Coptic funerary inscription, probably from Bawit, with a long invocation to a large number of saints including the Archangels *Michael and *Gabriel (S00181 and S00192),*Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), *Adam and Zoe/Eve (the first man and woman, S00772), the Apostles (S00084), the martyrs *Viktor (martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749), *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080), *George (soldier and martyr, S00259), and *Menas (soldier and martyr buried at Abu Mena, S00073), and *Pamoun (possibly the monk and martyr of Alexandria, S00775), as well as a long list of monastic figures that includes *Apollo, Anoup and Phib (monks and monastic founders, S00774); of unknown date, presumably 6th/9th century and most likely from Bawit (Middle Egypt).
E01252
Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions
KSB 1 793
+ ⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁϥ ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ
ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲙⲛ ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ ⲧⲉⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲁ-
ⲣⲓⲁ ⲡϫⲟⲩⲧⲁϥⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲏⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲛ-
ⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙ ⲧⲉⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲍⲱⲏ ⲙⲉ ⲛⲉⲩϣⲏ-
ⲣⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲓⲕⲉⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲛⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟ-
ⲗⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲛⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙ-
ⲏⲛⲁ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲉ ⲛⲉϥⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛ-
ⲓϭⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲙⲉ ⲛⲉⲩⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲛⲉⲛⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲛⲟ-
ϭ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲓⲃ
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲣⲟⲩ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲩⲧⲉⲙⲱⲛ + ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁϥ ⲧⲩⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉⲣ
ⲡⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ
ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲉⲣⲛⲉ ⲡⲣⲙ ⲧⲉⲙϫⲓⲣ ⲁϥⲉⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲥ-
ⲟⲩ ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲉⲥⲟⲣⲏ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲉ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ +
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ ⲁ-
ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁϥⲉⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲥⲟⲩ
ϫⲟⲩⲱⲧ . . . ⲛⲡⲁⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲓⲕϩ
+ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲣⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲉⲡⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲱ ⲡⲉϥϣⲏⲣⲉ ϥⲑ
'Father, Son, (and) Holy Spirit. Our father Michael and Gabriel, our mother Mary, the twenty-four Elders, our father Adam, our mother Zoe with all their children, the just, our fathers the apostles, our fathers the martyrs, Apa Biktor, Apa Phoibamon, Apa George, Apa Mena, Apa Pamoun and his brothers, Apa Anige, Apa Biktor and his brothers, our fathers the great men, Apa Apollo, Apa Anoup, Apa Phib, Apa Patermoute, Apa Prou, Apa Pamoun, Apa Eutemon, (and) all the saints who have fulfilled the will of God, remember my father Apa Serene, the man of Temjir! He has gone to rest on day 3 of the month Mesore in peace. Amen. And remember my brother Anoute! He has gone to rest on day 20 of the month Pharmouthi. Papa John … God, watch over Papa Apollo, his son! Amen.”
Translation: G. Schenke.
Prayer/supplication/invocation
Source
The limestone stele JE 67049 is kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.Discussion
The invocation, lines 1–13 takes much more room than the details of the deceased, lines 13–19. Within the list of addressees a distinction is made between martyrs and holy figures, as well as a clear hierarchy of saints maintained in descending order of importance. See also E01251.Bibliography
Edition:Hasitzka, M.R.M., Koptisches Sammelbuch I (KSB I) (Vienna, 1993), 267.
Gesa Schenke
8/4/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | ⲧⲉⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ | Certain | S00073 | Menas, soldier and martyr buried at Abu Mena | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲏⲛⲁ | Certain | S00080 | Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiut | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ | Certain | S00084 | Apostles, unnamed or name lost | ⲛⲉⲛⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲥ | Certain | S00181 | Michael, the Archangel | ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ | Certain | S00192 | Gabriel, the Archangel | ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ | Certain | S00259 | George, soldier and martyr, and Companions | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲉ | Certain | S00749 | Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrs | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ | Certain | S00772 | Adam and Zoe/Eve, the first man and woman | ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙ, ⲧⲉⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲍⲱⲏ | Certain | S00774 | Apollo, Phib, and Anoup, monks and monastic founders | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲱ, ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ, ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲓⲃ | Certain | S00775 | Pamoun, martyr of Alexandria with his monastic brother Sarmata. | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ | Certain |
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Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E01252 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01252