# Isidore of Hermopolis

Source: https://coptic-lore-forge.lovable.app/wiki/isidore-of-hermopolis — Coptic Orthodox Wiki (updated 2026-10-03)

Isidore of Hermopolis was a bishop who succeeded Dracontius and preceded Dioscorus in the episcopal succession. He met Saint Jerome, who mentioned him in his epistles. Listed as Saint Isidorus of Hermopolis in the Coptic Encyclopedia’s index, he is distinguished there from the saints of Pelusium and Scetis.

## Overview

**Isidore of Hermopolis**, called **Isidorus of Hermopolis** in the *Coptic Encyclopedia*, was a bishop whose brief biographical notice identifies him through his place in the episcopal succession and his acquaintance with Saint Jerome. He succeeded Dracontius, preceded Dioscorus, and was mentioned by Jerome in his epistles.[^1] The encyclopedia’s index explicitly lists him as “Isidorus of Hermopolis, Saint.”[^2]

## History and origins

### Episcopal succession

The episcopal sequence recorded in the notice is **Dracontius → Isidore → Dioscorus**. This establishes Isidore’s relative position between two named bishops, rather than supplying a dated account of his episcopate.[^1] The notice’s description of him as a bishop is also an important identifying detail: the adjacent entries describe Isidorus of Pelusium and Isidorus of Scetis as monks and priests.[^1]

### Connection with Saint Jerome

The encyclopedia states that Isidore met Saint Jerome and that Jerome mentioned him in his epistles. These are two related elements of the record: a personal encounter and a written remembrance in Jerome’s correspondence.[^1] The supplied notice summarizes that connection without reproducing Jerome’s wording or identifying individual letters.[^1]

## Name and textual record

The form **Isidorus of Hermopolis** appears both in the biographical listing and in the encyclopedia’s index. The index directs readers to page 2084 and includes the designation “Saint,” making explicit the saintly identification attached to the bishop’s name.[^1][^2]

The geographical designation is important when reading these references. Both the biographical listing and the index give separate entries for Isidorus of Hermopolis, Isidorus of Pelusium, and Isidorus of Scetis; the shared personal name does not make these entries interchangeable.[^1][^2]

## Distinction from other saints named Isidore

### Isidore of Scetis

Isidore of Scetis is described as a fourth-century monk and priest, a strenuous ascetic, and a man of prayer known for gentleness, patience, and spiritual healing. Those details belong to the Scetis entry, rather than to the brief notice of the bishop of Hermopolis.[^1][^3] Similarly, the account of Isidore receiving Moses and becoming his spiritual director explicitly identifies its subject as the priest of Scetis.[^4]

### Isidore of Pelusium

Isidore of Pelusium is separately described as a fifth-century monk, priest, and scholar who wrote numerous letters on church affairs.[^5] The distinction is especially useful here: the Hermopolis notice says that Jerome mentioned its subject in epistles, whereas the Pelusium entry identifies its subject as the author of a substantial correspondence.[^1][^5]

### Isidore of Antioch

Isidore of Antioch is another separately identified saint: a martyr under Diocletian, with a feast day of 19 Bashans.[^6] His martyrdom tradition and feast belong to that entry and do not establish corresponding details for Isidore of Hermopolis.[^1][^6]

## Frequently asked questions

**Who was Isidore of Hermopolis?**
Isidore of Hermopolis was a bishop who succeeded Dracontius and preceded Dioscorus. The Coptic Encyclopedia’s index lists him as a saint.

**What was Isidore of Hermopolis’s connection with Saint Jerome?**
Isidore met Saint Jerome, who mentioned him in his epistles.

**Who preceded and succeeded Isidore of Hermopolis as bishop?**
Dracontius preceded Isidore, and Dioscorus succeeded him.

**Was Isidore of Hermopolis the same as Isidore of Scetis?**
The Coptic Encyclopedia lists them separately. Isidore of Hermopolis was a bishop, whereas Isidore of Scetis was a fourth-century monk and priest.

## Sources
[^1]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 7, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 126)
[^2]: The Coptic Encyclopedia — Index, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 228)
[^3]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 4, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 780)
[^4]: Coptic Church Review, Volume 2, Number 2, Rodolph Yanney, M.D. (p. 13)
[^5]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 4, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 774)
[^6]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 4, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 772)