Site logo

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


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
ⲛⲕⲟⲥⲙⲁ ϫⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲓ-
ⲇⲏ ⲁⲑⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲛ ϯⲣ[ⲟⲙ]-
ⲡⲉ ⲅ ⲡⲕⲁⲣⲡ(ⲟⲥ) ⲇ ⲉⲧⲣ̣[ⲉⲕ]-
ⲣϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲁ ⲁϫⲛ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲫ[ⲣⲟ]-
ⲛⲏⲥⲓⲥ ϣⲁ ⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ <ⲡⲁ>ⲡⲛⲟ[ⲩⲧⲉ]
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲱⲱⲧ ⲛⲧⲁⲧⲉⲓ ⲡⲉⲕⲃⲓ̣[ⲕⲉ]
ⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲧϫⲟⲩⲧⲏ ⲛⲣⲧⲟⲃ ⲛⲥⲟ[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

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00882Paphnoutios, 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