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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


Coptic list of churches and their clergy, possibly from Pallas in the Coptite nome (Upper Egypt), mentioning a deacon of the church of Apa *Onnophrios (Egyptian anchorite, 4th c., S00055), datable to the 7th/8th c.

Evidence ID

E00125

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - List

O.CrumST 156

Fragmentary list of churches and their clergy from the region of Jeme, mentioning the village Pallas
.
Line 3 reads as follows:

[ⲡⲇⲓⲁ]ⲕ(ⲟⲛⲟⲥ) ⲉⲧⲉⲕⲕ(ⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ) ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲟⲛⲟⲫⲣⲓⲟⲥ

'the deacon for the church of Apa Onophrios'


Text and translation: W. E. Crum, modified.

Liturgical Activities

Ceremony of dedication

Cult Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Source

O.CrumST 156 is a very small fragment of a papyrus document at Cheltenham, Phillipps Library.


Discussion

Since a deacon is mentioned in connection with a church of Onnophrios, this is clear evidence of an active church in the Theban area, a site at which some form of cult of Onnophrios is expected to have take place in the 7th/8th century.

Documentary evidence for church buildings dedicated to Onnophrios also comes from Theagenis (Arsinoites), Lykopolis, and Aphrodito. So far no such evidence is found in a city.


Bibliography

Text and translation:
Crum, W.E., Short Texts from Coptic Ostraca and Papyri (London: Oxford University Press, 1921), 40 (O.CrumST 156).

Further reading:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 161.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

5/11/2014

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00055Onnophrios, Egyptian anchorite, 4th c.ⲁⲡⲁ ⲟⲛⲟⲫⲣⲓⲟⲥCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E00125 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00125