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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Greek lease from Herakleopolis (Middle Egypt) mentioning a church of *Menas (soldier and martyr of Abu Mena, S00073); dated 29 March 604.

Evidence ID

E00163

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Lease or rental document

P.Erl. 73

A lease from Herakleopolis with the date 29 March 604, concerns a house situated in the quarter of Saint Menas, as stated in lines 18–19:

ἐν τῇ αὐ
τ[ῇ] Ἡρακλέους πόλει ἐν λαύρᾳ ἐκκλησ[ί]ας Ἀββᾶ Μηνᾶ

'in the same city Herakleopolis, in the quarter of the church of Abba Mena'



Full text available under: http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.erl;;73


Translation: G. Schenke

Cult Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Source

P.Erl. 73, a complete papyrus document.


Discussion

The church is mentioned as defining a certain part of the city in which a leased house is situated.


Bibliography

Edition:
Schubart, W., Die Papyri der Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen (Leipzig: O. Harrasowitz, 1942).

Further reading:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 146–149 (full range of documentary evidence on Menas, 146-54).


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

20/11/2014

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00073Menas, soldier and martyr buried at Abu MenaΜηνᾶCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E00163 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00163