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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic ostracon from Jeme (Upper Egypt), mentioning a priest and a deacon of saint Apa *Psate (presumably Apa Psote, martyr and bishop in the Thebais, S01468); datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E04130

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

KOW 31

In this acknowledgement of a debt from a winemaker to a man from Jeme, a priest of saint Apa Psate functions as the scribe of the document. Along with a deacon of (the church of) Apa Psate, he also acts as a witness.

Lines 9–14 read as follows:

⳨ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲁⲛⲓⲏⲗ ⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲙⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲁⲧⲉ ⲁⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉ ⲙ[ⲙⲟ] ⲁⲓⲥϩⲁⲓ ϯⲁⲥⲫ(ⲁⲗⲉⲓⲁ) ϩⲛ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲥⲁϣϥ ⲛⲉ̣ⲛⲙϣⲓⲣ ⲛⲑⲉⲛⲇⲉⲕⲁⲧⲉ ϯⲱ [ⲙⲁⲣⲧ]ⲩⲣⲟⲥ + ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲕ(ⲟⲛⲟⲥ) ⲛⲛ̣ⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲁⲧⲉ [ϯⲟ ⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉ?

‘I, Daniel, the presbyter of saint Apa Psate, David has asked me and I have written this security document on day 7 of Mechir in the 11th (indiction). I am acting as a witness. I, Ioannes, the deacon of Apa Psate, [am acting as a witness …’


(Text: W. C. Till; trans.: G. Schenke)

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified
Cult building - monastic
Cult building - independent (church)

Source

The potsherd KO 723 is kept at the papyrus collection in Vienna. The dating is based on palaeographical grounds.


Bibliography

Text and German translation:
Till, W.C., Die koptischen Ostraka der Papyrussammlung der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek (Vienna: H. Böhlaus, 1960), 10.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

10/10/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S01468Psote, Apa Psote, bishop of Psoi/Ptolemais (Upper Egypt) and martyr under Diocletianⲁⲡⲁ ⲯⲁⲧⲉCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04130 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04130