Site logo

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic donation document of the 8th c., certifying the gift of goats and sheep to the monastery of Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080) at Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) and explicitly seeking the saint’s intercession on behalf of the donor and the donor's mother.

Evidence ID

E00231

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Donation document

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

P.KRU 112

A private donor from the surrounding area addresses the monastery of Apa Phoibammon, presenting a gift to the saint consisting of 31 sheep and 14 goats. The gift is made explicitly to ensure the intercession of the martyr Apa Phoibammon on the donor’s behalf as well as on behalf of his/her mother on the day of the final judgement (lines 2–4).

Summary: G. Schenke

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Non Liturgical Activity

Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings

Source

Fragmentary papyrus document, missing the beginning of the text, housed in the British Museum in London, number 88.


Discussion

The donation made to the holy place (topos) of Apa *Phoibammon is explicitly intended to ensure future benefits through the saint’s intercession on the donor’s behalf. Presenting the gift to the monastery is just the medium through which to get the gift to the saint.


Bibliography

Edition:
Crum, W.E., and Steindorff, G., Koptische Rechtsurkunden des achten Jahrhunderts aus Djeme (Theben) (Leipzig, 1971), 343-344 (P. KRU 112).

German Translation:
Till, W.C., Die Koptischen Rechtsurkunden aus Theben (Vienna: H. Böhlaus, 1964), 194.

Further reading:
Biedenkopf-Ziehner, A., Koptische Schenkungsurkunden aus Thebais: Formeln und Topoi der Urkunden, Aussagen der Urkunden, Indices (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2001).

Godlewski, W.,
Deir el-Bahari V: Le monastère de St. Phoibammon (Warsaw: PWN, 1986).

For a full range of the documentary evidence on Phoibammon:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 204–214.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

11/12/2014

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiutⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E00231 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00231