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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic sale of a house as inheritance, from Jeme (Upper Egypt), a property purchased from the monastery of *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080); datable to the middle of the 8th century, possibly dated 5 November 747.

Evidence ID

E02461

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Sale document

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

P.KRU 19

In this document, a father is handing down a house jointly to his two children, after their mother's death. The house is said to have been purchased within saint Phoibammon, which might refer to an area or a district, but could also suggest a house sold by representatives of the saint's shrine, as is the case in E02458, $Eß2459 and E02460.

Lines 24–30 read as follows:

ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲓϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲗⲗⲱ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϣⲣⲡⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲏⲧⲛ ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ⲛⲁⲙⲉⲣⲁⲧⲉ ⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲏⲛⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲥⲱⲛⲉ ⲙⲡⲏⲓ ⲧⲏⲣϥ
ⲛⲧⲁϥϣⲟⲡϥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ

'And now I, the aforementioned Hello, I agree (to give) to you, my beloved children Mena and Tsone, the entire house which I (lit. he) purchased together with your mother from within saint Phoibammon'

Lines 103–105 of the verso read:

ⲡⲏⲓ ⲛⲧⲁⲓϣⲟⲡϥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲙⲁⲁⲩ ϩⲓ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟ(ⲥ) ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃ(ⲁⲙⲱⲛ)

'… the house which I purchased together with your mother from saint Apa Phoibamon.'


Text: W. E. Crum and G. Steindorff
German translation: W. C. Till
English translation: G. Schenke

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Non Liturgical Activity

Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings

Source

The papyrus document is housed at the British Museum in London, BM Or. 4880.


Bibliography

Edition and translation:
Crum W.E., and Steindorff, G., Koptische Rechtsurkunden des achten Jahrhunderts aus Djeme (Theben) (Leipzig, 1971), 68–72.

Till, W.C.,
Erbrechtliche Untersuchungen auf Grund der koptischen Urkunden (Vienna, 1954), 103–105 (German Translations).


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

11/3/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of AssiutⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02461 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02461