Coptic work contract, from Jeme (Upper Egypt), mentioning a feast of Apa *Papnoute (Egypt saint of uncertain identity, S00882); datable to the 7th century.
Evidence ID
E02468
Type of Evidence
Documentary texts - Other private document
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
BKU 1 45
A man named Komos is hiring Kosma for the harvest, right up until the feast of Apa Papnoute, and is laying out the wages his worker will receive.
Lines 1–9 read as follows:
⳨ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ
ⲕⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲥϩⲁ
ⲛⲕⲟⲥⲙⲁ ϫⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲓ-
ⲇⲏ ⲁⲑⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲛ ϯⲣ[ⲟⲙ]-
ⲡⲉ ⲅ ⲡⲕⲁⲣⲡ(ⲟⲥ) ⲇ ⲉⲧⲣ̣[ⲉⲕ]-
ⲣϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲁ ⲁϫⲛ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲫ[ⲣⲟ]-
ⲛⲏⲥⲓⲥ ϣⲁ ⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ <ⲡⲁ>ⲡⲛⲟ[ⲩⲧⲉ]
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲱⲱⲧ ⲛⲧⲁⲧⲉⲓ ⲡⲉⲕⲃⲓ̣[ⲕⲉ]
ⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲧϫⲟⲩⲧⲏ ⲛⲣⲧⲟⲃ ⲛⲥⲟ[ⲩⲟ ⲙⲛ]
'I am Komos who writes to Kosma. Since I have hired you in year three at the fourth (?) harvest, to cause you to work for me without neglect until the feast of Apa Papnoute, and to cause me in turn to give you your wages, which is 15 artabas of wheat [and] …'
Text: A. Erman and W. E. Crum
Translation: G. Schenke
Festivals
Saint’s feast
Source
This Ostracon from Jeme is housed in the papyrus collection in Berlin, P.Berol. inv. 707. The text has been dated on palaeographical grounds.Discussion
There are a number of Egyptian saints, primarily monks, bearing the name Papnoute/Paphnoutios: see Papaconstantinou 2001, 166-8 for a full discussion. In many cases, as here, it is impossible to identify with any confidence which Paphnoutios is being mentioned.Bibliography
Edition:Erman, A., and Crum, W.E., Ägyptische Urkunden aus den koeniglichen Museen zu Berlin, Koptische Urkunden vol. 1 (Berlin, 1904), 75.
Further reading:
Papaconstantinou, A., Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbassides (Paris: CNRS, 2001).
Record Created By
Gesa Schenke
Date of Entry
7/3/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00882 | Paphnoutios, Egyptian saint (precise identity uncertain) | ⲁⲡⲁ <ⲡⲁ>ⲡⲛⲟ[ⲩⲧⲉ] | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02468 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02468