– The Arab Conquest of Egypt: before Pope Benjamin I, all the patriarchs of the See of St. Mark resided in Alexandria
– During his papacy, Cyrus (Al-Muqawqis) became the Melkite patriarch and the Byzantine prefect of Egypt under Emperor Heraclius, controlling the state and the patriarchate; he persecuted the believers, and arrested Pope Benjamin’s brother, Mina, whom he tortured severely, burned his sides, then drowned him to death
– When Amr Ibn Al-Aas during the reign of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab came and conquered Egypt, he captured Alexandria and vowed peace to the Pope, thus, the Pope came out of hiding as he was for 13 years and received all the captured churches and properties as commanded by Amr
