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) ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ ⲙⲡ ⲥⲁⲕⲁⲧ ⲡϫⲟⲩ ⲁⲩϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲕⲁⲉ ⲙⲛⲟⲩϯⲗⲁⲩⲉ
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
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S01220 | Shenetom/Senetom, saint with cult in the Thebaid | ⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ | Certain |
|---|
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