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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic inscription on nummulitic limestone, presumably from Middle Egypt, with a long invocation to a large number of saints including *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), *Michael (the Archangel, S00181), *Adam (the first man, S00772), the *Patriarchs (S00138) and *Apostles (S00084), the martyrs *Viktor (martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749), *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080), *Paul (the first anchorite, S00089) and his brothers, as well as list of holy monastic figures, such as *Apollo, Anoup and Phib (monks and monastic founders, S00774), *Patermoute (perhaps the saint with cult at Jeme,S01222), *Proou, and all the saints; datable to the 6th/9th century.

Evidence ID

E04040

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

KSB 1 416

The inscription mentions a man from Aqfahs in Middle Egypt and includes in its invocation the three saints Apollo, Anoup, and Phib celebrated at Bawit (Middle Egypt) which makes this a likely place of origin.

The last lines are very fragmentary, but lines 1–11 read as follows:

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲟⲩⲗⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲣⲙ ⲕⲃⲉϩⲥ
+ ⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲉⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙ ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲣⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲥ
ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲓⲟⲧ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲓⲃ ϫⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲣ[ⲱⲟⲩ ⲙⲛ] ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ [

‘Apa Ioulios, the man of Aqfahs.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother Mary and our father Michael, our father Adam and our fathers the patriarchs and the apostles, the martyrs Apa Viktor, Apa Phoibammon, and Apa Paule with his brothers, our (monastic) fathers and elders, Apa Apollo, Apa Anoup, and Apa Phib, also Apa Patermoute, Apa Pr[ou and] all the saints […’


(Text: M. Hasitzka, trans.: G. Schenke)

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

The nummulitic limestone stele JE 38304 is kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.


Bibliography

Text:
Hasitzka, M.R.M.,
Koptisches Sammelbuch I (KSB I) (Vienna, 1993), 150–151.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

27/9/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00033Mary, Mother of Christⲧⲉⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁCertain
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiutⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲱⲛ Certain
S00084Apostles, unnamed or name lostⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲥ Certain
S00089Paul, the First Anchoriteⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲥⲛⲏⲩ Uncertain
S00138Patriarchs (biblical), unnamed or name lostⲙⲡⲁⲧⲣⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏⲥCertain
S00181Michael, the Archangel ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗCertain
S00749Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrsⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ Certain
S00772Adam and Zoe/Eve, the first man and woman ⲁⲇⲁⲙCertain
S00774Apollo, Phib, and Anoup, monks and monastic foundersⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲓⲃCertain
S01222Patermouthios, saint with cult at Jeme (Upper Egypt)ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ Certain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04040 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04040