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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic will of the heads of the monastery of Epiphanios at Thebes (Upper Egypt), drawn up in the mid 7th century, attesting a monastery of Apa *Mena (presumably the soldier and martyr of Abu Mena, 00073) on the mountain of Jeme.

Evidence ID

E01184

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Will

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

P.KRU 75

A monk and presbyter of the holy topos of Apa Mena on the mountain of Jeme was asked to act as scribe and witness for the will of Jacob and Elias, heads of the monastery of Epiphanios at Thebes.

Lines 135–137 read as follows:

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ) ⲙⲙⲟⲛⲟⲭⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲡⲁⲣⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲏⲛⲁ ϩⲓ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϫⲏⲙⲉ

'I, George, the son of Patermoute, the least monk and presbyter beyond my worth, at the holy topos of Apa Mena on the mountain of Jeme.'


Text: W. E. Crum and G. Steindorff.
German translation: W. C. Till.
English translation: G. Schenke.

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - abbots
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy

Source

This very lengthy document is written on papyrus. It is lacking the beginning of the text and has a few lacunae. The papyrus is kept at the Museum in Cairo, inv. 8730.


Discussion

This monastery of Apa Mena is probably named after the soldier and martyr of Abu Mina, though this is not demonstrable.


Bibliography

Edition and translation:
Crum, W.E., and Steindorff, G.,
Koptische Rechtsurkunden des achten Jahrhunderts aus Djeme (Theben) (Leipzig, 1971), 239–245.

Till, W.C.,
Erbrechtliche Untersuchungen auf Grund der koptischen Urkunden (Vienna, 1954), 198–204.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

11/3/2016

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


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E01184 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01184