Another theory holds that the name refers to the Roman Emperors Arcadius and Honorius, disciples of Saint Arsenius.

The latter was himself a Roman monk who established himself in Scetes, and it is possible that the two emperors had visited their teacher in his seclusion, thus giving to the monastery its name.

During the first half of the fifteenth century, the historian Al-Maqrizi visited the monastery and was responsible for identifying it as that of Saint Moses the Black.

In the 20th century the monastery also supplied one monk (Abouna Mina) to the patriarchal throne, Pope Kyrillos VI of Alexandria.

In addition, six water pumps, a sheepfold, a henhouse and two generators were added, together with the construction of new residential cells both inside and outside the monastery proper.

There is now a clinic and a pharmacy to serve the monks, as well as a spacious retreat center for conferences and a large, two story guesthouse that was opened in January 1981.

It has been suggested that this may have originally been built as a Roman military structure in order to defend the Nitrian Desert and its salt production.

The walls of the nave are made from poor quality and improvised masonry that suggest that the church was perhaps rebuilt hastily after having been destroyed.

The actual sanctuary of this church is of better quality, and was apparently reconstructed somewhat later, perhaps at the end of the ninth or the beginning of the tenth century.

Remains, probably of an earlier structure and consisting of more solid masonry of finely cut limestone blocks, were found in the western part of the church's nave.

Since one of these blocks was inscribed with a number of hieroglyphics in high relief, it is very plausible that an Ancient Egyptian monument existed in close proximity to this site.