Editing Didymus the Blind (section)

==Teacher in Alexandria==
According to Rufinus, Didymus was "a teacher in the Church school", who was "approved by Bishop Athanasius" and other learned churchmen. Later scholars believed he was the head of the [[Catechetical School of Alexandria]]. However, the Catechetical School of Alexandria may not have existed in Didymus' time, and Rufinus may have been referring to a different school.<ref name= Young>{{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Frances M.|last2=Teal|first2=Andrew|title=From Nicaea to Chalcedon: a guide to the literature and its background|date=2010|publisher=SCM Press| location= London| isbn= 9780334029939|edition=2nd|pages=91–101|chapter=Didymus the Blind}}</ref> Didymus remained a layman all his life and became one of the most learned ascetics of his time.<ref name=Brit>{{cite web| title=Didymus The Blind|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Didymus-the-Blind|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=13 November 2017|language=en}}</ref> He was the first Alexandrian Christian who made use of [[Hermes Trismegistus|Hermetica]] as pagan prophecy of the coming of the Christ.<ref>Garth Fowden. (1993). ''The Egyptian Hermes : a historical approach to the late Pagan mind''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 179 ff. {{ISBN|9780691024981}}.</ref> Palladius, [[Tyrannius Rufinus|Rufinus]], and [[Jerome]] were among his pupils.<ref name="Layton 2004">{{cite book|last1=Layton|first1=Richard A.|title=Didymus the Blind and His Circle in Late-Antique Alexandria |date=2004|publisher=University of Illinois|location=Urbana and Chicago|isbn=0252028813}}</ref>{{rp|1}}

Rufinus was Didymus's pupil for eight years. When he translated Origen's ''De principiis'' into Latin, he referenced Didymus's commentary on it. Jerome mentions Didymus's contributions to his ideas in the prefaces of many of his books, and called Didymus "Didymus the Seer."<ref>{{Cite web|title= Didymus the Blind| url= https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04784a.htm|access-date=2021-03-22| website= Catholic Encyclopedia| via= newadvent.org| publisher= }}</ref> Rufinus remained loyal to Didymus after Jerome condemned Didymus and Origen.<ref name=Young/> Didymus was viewed as an orthodox Christian teacher and was greatly respected and admired up until at least 553.<ref name="Layton 2004"/> [[Socrates of Constantinople]] compared Didymus's faithfulness to the [[Nicene Creed]] to [[Basil of Caesarea]] and [[Gregory of Nazianzus]]. In his position as a teacher, he held discussions and learned from Jews, pagans, Manichees, and other Christian teachers. Records of Didymus's lectures and the questions students asked show that he taught the same educated pupils multiple times.<ref name=Young/>

Several Oriental Orthodox Churches refer to him as Saint Didymus the Blind.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2007-09-07 |title=Coptic Orthodox Church Centre, UK |url=http://www.copticcentre.com/three.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712141319/http://www.copticcentre.com/three.html |archive-date=2007-07-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>