Besa, abbot of the White Monastery near Sohag in Upper Egypt, in a Coptic letter To Herai, a nun who had decided to leave the monastery, quotes *Antony ('the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098), saying that neglectful behaviour in ascetics pains the saints, and states that Herai, when she was a nun, had been numbered with the saints; written in the late 5th century.
E02931
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
Literary - Letters
Besa
Besa, Letter to Herai, ed. Kuhn 30.I.3–4:
In this letter, Besa addresses a nun named Herai who had decided to leave the monastery.
ϩⲙ ⲡⲁ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲧⲁϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲥⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡⲟⲛⲏⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲡϫⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲟⲥⲧⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲙⲉ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲁ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϯ ⲡⲉⲩⲟⲩⲟ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲩϩⲏⲧ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ϫⲉ ⲁⲗⲏⲑⲱⲥ ⲛⲁⲙⲉⲣⲁⲧⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲙⲛⲧⲁⲙⲉⲗⲏⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲛⲑⲃⲃⲓⲟ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲉⲛϭⲓⲛⲣⲓⲕⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ⲛⲛⲉⲩϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛⲁⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲥⲉ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲁⲛ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲛⲕⲉⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲩϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲟⲩϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲓⲥ ⲁⲗⲏⲑⲱⲥ
ⲟⲛ ⲛⲁϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲑⲃⲃⲓⲟ ϣⲁϥϯⲙⲕⲁϩ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ · ⲡⲁⲗⲓⲛ ⲟⲛ ⲡⲉⲛⲟⲩϫⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲛϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ϣⲁϥϯⲟⲩⲛⲟϥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛϥϯⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲛⲁⲩ
ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ
‘For on this said our holy father, Apa Antony, who knew the wickedness of the enemy who hates those who love God, those who advanced to him with all their heart, “Truly, my beloved, our carelessness and our humiliation and our perversion have not been injurious to us alone, but they have also been painful to the angels and to all the saints in Jesus Christ. Truly also, my sons, our humiliation grieves them all, whereas our salvation and our glory give joy and rest to them all.”’
Ed. Kuhn 30.3.4:
ⲙⲏ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲧⲉⲡⲉⲓⲑⲉ ⲏ ⲧⲉⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩϥⲱⲧⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲙⲡⲱⲛϩ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲣⲉⲩⲥⲁϩϥ · ⲏ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲣⲉⲩϫⲓⲏⲡⲉ ⲙⲙⲟ
ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲥⲉⲟⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲉⲥⲧⲣⲁⲧⲉⲓⲁ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲁⲩϫⲓϩⲱⲛ ⲙⲙⲟ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲉⲁⲣⲥⲟⲩⲛ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ
‘Are you persuaded and do you wish that your name should be blotted out of the book of life after it has been written, after you have been numbered with the saints and counted among the hosts of heaven though you have been promised in faith and you have known the Lord?’
Text and translation: Kuhn 1956, p. 99–100 (text), p. 96 (trans.) and p. 102 (text), p. 98 (trans.).
Cult building - monastic
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations 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).
Gesa Schenke
9/6/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00098 | Antony, 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356 | ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ | Certain | S00518 | Saints, unnamed | Certain |
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