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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic funerary inscription on marble from the necropolis of the monastery of Apa Ieremias at Saqqara (Lower Egypt) with an invocation to the typical group of saints celebrated at Saqqara: *Michael (the Archangel, S00181), *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), *Gabriel (the Archangel, S00192), *Adam (the first man, S00772), Apa *Ieremias, Apa Enoch, and Ama Sibylla (saints of Saqqara, S00773); datable to the 8th/9th c.

Evidence ID

E01247

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

KSB 1 479

+ ⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉ-
ⲡⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲟ ⲁⲅⲓ-
ⲟⲥ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲑⲁⲅⲓⲁ
ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ
ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙ ⲁⲡⲁ
ⲓⲉⲣⲏⲙⲓⲁⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲛ-
ⲱⲭ ⲁⲙⲁ ⲥⲓⲃⲩⲗⲗⲁ
ⲡⲉⲛⲥⲟⲛ ⲡⲡⲁⲡⲁ
ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ ⲡⲕⲟⲩⲧⲏⲩⲥ
ⲁϥⲉⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛ-
ⲥⲟⲩ : ⲓⲏ ⲛⲧⲱⲃⲉ ϩⲛ
ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ

'Father, Son, (and) Holy Spirit. Saint Michael, Saint Mary, Apa Gabriel, our father Adam, Apa Ieremias, Apa Enoch, (and) Ama Sibylla!
Our brother Papa Anoup, the shoemaker, has gone to rest on day 18 of the month Tybi in peace. Amen.'


Translation: Gesa Schenke

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

The marble plaque inv. 941 belongs to the Egyptian Collection in Heidelberg.


Discussion

Apa Jeremias, Apa Enoch, and Ama Sibylla are frequently referred to as the Saqqara triad of saints.


Bibliography

Edition:
M.R.M. Hasitzka, Koptisches Sammelbuch I (KSB I) (Vienna, 1993), 171.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

7/4/2016

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00033Mary, Mother of Christ ⲑⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁCertain
S00181Michael, the Archangelⲟ ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗCertain
S00192Gabriel, the Archangelⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗCertain
S00772Adam and Zoe/Eve, the first man and womanⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙCertain
S00773Ieremias, Enoch and Sibylla, saints of Saqqaraⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲉⲣⲏⲙⲓⲁⲥ, ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲛⲱⲭ, ⲁⲙⲁ ⲥⲓⲃⲩⲗⲗⲁCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E01247 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01247