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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic private letter from Hermopolis (Middle Egypt), sent from a monk to a comes with intent to console him in his illness, contemplating the sufferings of the saints and their ability to heal on account of their purity, as well as on Job whose suffering was rewarded; datable to the 7th century.

Evidence ID

E02227

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

P.Harrauer 57

A monk named Apollo writes to the comes Apa Demetrios, an important figure in Hermopolis, acknowledging the severe illness of his addressee and pointing out that the saints were healed and rewarded due to their purity, focusing on the case of Job.

Lines 5–14 read as follows:

ϩⲙ ⲡⲧⲣⲁⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲕⲥϩⲁ ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲏⲩ ⲧⲁ-
ⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲁⲥⲧⲓⲅⲝ ⲛⲧⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩ-
ⲁⲁⲃ · ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ⲁⲗⲩⲡⲉ ⲧⲟⲛⲉ ⲧⲟⲛⲉ · ⲁⲣⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛ-
ϩⲁϩ ϩⲛ <ⲛ>ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲁⲩϯϩⲏⲩ ⲧⲟⲛⲉ
ⲕⲁⲛ ⲉϩⲉⲛⲁⲧⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲁⲣⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲁ ⲉⲁϥϣⲡ
ϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲫⲓⲗⲟⲥⲟⲫⲉⲓ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲉⲛⲉⲧ-
ϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ ϩⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲑⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ ⲉϣⲁϫⲉ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲱⲃ ϩⲉⲛϣⲡⲏⲣⲉ
ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉ ⲉϫⲱϥ ϩⲓⲧⲙ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲧⲥⲩⲛⲭⲱⲣⲓ-
ⲥⲓⲥ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲣⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲛⲁϥ ⲁϥ-
ⲑⲉⲣⲁⲡⲉⲩⲉ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲙⲁ


'Having been worthy of your honoured letters and becoming aware of the torture which had a grip on your holy body, I was truly very, very upset. I have been reminded of many from among the saints who have been ill. They have certainly been rewarded, if they were without sin. I remembered one who suffered more than they and was contemplating more than those who are siting on the thrones'. I am talking about the great Job. Wonders are what came upon him through the devil and through the permission of God. After God set him at ease, he healed his body. …'

Text and German translation: H. Förster
English translation and text adjustments: G. Schenke

Non Liturgical Activity

Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Officials
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits

Theorising on Sanctity

Considerations about the veneration of saints

Source

The papyrus document P.Vindob. K 4730 is housed at the papyrus collection in Vienna and has been dated on palaeographical grounds.


Discussion

Using analogy, the letter seems to suggest to the addressee, that since the saints have been healed and rewarded due to being without sin, so will the addressed overcome his temporary infliction. It is the saints' purity that causes them to be healed themselves, and in turn might enable them to ask for healing of those who invoke them.

Job's purity and strong belief make him a confessor, but the emotional and physical tortures he suffers at the hands of the devil, who tries his conviction, make him a martyr, albeit one who survives.

Even though this private letter does not refer to any cult or cult activity in particular
, it is a rare and pure chance example of how actual people applied their understanding of the concept of saints to real life situations.


Bibliography

Edition:
Förster, H., "57. Christlicher Trostbrief," in: B. Palme (ed.), Wiener Papyri als Festgabe zum 60. Geburtstag von Hermann Harrauer (P.Harrauer) (Vienna, 2001), 207– 222.

Discussion:
Gonis, N., "Prosopographica II," Archiv für Papyrusforschug 54 (2009), 94.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

7/1/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00518Saints, unnamedⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃCertain
S01191Job, Old Testament patriarch ⲱⲃ Certain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02227 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02227