Record | The Cult of Saints

Besa, abbot of the White Monastery near Sohag in Upper Egypt, in a Coptic sermon On Transgressing the Laws of God pronounces that the grief of the saints will descend on those who commit crime or misbehave; written in the late 5th century.

Evidence ID

E02928

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex

Literary - Sermons/Homilies

Major author/Major anonymous work

Besa

Besa, Sermon, ed. Kuhn 26.5.2–3:

ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲁ ⲟⲩⲟ ⲛⲛⲉⲧϫⲓⲟⲩⲉ ϩⲛ ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛϩⲛⲟ ϩⲛ ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲙⲁ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲧϫⲓ ⲉⲧϯ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲕⲣⲟϥ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲛⲧⲥⲁⲛⲕⲟⲧⲥ ⲉⲙⲡⲟⲩϫⲟⲟⲥ
ⲛϣⲟⲣⲡ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲥⲉⲥϩⲟⲩⲟⲣⲧ ⲛϭⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲛⲛⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲓⲕⲟⲟⲩⲉ ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲟⲩϣⲓⲡⲉ ⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲟⲩⲣϩⲟⲧⲉ ϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲥⲁϩⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ
ϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲛⲉϩⲃⲏⲩⲉ ⲛⲧⲉϩⲉ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲁ ⲡⲉⲙⲕⲁϩ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲛⲛⲉⲛⲉⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲛϫⲟⲥ ⲓⲥ ⲉϥⲉⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁ
ⲉϫⲱⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϫⲛ ⲧⲥⲟⲟⲩϩⲉ ⲛϫⲱⲟⲩ

‘So woe to those who steal things from anyone anywhere and who buy and sell with deceit and duplicity, not having first reported it. And those who do these and other things are cursed, because they were not ashamed and did not fear the curses which our father pronounced concerning such things. Therefore all the grief of our fathers and of all the saints and of our Lord Jesus shall come upon them and upon their pate.’

Text and translation: Kuhn 1956, p. 76–77 (text), p. 74 (trans.).

Liturgical Activities

Sermon/homily

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Theorising on Sanctity

Considerations about the veneration of saints

Source

The discourses and letters of Besa come from nine different parchment codices found in the library of the White Monastery, dating to the 7th/8th and 8th/9th centuries.

Bibliography

Edition:
Kuhn, K.H., Letters and Sermons of Besa, CSCO vol. 157 (text) and CSCO vol. 158 (trans.) (Leuven, 1956).

Discussion:
Behlmer, H., Heilige Schriften als Waffe der Rhetorik. Autoritative Texte und ihre literarische Verarbeitung im Werk des ägyptischen Klostervorstehers Besa (in preparation).

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

9/6/2017

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00518	Saints, unnamed		Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02928 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02928

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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