Saint Fana

Abu Fanah, also known as Apa Bane ( * after 354; † after 395 ), called the desert father, was a late ancient Christian ascetic of the 4th century. He lived and worked in a monastery in Middle Egypt and was known to have taken care of the sick and the poor. He achieved fame when he allegedly predicted by his prophecy the death of Emperor Theodosius I in 395. According to legend, Bane could manage 37 days without food and was the last 18 years of his life upright in his monastic cell.

During excavations of the monastery of Abu Fana Austrian scientists discovered under the direction of Professor Helmut Busch Hausen 1992 the body of Banes. This finding confirmed the muscle characteristics that Bane must have actually spent years standing.