A Coptic list of holy books belonging to the monastery of Apa *Elijah/Elias (probably the Old Testament prophet, S00217) 'on the mountain', presumably at Aphroditopolis/Atfih (Middle Egypt), lists a papyrus manuscript containing the Martyrdoms of three, presumably Egyptian, martyrs: *Epithymitos (S00894), *Elijah (S00668), and *Sabinos (S00895), and unspecified others; list datable to the 7th/8th century.
E01735
Documentary texts - List
KSB 1.12
A large limestone ostracon preserves one hundred and fifteen lines written in two columns, listing all the books belonging to the monastery of Elijah on the mountain. The list begins with books from the Old Testament followed by the gospels, and various other manuscripts, including Encomia (E01733, E01737, E01738, E01740), Lives (E01732, E01733, E01734, E01736, E01741), and Martyrdoms (E01731, E01735, E01739, E01742, E01743). The material of the books is listed either as papyrus (ⲭⲁⲣⲧⲏⲥ) or as parchment (ⲙⲉⲃⲣⲁⲛⲟⲛ), specifying whether these manuscripts are old or new.
[ⲡⲗ]ⲟ̣ⲅⲟⲥ ⲛⲛϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ ⲛⲧⲡ̣ⲉ̣[ⲧⲣⲁ]
‘[The] list of holy books at the monastery (topos) of Apa Elias on the mountain.
In lines 76–77 is the entry:
ⲟⲩϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲁ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲡⲓⲑⲩⲙⲓⲧⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲁⲃⲓⲛⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲕⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲭⲁⲣ(ⲧⲏⲥ)
ⲅⲉⲛⲟⲩⲣ(ⲅⲓⲟⲥ)
'A martyr book of Apa Epithymitos, Elijah, Apa Sabinos, and others, papyrus (χάρτης), new (καινούργιος).’
Text: M. Hasitzka, KSB I.12
Translation: G. Schenke
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Source
The limestone ostracon belongs to the IFAO in Cairo, Inv. 13315, and is datable by its script to the 7th/8th century.Discussion
None of these three martyrs can be reliably identified. They were presumably Egyptian martyrs, with localised and limited cult.Bibliography
Text:Hasitzka, M.R.M., Koptisches Sammelbuch (KSB), vol. 1 (Vienna, 1993), 9–12.
Gesa Schenke
16/7/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00217 | Elijah/Elias, Old Testament prophet | ⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ | Uncertain | S00668 | Elijah, Egyptian martyr | ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ | Uncertain | S00894 | Epithymitos, Egyptian martyr | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲉⲡⲓⲑⲩⲙⲓⲧⲟⲥ | Certain | S00895 | Sabinos, Egyptian martyr | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲁⲃⲓⲛⲟⲥ | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E01735 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01735