Coptic funerary inscription with a long invocation to a large number of saints including *Michael (the Archangel, S00181),*Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), *Adam and Zoe/Eve (the first man and woman, S00772), the Prophets, the Apostles, the Martyrs and Confessors, and *Apollo, Anoup and Phib (monks and monastic founders, S00774), as well as a long list of other holy monastic figures. The inscription on a limestone stele presumably dates to the 6th/9th century, and most likely comes from Bawit (Middle Egypt).
E01251
Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions
KSB 1 792
ⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ [ⲡⲡⲛⲁ ⲉ]ⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲡ[ⲉⲛⲓⲱ-]
ⲧ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ [ⲁⲇⲁ-]
ⲙ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ ⲍⲱⲏ ⲡϫⲟⲩⲧⲁϥⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲉ[ⲥⲃⲩ-]
ⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲣⲏⲧⲏ ⲙⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙ-
ⲡⲁⲧⲣⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏⲥ ⲛⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲟ[ⲥⲧⲟ-]
ⲗⲟⲥ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲛϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲧⲏⲥ [ⲛⲛⲟϭ]
ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ ⲁ[ⲡ-]
ⲁ ⲫⲓⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲁ-
ⲡⲁ ⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲧⲣⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲧⲱ-
ⲟⲑⲉ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲡⲙⲉⲩⲉ ⲛ-
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲗⲉⲟⲛⲧⲥⲉ ⲡⲣⲉⲙ ⲙⲡⲁⲛⲁⲁϩⲟⲥ̣ ⲁϥ-
ⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲥⲟⲩ ⲙⲏⲧ ⲛⲭⲓⲁϩⲕ ⲁⲡⲁ
[ⲙ]ⲁⲕⲁⲣⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲉⲣⲏⲙⲓⲁⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲱⲣ ⲁ-
[ⲡⲁ] ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲏⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ
[ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲡϣⲟⲓ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲟⲩⲣⲟⲩⲥ
[ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲟⲩⲉⲛⲛⲟϥⲣ ⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲗⲟ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲓⲗⲃ-
ⲁⲛⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲩⲇⲉⲙ[ⲱⲛ]
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲙⲱⲛⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ
[ⲓⲥ]ⲁⲕ ⲡⲣⲉⲙ ϩⲁϭⲟⲟⲩⲣⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ϯⲟⲥⲕⲣⲉ ⲁ-
[ⲡⲁ] ⲫⲓⲗⲉⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲥⲭⲓⲣⲱⲛ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡ-
[ⲁ ϩⲁ]ⲧⲣⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲙⲁ ⲥⲟⲩⲥⲁⲛⲁ ⲙⲛ . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
'Father, Son, (and) Holy [Spirit. Our father] Michael, our mother Mary, our father [Adam], our mother Zoe, the twenty-four excellent presbyters of the Holy Spirit, the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, the confessors, [the great] men, Apa Apollo, Apa Anoup, Apa Phib, Apa Patermoute, Apa Proou, Apa Amoun, Apa Christotre, Apa To(r)othe, (and) all the saints, remember Apa Leontse, the man from Panaahos! He has gone to rest on day 10 of the month Choiak.
Apa Makare, Apa Jeremias, Apa Hor, Apa John, Apa Jacob, Apa Joseph, Apa Pshoi, Apa Paule, Apa Sourous, Apa Ounnophre, Apa Hlo, Apa Silvane, Apa Pamoun, Apa Eudemon, Apa Amone, Apa Phoibamon, Apa Isaac, the man from Hagooure, Apa Dioscre, Apa Phileas, and Apa Ischiron with Apa Hatre and Ama Susana, and …'
Translation: G. Schenke
Prayer/supplication/invocation
Source
The grave stele JE 60560 is kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.Discussion
The invocation in two parts, lines 1–10 and 12–22, is far longer than the actual mention of the deceased and his details. It seems to divide 'saints' listed in the first part of the invocation, from 'holy figures' in the second.Bibliography
Edition:Hasitzka, M.R.M., Koptisches Sammelbuch I (KSB I) (Vienna, 1993), 266-267.
Gesa Schenke
8/4/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ | Certain | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | Certain | S00084 | Apostles, unnamed or name lost | ⲛⲁⲡⲟ[ⲥⲧⲟ]ⲗⲟⲥ | Certain | S00138 | Patriarchs (biblical), unnamed or name lost | Certain | S00139 | Prophets, unnamed or name lost | Certain | S00181 | Michael, the Archangel | ⲡ[ⲉⲛⲓⲱ]ⲧ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ | Certain | S00184 | Confessors, unnamed or name lost | Certain | S00772 | Adam and Zoe/Eve, the first man and woman | ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ [ⲁⲇⲁ]ⲙ, ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲁⲩ ⲍⲱⲏ | Certain | S00774 | Apollo, Phib, and Anoup, monks and monastic founders | [ⲛⲛⲟϭ]ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ ⲁ[ⲡ]ⲁ ⲫⲓⲃ | Certain | S01584 | Sourous, Apa Sourous, superior and holy man at the monastery of Apa Phoibammon on the mountain of Jeme | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲟⲩⲣⲟⲩⲥ | Certain |
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