Coptic ostracon from Jeme (Upper Egypt) with a fragmentary letter asking for prayers on the feast day of Apa *David (possibly David, Old Testament king of Israel, S00269), on behalf of the sender who is sick and desires oil from the altar of the saints to be sent; datable to the 7th/8th century.
E04133
Documentary texts - Letter
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
KOW 261
The beginning of the letter is missing, but the document is addressed to the priest and provost of a monastery to which a saint’s shrine belongs. There the monks are asked to invoke the intercession of God, particularly on the feast day of the saint, on the sender’s behalf who is suffering from an illness and is thus unable to attend the feast himself. In addition to the prayers and invocations, a contact relic, oil from the altar of the saints, is to be sent, presumably to facilitate healing.
] ⲧⲉⲓ ⲛⲧⲉ̣ⲡ̣ⲣⲉⲥⲃⲓⲁ ⲛⲛⲉⲕϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉⲧⲟⲩ[ⲁⲃ ⲛⲡ]ⲙⲟⲛⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲃ [ ⲙⲁⲗ]ⲗⲟⲛ ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ
[ⲉ]ⲧ̣ⲉ ⲡⲉϥϣⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲕⲧⲛⲛⲟⲟⲩ ⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲉϩ ⲛϣⲗⲏⲗ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣ(ⲓⲟⲛ) ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲁⲩⲱ̣ ⲛⲅⲧⲃϩ ⲛⲉⲥⲛⲏⲩ
ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲡⲁϩⲧ̣ⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲣⲟ ⲛⲥⲉⲧⲃϩ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉϫⲛ ⲧⲁⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉϥⲣⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ϯϩⲟⲣϣ ⲉⲙⲁⲧⲉ ϯϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲇⲉ ϫⲛⲛ ⲥⲟⲩ ϫⲟⲩⲧⲯⲓⲥ
ⲛⲁⲑⲱⲣ ⲧⲁⲁ̣ⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲣ(ⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲁⲩⲱ ⲫⲏ̣ⲅ̣(ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛⲟⲥ) ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟⲥ ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϩⲛ ⲡϫⲟ̣ⲉ̣ⲓⲥ +
] provide the intervention of your holy prayers [at the] monastery by the holy shrine [of saint NN?], especially on the holy day of Apa David which is his holy feast (day), to make you send some prayer oil from the altar of the saints and to make you entreat the holy brothers to let them do reverence on my behalf and to let them entreat God for my wickedness, for I am truly very much burdened. Since day 29 of Hathor I am suffering from illness.
Hand it (the message) to Apa Ioannes, the presbyter and provost, together with Apa Markos. Be well in the Lord.’
Text: W. C. Till, lightly modified
Translation: G. Schenke
Cult building - monastic
Altar
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
RelicsContact relic - oil
Source
The potsherd KO 396 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), 64.
Gesa Schenke
10/10/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00269 | David, Old Testament king of Israel, Psalmist | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ | Certain |
|---|
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