(CE:2067b-2068b)

RUFAIL AL-TUKHI (1701-1787), Egyptian Coptic Catholic

bishop; author, editor, lexicographer, and translator of various
liturgical works. He was born at Jirja, Upper Egypt, into an
Orthodox family from Tukh al-Nasara in the Delta province of
Minufiyyah. When he was in his early twenties and had been
converted to Roman Catholicism by Franciscan missionaries, he was
sent to Rome to study at the Collegio Urbano di Propaganda Fide.
This college was essentially for the training of missionaries but it
also housed the missionary printing press for the Catholic church.
(In 1671 the press had produced the earliest Bible printed in Arabic.)
In 1735 Tukhi obtained a doctorate in theology, thus becoming the
first Egyptian to attain such a high degree. He was sent to Egypt for
three years and returned to Rome, where he was appointed professor
of Coptic language and church rite at the Collegio, a post that he
occupied for over thirty-six years. He worked on liturgical books, in
particular revising and edifying Coptic works. He was also a copyist
of Arabic and Coptic manuscripts. In 1761 Pope Clement XIII
consecrated Tukhi bishop in recognition of his erudition and
services. He died in 1787 and was buried at the Vatican.
Tukhi always retained his innate affection for the Egyptian
church. At Rome he was able to accomplish the prodigious task of
editing a great number of works representing the various aspects of
the Coptic liturgical heritage. The following is a selection of his
most widely used publications:

pijwm nte pisom] nanavora ete nai nem

pi agioc bacilioc nem pi agioc gr/gorioc pi
yeologoc nem pi agioc kurilloc nem nike eu,/
eyouab (Pijom nte pishomti nanaphora ete nai nem pi agios

Basilios nem pi agios Gregorios pi theologos nem pi agios Kyrillos

nem nike eukhe ethouab) (Kitab al-Thalathat Quddasat ay Alladhi
lil Qiddis Basiliyus, wa al-Ladhi lil Qiddis Aghrighuriyus alThawlughus, wa-al-Ladhi lil Qiddis Kirillus) (The Euchologion, the
three liturgies of Saint Basil, Saint Gregory, and St. Cyril
[Kyrillus]). Rome 1736.

http://coptic-treasures.com

pijwm nte pi'alt/rion nte dauid (Pijom nte

pipsalterion nte David) (Kitab Zabur Dawud) (The Psalms of

David). Rome 1744.

pijwm nte ]metrefsemsi nnimuct/rion eyu

nem han jinh/bi nte ni refmwout nem han
jinhoc nem pi kata meroc nabot (Pijom nte

timetrefshemshi (e)nnimysterion ethouab nem han jinhebi nte ni

refmootp nem han jinhos nem pi kata meros nabot) (Kitab Khidmat
al-Asrar al-Muqaddasah wa-Lajaniz al-Mawta wa-al-Husat wa-alQatamarus al-Shahri) (Sacramental services and monthly
qatamarus). Rome 1763.

pijwm nte niyeotokia nem kata taxic

nte
piabot ,oiak (Pijom nte nitheotokia nem kata taksis nte piabot
Khoiak) (Kitab al-Theyutukiyyat wa-Tartib shahr Kiyahk)
(Theotokia and Ordo for the month of Kiyahk). Rome 1764.

pijwm eferapantoktin ejen ni eu,/ eyouab

pi meroc nhouit eybe nijinvws (Pijom eferapantoktin

ejen ni eukhe ethouab pi meros nhouit ethbe nijinphosh) (Kitab

Yashtamil ala al-Salawat al-Muqaddasah, li-al Risamat alMukhtarin li Darajat ahl al-Iklirus) (Ordination services and
consecration of the myron and churches). Rome 1761.
Ghramatiq fi al-Lisan al Qibti ay al-Misri (Rudimenta linguae
coptae sive aegyptiacae) (Coptic-Arabic grammar). Rome, 1778.
RUSHDI AL-TUKHI

http://coptic-treasures.com