempting to bring Copts into Melkite church.

    632              Death of Muhammad at Medina; Caliph Abu Bakr begins conquest of Palestine.

    634              Church of Saints Cyrus and John first built in Babylon, Old Cairo (now St. Barbara.)

    638              Ps.-Shenute’s Vision, prophesies calamities; falsely attributed to Shenute of Atripe.

     634–642     Expansion of Islam, Palestine, Syria and Egypt, where majority populations of Jews and Christians lived, come under Arab domination.

    639              Arab Conquest of Egypt begins with fall of Pelusium.

c. 640              Coptic Homily on the Child Saints of Babylon (anon.)

    641              Fall of Fort Babylon, Old Cairo, to Arabs.

    642              Fall of Alexandria; destruction of library of Alexandria witnessed by John of Nikiu, author of universal history, Chronicle, that survived only in Ethiopic—key source for Arab conquest and end of Byzantine rule in Egypt.

    646              Arabs burn cathedral of St. Mark in Alexandria.

    650’s           Irish ornamentation characterized by interlacing motif found frequently in Coptic art; Coptic influence spreads through monks who copied in the scriptoria.

    652              Christian Nubians and Arabs in Egypt agree that Aswan on Nile should mark southern limit of

Arab expansion.

    662–680      Agathon, patriarch of Alexandria during Arab conquest; ransomed captive slaves;

authored Panegyric on Benjamin.     

    680–681      Third Council of Constantinople, Sixth ecumenical Council, begun under Constantine IV,

completed by the synod in Trullo (692) under Justinian II, condems monothelism and monoenergism, confirming that in Christ are two inseparable wills and two inseparable energies, reemphasizing Chalcedonian Christology.

    680–689      John III (John of Samanud), patriarch of Alexandria, answers Questions of Theodore.

    689–692      Coptic Life of Isaac of Rakoti, patriarch of Alexandria.

    690–692      Isaac, patriarch of Alexandria; Menas, Bishop of Nikiu, writes Life of Patriarch Isaac.

    690–715      Coptic eschatology amid Arab rule: Ps.-Athanasius, Apocalypse.

    692–700      Simon I, patriarch of Alexandria.

    late 600’s    Menas, monk of Akhmim, remained at Ashmunayn monastery until captured by Arabs; martyred.