E00241
Documentary texts - Donation document
Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet
P.KRU 106
Anna, the daughter of John and Taham, from castron Jeme donates various properties to the monastery of Paul, the great anchorite, located in the vicinity of Jeme. The document is addressed to the head of the monastery together with the monastic community.
When fatally ill, Anna makes this donation on her deathbed, hoping that the saint’s prayers and intercession will help her on the day of judgement and that her name will be remembered by the poor who will benefit from her donation via the care of the monastery.
She donates the entire house of her deceased father which she inherited, in perfect condition, half the house of her deceased mother, sections of various fields belonging to her, as well as a quarter of a bakery. All this for the salvation of her soul.
In lines 44–45, Paul, the namesake saint of the monastery, is described as:
ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲡⲟⲗⲓⲧⲉⲩⲧⲏⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲁⲥⲕⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲉⲧⲥⲙⲁⲙⲁⲁⲧ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ
'the anchorite, the follower of Christian life, the blessed ascetic, saint Apa Paul"
In lines 69–77 simply as:
ⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ
'saint Apa Paul, the great anchorite'
In lines 103–104 the monastery is referred to as:
ⲡⲙⲟⲛⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲁⲣⲭⲏⲙⲁⲧⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ
"the holy monastery of saint Apa Paul, the anchorite and holy archimandrite'
Both houses are located in Jeme and their exact position is described. The location of the house of her mother is given in line 128 as:
ⲉϥⲕⲏ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲙ ⲡϩⲓⲣ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲁⲛⲓⲁⲥ
'located in the living quarter of saint Apa Ananias' or 'located on the street of saint Apa Ananias'.
Text: W. E. Crum and G. Steindorff
Summary and translation: G. Schenke
Cult building - monastic
Places Named after SaintMonastery
Gates, bridges and roads
Towns, villages, districts and fortresses
Non Liturgical ActivityBequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Ecclesiastics - abbots
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Source
Complete papyrus document of 246 lines, housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, number 8728.Discussion
The Arabic protocol gives the year 732 instead of the year 735 mentioned in line 4 of the main part of the document.The donation made to the monastery seems not to expect anything in return from the monastery as a whole, but from its namesake saint instead. It is his help and intercession which is sought.
For another reference to a quarter/neighbourhood of saint Ananias, see E02463.
Bibliography
Edition:Crum, W.E., and Steindorff, G., Koptische Rechtsurkunden des achten Jahrhunderts aus Djeme (Theben) (Leipzig, 1971), 326–335 (P. KRU 106).
German translation:
Till, W.C., Erbrechtliche Untersuchungen auf Grund der koptischen Urkunden (Vienna: R.M. Rohrer, 1954), 205–212.
For a full range of the documentary evidence on Paul, the Anchorite:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 170–171.
Gesa Schenke
19/12/2014
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00089 | Paul, the First Anchorite | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ | Certain | S01224 | Ananias, bishop with cult at Jeme | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲁⲛⲓⲁⲥ | Certain |
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