John Arkhaph

John Arkhaph (also spelled Arkaph or Archaph) was the bishop of Memphis in Egypt in the 320s and 330s. He was a disciple of Bishop Melitios of Lykopolis, whom he succeeded in 327 as leader of the Church of the Martyrs.

The origin and meaning of "Arkhaph" are uncertain. Athanasius treats it as a Coptic name and calls him "Archaph who is also called John". Socrates Scholasticus transforms it into the Biblical name Achab. Possibly it is formed from arch (supreme) and apa (father) as an alternate to the title archiereus (high priest), which was used of the bishop of Alexandria in some Coptic documents. Besides Athanasius and Socrates, the historian Sozomen is an important source for John's career.

Melitios chose John as his successor shortly before his death in 327. Ultimately, the rivalry between John and Athanasius resulted in the latter's condemnation at the Council of Tyre in 335. Nothing more is known of John after the Tyrian settlement fell apart.