A short anecdote from the Coptic Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum) presents the monk *Makarios ('the Egyptian', monastic founder in the Sketis, ob. 391, S00863) of the Sketis (Wadi Natrun, Lower Egypt) as a miracle worker who raised a man from the dead to ask him a question, before letting him go back to rest; 4th/6th century.
E01645
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Apophthegmata Patrum
Apophthegmata Patrum
This anecdote is recorded by the monk Apa Jijoi who went with other monks to help Apa Makarios in the Sketis
(ϣⲓⲏⲧ) with the harvest. There they encounter a distraught widow who receives help through a miracle performed by Apa Makarios.
ed. Chaine, no. 225, p. 65:
ⲁϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲁⲡⲁ ϫⲓϫⲱⲓ ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣ ⲉⲓϩⲛ ϣⲓⲏⲧ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ ⲁⲛⲱϩⲥ ⲉⲛⲟ ⲛⲥⲁϣϥ ⲛⲥⲟⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲓⲥ ⲟⲩⲭⲏⲣⲁ ⲉⲥⲥⲣⲓⲧ ϩⲓ ⲡⲁϩⲟⲩ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ⲉⲥⲣⲓⲙⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲕⲁ ⲧⲟⲟⲧⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲥⲣⲓⲙⲉ · ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲡϫⲟⲓⲥ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲧⲏⲙⲁ
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲁϩⲣⲟⲥ ⲧⲉⲓϩⲗⲗⲱ ⲉⲥⲣⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ ·
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲧⲓ ⲉⲣⲉⲡⲉⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲟⲛⲁϩ ⲉⲣⲉϩⲛⲛⲕⲁ ϭⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϣⲡⲉⲛϣⲱⲡ ⲛⲟⲩⲉϣⲛϣⲁϫⲉ
ⲙⲡⲉϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁϥⲕⲁⲁϥ ⲧⲱⲛ
ⲉⲣⲉⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϭⲁⲗⲱⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉϫⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲉ ⲡⲱϥ ⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲥϭⲛⲧϥ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉϫⲓⲧⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲥϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲉⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲁϥ ⲛϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ·
ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲁϫⲓⲥ ⲛⲁⲥ ⲙⲉⲣⲉⲥⲉⲓ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲉϣⲁⲛⲉⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲕⲁⲩⲙⲁ ·
ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉⲥⲉⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲛⲁⲥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲧⲉⲣⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲓⲙ ·
ⲡⲉϫⲁⲥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲁϩⲁⲓ ⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲁϥϫⲓ ⲛⲟⲩϭⲟⲓⲗⲉ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲁ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲡⲉϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲛⲁⲙⲟⲩ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁϥⲕⲁⲁϥ ⲧⲱⲛ ·
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲁⲥ ϫⲉ ⲁⲙⲏ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟⲛ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲣⲧⲟⲙⲥϥ ⲛⲧⲱⲛ ·
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥϫⲓ ⲛⲛⲉⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲁϥⲃⲱⲕ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩⲉⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲛⲁⲥ ϫⲉ ⲃⲱⲕ ⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲟⲩⲏⲓ
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲩϣⲗⲏⲗ · ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲉⲡⲉⲧⲙⲟⲟⲩⲧ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲙⲉϣⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲧⲁⲕⲕⲁ ⲛⲉⲥⲕⲉⲩⲏ ⲙⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϩⲛ ⲁϣ ⲙⲙⲁ ·
ⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱϣⲃ ϫⲉ ⲥⲉⲕⲏ ϩⲙ ⲡⲁⲏⲓ ϩⲁ ⲧⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲁϭⲗⲟϭ ·
ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⟨ⲛ⟩ⲕⲟⲧⲕ ϭⲉ ϣⲁ ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲁⲛⲁⲥⲧⲁⲥⲓⲥ ·
ⲁⲩⲛⲁⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲛϭⲓ ⲛⲉⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲁⲩϩⲉ ϩⲁ ⲛⲉϥⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡϩⲗⲗⲟ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲁⲓ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲃⲏⲏⲧ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲁⲛⲅ ⲟⲩⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲧⲉⲭⲏⲣⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲓⲟⲣⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲓⲣⲉ
ⲙⲡⲉⲓϩⲱⲃ · ⲡⲁⲓ ϭⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲉϣ ⲟⲩⲯⲩⲭⲏ ⲛⲁⲧⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲉⲥ{ⲉ}ⲧⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲥⲛⲁϫⲓⲧⲟⲩ ·
ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲁϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲭⲏⲣⲁ ϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲉⲡϭⲟⲓⲗⲉ ⲕⲏ ⲛⲧⲱⲛ ·
ⲛⲧⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲥϫⲓⲧϥ ⲁⲥⲧⲁⲁϥ ⲉⲡⲉϥϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲣⲙϩⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲥϣⲏⲣⲉ ·
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲁⲩϯⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ·
'Apa Jijoi told the following: At the time, I was in Sketis with Apa Makarios, we went with him. We harvested, being seven monks. And lo, a widow who was gleaning behind us crying, did not stop crying. The old man (Apa Makarios) called the owner of the grounds and said to him: "Why is this old woman crying so?"
He said to him: "While her husband was still alive, some belongings were being stored with him by a man. But he died suddenly without a word and he did not say where he had put it. The man who had stored them now wants to take back what belongs to him. She has not found it, so he wants to take her and her children to be slaves for him."
The old man (Apa Makarios) said to him: "Tell her she may come to the place where we normally rest at midday (in the heat)."
When she had come, the old man said to her: "Why are you crying every time?" She said to him: "My husband died, having taken a deposit from someone, and he did not say, as he was about to die, where he has put it."
He said to her: "Come and show us where you have buried him."
He took the brethren and went with her. When they arrived at the place (of the husband’s burial), the old man said to her: "Go back to your house!"
They prayed, and the old man called to the deceased, saying: "Whatever name, in what place have you put the belongings of the man?" And he answered: "They are stored in my house by the foot of my bed." The old man said to him: "Lie down again until the day of resurrection!"
But the brethren saw this and they fell to his feet. The old man said: "This did not happen because of me, for I am nobody! But because of the widow and these orphans, God did this thing. This then is the great thing, that God loves a sinless soul. Anything which it (the innocent soul) gives, it will receive."
He came and told the widow where the property was stored. She took it and gave it to its owner. She was free together with her children. They who heard (about this), praised God.'
Translation: Gesa Schenke.
Cult building - monastic
Places Named after SaintMonastery
Non Liturgical ActivityOral transmission of saint-related stories
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Visiting/veneration of living saint
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Power over life and death
Finding of lost objects, animals, etc.
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Children
Ecclesiastics - abbots
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Other lay individuals/ people
Source
The collection of religiously profound words of wisdom and memorable anecdotes, originally recorded orally by monks, concerning the great anchorites of the 4th and 5th centuries living in the Sketis, is preserved in a Sahidic Coptic manuscript, of which at least eleven different fragments are kept in Naples, Venice, Vienna, London, and Paris. Written versions of the Apophthegmata Patrum are known from the 5th/6th century onwards in many different languages, arranged in various ways and presenting different selections of sayings and stories. The original language is believed to have been Egyptian, i.e. Coptic, if transmitted orally, though it would depend entirely on who transmitted what in their native tongue, as the Sketis developed into a monastic place inhabited by monks of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.Discussion
The famous monastery of Makarios in the Sketis is claimed to have been founded in AD 360.Bibliography
Edition:Chaine, M., Le Manuscrit de la version copte en dialecte sahidique des “Apophthegmata Patrum” (Cairo, 1969).
Further reading:
Hopfner, T., Über die koptisch-sa’hidischen Apophthegmata Patrum Aegyptiorum (Vienna, 1918).
Regnault, L., "Apophthegmata Patrum," in: A.S. Atiya (ed.), The Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (New York, 1991), 177–178.
Gesa Schenke
21/6/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00863 | Makarios 'the Egyptian', monastic founder in the Sketis, ob. 391 | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ | Certain |
|---|
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