Coptic Life of *Onnophrios, the Anchorite (Egyptian anchorite, 4th c., S00055), written probably in the 5th/6th c. in the Sketis (Lower Egypt), recounts how monks of the Sketis wrote down the account for future presentation.
Evidence ID
E00111
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives of saint
Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus codex
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
Paphnoutios of Scetis, Life of Onnophrios, the Anchorite
The Life of Onnophrios as presented by Paphnoutios to monks of Scetis is written down for public presentation:
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲛϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲡⲉ ϣⲓⲏⲧ ⲁⲩϭⲉⲡⲏ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲩⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲛⲉⲓϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲩⲥⲟⲧⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧϥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲭⲩ ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲉⲩϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲁⲩϫⲟⲟⲩϥ ⲉϣⲓⲏⲧ ⲁⲩⲕⲁⲁϥ ϩⲛ ⲧⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲉⲩϩⲏⲩ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲣⲟϥ
'Their place of residence was Sketis. They made haste and wrote down these words which they heard from Apa Papnoute [Paphnoutios]. They hurried and made them into a book. It was sent to Sketis and placed in the church, as a benefit to those who shall hear it.'
For a summary of the complete text, see E0089.
Text: Budge 1914, p. 223, fol. 21a–b
Translation: Gesa Schenke
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivityOral transmission of saint-related stories
Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityOral transmission of saint-related stories
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Source
The Coptic Life of Onnophrios, the Anchorite is known through three complete manuscripts, two in Sahidic: British Library, London, Oriental 7027, fols. 1–21v, from Edfu, with a colophon giving the year 1004/5 (ed. Budge, Coptic Martyrdoms) and Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, M580, fol. 1–36, from Hamuli in the Fayum, dated to the year 889/890 (unpublished), one in Bohairic (Vatican Library, Coptic 65, fols. 99–120v, dated to the year 978/979). There are also codex fragments: a papyrus leaf dated on palaeographical grounds to the 7th century (ed. Lefort, 1945, 97–100), a fragmentary papyrus leaf from the end of the story, dated on palaeographical grounds to the 6th/7th century (ed. Orlandi), and two parchment leaves of a codex from the so called White Monastery (ed. Till). There are therefore good reasons to think that the text is 6th century or earlier.Discussion
This is a prime example of how historicity was ascribed to manuscripts of saints’ lives used in churches and monasteries and read out to the congregation.Bibliography
Editions:Budge, E.A.W., Coptic Martyrdoms etc. in the Dialect of Upper Egypt (Coptic Texts 4; London: British Museum, 1914), 205-224.
Lefort, L.T., “Fragments coptes,” Le Muséon 58 (1945), 97-120.
Orlandi, T., Papiri copti di contenuto teologico (Vienna: In Kommission bei Verlag Brüder Hollinek, 1974), 158-161.
Till, W.C., Koptische Heiligen- und Martyrlegenden. Vol. 1 (Rome: Pont. institutum orientalium studiorum, 1935).
Translation:
Vivian, T., Paphnutius, Histories of the Monks of Upper Egypt and the Life of Onnophrius (Cistercian Studies 140; Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1993). [With an introduction and evaluation of the text, as well as an English translation, all three of rather questionable value]
Further reading:
Coquin, R.-G., “Onophrius, Saint,” in: A.S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia. 8 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1991), vol. 6, 1841-1842.
O'Leary, De L., Saints of Egypt (London: SPCK, 1937), 210.
Sauget, J.-M., “S. Onofrio anacoreta in Tebaide,” Bibliotheca Sanctorum 9 (1987), 1187-1197.
Williams, C.A., Oriental Affinities of the Legend of the Hairy Anchorite. Part II: Christian (University of Illinois Studies in Language and Literature 11/4; Urbana IL: University of Illinois Press, 1926).
For a full range of the documentary evidence on Onnophrios:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 161-162.
Record Created By
Gesa Schenke
Date of Entry
7/11/2014
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00055 | Onnophrios, Egyptian anchorite, 4th c. | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲟⲛⲛⲟϥⲣⲓⲟⲥ | Certain |
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