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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 Ape (Upper Egypt), mentioning a church of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030); datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E02467

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

BKU 1 35

Line 6 of this fragmentary document mentions a church of Apa Stephanos:

ⲧⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲧⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ

'… the church of Apa Stephanos …'


Text: A. Erman and W. E. Crum
Translation: G. Schenke


Cult Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Source

The Ostracon with the fragmentary letter sent by a man from the village of Ape was found in the Theban area and is now housed in the papyrus collection in Berlin, P.Berol. inv. 89. The text has been dated on palaeographical grounds.


Bibliography

Edition:
Erman, A., and Crum, W.E., Ägyptische Urkunden aus den koeniglichen Museen zu Berlin, Koptische Urkunden vol. 1 (Berlin, 1904), 68.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

7/3/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00030Stephen, the First Martyrⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲧⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02467 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02467