Site logo

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


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).

Evidence ID

E01252

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

KSB 1 793

+ ⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ 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.

Non Liturgical Activity

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.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

8/4/2016

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00033Mary, Mother of Christⲧⲉⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁCertain
S00073Menas, soldier and martyr buried at Abu Menaⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲏⲛⲁCertain
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiutⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛCertain
S00084Apostles, unnamed or name lostⲛⲉⲛⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲥCertain
S00181Michael, the Archangelⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗCertain
S00192Gabriel, the ArchangelⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗCertain
S00259George, soldier and martyr, and Companionsⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲉCertain
S00749Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrsⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣCertain
S00772Adam and Zoe/Eve, the first man and womanⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙ, ⲧⲉⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲍⲱⲏCertain
S00774Apollo, Phib, and Anoup, monks and monastic foundersⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲱ, ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ, ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲓⲃCertain
S00775Pamoun, martyr of Alexandria with his monastic brother Sarmata.ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲩⲛ Certain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E01252 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01252