Fragments from a Coptic parchment codex of oracle answers, found at the site of the burial shrine of *Kollouthos (physician and martyr of Antinoopolis, S00641) located in the northern necropolis of Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt); datable to the early 7th c.
E00999
Early manuscripts - Books/scrolls
Liturgical texts - Divinatory texts and oracle questions
Ms Antinoe copte 22:
Fragm. 1, flesh side (A I):
ⲧⲓⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲙ̣
ⲡⲉⲕϩⲏⲧ ⲙⲡⲣ-
ⲕⲁⲁⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ · ⲟⲩⲛ-
ⲧ̣ⲕ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ 4
ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲛⲃⲟⲏⲑⲟⲥ
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉⲧ-
ⲛⲁⲣϩⲩⲙⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ
ϩⲛ ⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ ⲉⲧⲕ- 8
[ⲛ]ⲁ̣ⲃⲱⲕ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲥ
[ ]ⲓ̣ⲟⲛ ⲙⲡⲣⲧⲓⲥ
[ ] ϫⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲗⲁ-
[ⲁⲩ ]
'Do not abandon this faith in your heart! You have God as a helper. It is he who will guide you on the way on which you will go. […] … Do not give it […], for there is nothing […].'
Fragm. 2, flesh side (A II):
[ ⲛⲧⲟⲕ]
ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲡⲉⲧ-
ⲟ ⲛⲁⲧⲥⲱⲧⲙ · ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲕⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲧϣⲟⲣⲡ
ⲛⲗⲩⲡⲏ ⲛⲧⲁⲥⲧⲁ- 4
ϩⲟⲕ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩ-
ⲧⲉ ⲧⲟⲩϫⲟⲕ ⲛϩⲏ̣[ⲧⲥ?]
ⲁϥⲭⲁⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲛ̣[ⲧⲭⲁ-]
ⲣ̣ⲓⲥ ⲙⲡⲉⲩϫ̣[ⲁⲓ ] 8
ⲕ · [ ]
'It is [you] yourself who is disobedient. Are you aware of the first suffering which has befallen you? God has saved you [from it]. He has granted you [the gift] of health. […]'
Fragm. 3, hair side (B I):
ⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ⲛⲅⲃⲱⲕ
ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲟⲩⲧⲛ
ϫⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲧ-
ⲙⲓϣⲉ ⲉϫⲱⲕ · 4
ⲁⲩⲱ ϥⲛⲁⲧⲣ̣ⲉ-
ⲛ̣ⲉⲕϫⲁϫⲉ ϩⲩ̣-
ⲡ̣ⲟⲧⲁⲥⲥⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ
[ ] . . . ⲕ 8
>>>>>>>>>
'Proceed and go immediately, because it is God who fights for you. He will cause your enemies to be subordinate to you. […] … you.'
Fragm. 4, hair side (B II):
[ ⲛ-]
ⲧⲁⲥⲧⲁϩⲟⲕ ϫⲉ
ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲧ-
ⲙⲓϣⲉ ⲉϫⲱⲕ · ⲁⲩⲱ
ϥⲛⲁⲧⲱⲱⲃⲉ ⲛ[ⲁⲕ] 4
ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲁⲓⲧⲁⲓⲙⲁ
ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲟⲩⲧⲛ
>>>>>>>>>
ⲃⲱⲕ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲉ̣[ⲗⲉⲗ 8
>>>>>>>>>
' …] which has befallen you, for it is God who fights for you. He will respond to your request [for you] immediately.
Go in brightness!'
There is one further fragment, but it is too small to provide a reasonable translation.
Translations: G. Schenke
Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Cult building - secondary installation (fountain, pilgrims’ hostel)
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityDivination
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesOther lay individuals/ people
Source
All finds from this site of the burial shrine stem from the ongoing excavations carried out by the Italian Istituto Papirologico "G. Vitelli" in Florence at the city of Antinoopolis since 1935. Fragments of this parchment codex of the sortes sanctorum came to light already in 1937.Discussion
In search for answers to important questions concerning their lives, visitors to the martyr shrine of Kollouthos in Antinoopolis could enquire into the future through the sortes sanctorum. They would state the nature of their predicament to the person in charge at the shrine, who would then find it among a long list of numbered entries concerning the most frequently asked questions. Each of these questions on the list offered ten possible answers. The visitors would be asked to call out a number from one to ten at random and the matching answer or statement would be supplied accordingly. What seems to have survived here are parts of the possible answer register to common questions. The phrasing of the 'answers' is kept unspecific enough to fit and respond to a wide range of enquiries.Besides this particular divination practice, visitors to the healing shrine of Kollouthos also had the option of ticket oracles, posing two written questions to God via the saint, one phrased positively, the other containing its negation. Both were written on separate small pieces of papyrus and one of them would be handed back as the answer. Many of the questions were concerned with the correct remedies for healing, see E01000.
For physical problems and in seeking healing from ailments and severe illnesses, pilgrims to the shrine could make use also of special drinking water, dream-incubation, and washing in a healing bath, see also E01001.
Bibliography
L. Papini, "Fragments of the Sortes Sanctorum from the Shrine of St. Colluthus," in: D. Frankfurter (ed.), Pilgrimage and Holy Space in Late Antique Egypt (Leiden: Brill, 1998), 393–401.Gesa Schenke
16/12/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00641 | Kollouthos, physician and martyr of Antinoopolis | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E00999 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00999