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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic letter, from the monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes (Upper Egypt), mentioning the presbyter of an institution dedicated to Apa *Shenetom (saint with cult in the Thebaid, S01220); datable to the end of the 6th/beginning of the 7th century.

Evidence ID

E02439

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

P.Mon.Epiph. 300

In this fragmentary letter from a widow presumably to Apa Epiphanius, she complains that her husband has given corn to the priest of Apa Shenetom and to Sakau, son of Joui, but that so far they have not paid her, even though she has asked them to do so many times.

Lines 9–12 run as follows:

ⲁⲡⲙⲁⲅⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲁϩⲁ ϯϩⲉⲛⲥⲟⲩⲟ ⲛⲁⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ ⲙⲡ ⲥⲁⲕⲁⲧ ⲡϫⲟⲩ ⲁⲩϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲕⲁⲉ ⲙⲛⲟⲩϯⲗⲁⲩⲉ
ⲛⲁ ϩⲓⲱⲩ ϣⲁⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ

'… my deceased husband gave some corn to the priest of Apa Shenetom and (to) Sakau, (son) of Joui, and they sowed it in the field. They have so far not given me anything for it.'


Text and translation: W. E. Crum, lightly modified

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Source

This ostracon was found in building E of the monastery of Epiphanius and is now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, MMA 14.1.166. The text has been dated on palaeographical grounds.


Discussion

This Shenetom occurs in two other documents from the Thebaid in Upper Egypt: E02451 and E05975. He was presumably a local saint.


Bibliography

Edition and translation:
Crum, W.E., and Evelyn White, H.G., The Monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes, Part II (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition; New York, 1926), p. 78 (text), p. 233–234 (trans.).

Further reading:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris, 2001), 224–225.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

3/3/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S01220Shenetom/Senetom, saint with cult in the Thebaidⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02439 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02439