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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Besa, abbot of the White Monastery near Sohag in Upper Egypt, in a Coptic sermon On Individual Responsibility for Sin claims that the saints cannot do anything for sinners who do not repent; written in the late 5th century.

Evidence ID

E02929

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex

Literary - Sermons/Homilies

Major author/Major anonymous work

Besa

Besa, Sermon, ed. Kuhn 36.2.4:

ⲏ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲛⲛⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲛⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲁⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲧⲉⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲙⲟⲥⲉ ⲛϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲥⲟⲟϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲥⲁⲁⲛϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲕⲁⲕⲓⲁ ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲟϫⲛⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧϫⲁϩⲙ

‘Or how shall the spirits of the righteous and all the saints, whose words we read, repose with you, while the demons breed inside you and repose in your foul-minded thoughts, and nurture their wicked deeds through your machinations and your defiled mind?’


Ed. Kuhn 36.3.4:

ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲙⲟⲕϩ ⲁⲛ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲛϩⲧⲏⲧⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ⲱ
ⲛⲉⲃⲓⲏⲛ · ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲗⲁⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲡⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁⲛⲁⲅⲕⲏ

‘But you are not troubled at heart concerning yourselves nor again do you have pity upon yourselves, O wretched ones, so that no one among all the saints will have pity upon you at the time of your need.’


Ed. Kuhn 36.4.2:

ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁϭⲓⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁϭⲓⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁ ⲛⲙⲧⲟⲛ · ⲉⲉ
ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲣⲱ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲕⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ

‘And if you will not find the saints to let you be with them in heaven, and if you will not find a resting-place, why then did you forsake them?’


Text and translation: Kuhn 1956, p. 76–77 and 121–122 (text), p. 115–117 (trans.), lightly modified.

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.


Discussion

This discourse has recently been considered to be a product of Besa’s predecessor Shenoute, rather than of Besa himself.


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
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00518Saints, unnamedCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E02929 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02929