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.
E02227
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 ⲡⲧⲣⲁⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲕⲥϩⲁ ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲏⲩ ⲧⲁ-
ⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲁⲥⲧⲓⲅⲝ ⲛⲧⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩ-
ⲁⲁⲃ · ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ⲁⲗⲩⲡⲉ ⲧⲟⲛⲉ ⲧⲟⲛⲉ · ⲁⲣⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛ-
ϩⲁϩ ϩⲛ <ⲛ>ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲁⲩϯϩⲏⲩ ⲧⲟⲛⲉ
ⲕⲁⲛ ⲉϩⲉⲛⲁⲧⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲁⲣⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲁ ⲉⲁϥϣⲡ
ϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲫⲓⲗⲟⲥⲟⲫⲉⲓ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲉⲛⲉⲧ-
ϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ ϩⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲑⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ ⲉϣⲁϫⲉ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲱⲃ ϩⲉⲛϣⲡⲏⲣⲉ
ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉ ⲉϫⲱϥ ϩⲓⲧⲙ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲧⲥⲩⲛⲭⲱⲣⲓ-
ⲥⲓⲥ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲣⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϯⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲛⲁϥ ⲁϥ-
ⲑⲉⲣⲁⲡⲉⲩⲉ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲙⲁ
'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
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesOfficials
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations 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.
Gesa Schenke
7/1/2017
ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00518 | Saints, unnamed | ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ | Certain | S01191 | Job, 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