Patriarchs (Bible) Patriarchs (Bible) The patriarchs ( "Avot" or "Abot", singular "Ab" or Aramaic: אבא "Abba") of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites. These three figures are referred to collectively as the patriarchs, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal age. They play significant roles in Hebrew scripture during and following their lifetimes. They are used as a significant marker by God in revelations and promises, and continue to play important roles in the Abrahamic faiths. More widely, the term patriarchs
Coptic Orthodox Church in Africa dividing large eparchies into smaller more manageable eparchies. This was part of the restructuring of the Church as a whole. Although The Coptic Orthodox Church had a bishop for missionary affairs in Africa in the 1950s this was not continued after the death of that bishop. There are two bishops dealing with Sub-Saharan Africa: Bishop Paul was originally a deacon then a celibate priest, he was then tonsured as a hieromonk before he was consecrated as a bishop. Both bishops were physicians before becoming full-time clergymen. Here is a summary of the countries/churches under the jurisdiction of Bishop Antonius Markos