Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) referring to Apa *Antonios (Antony 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098) as a luminous column, and alluding to him and Apa *Makarios ('the Egyptian', monastic founder of the Sketis, ob. 391, S00863) as model holy men, and mentioning how Apa *Paphnoutios (Egyptian saint, precise identity uncertain, S00882) had needed council with Antony; datable to the first half of the 8th century.
E04146
Documentary texts - Letter
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
P.Mon.Epiph. 247
This message was sent from the monk Frange/Phrangas living in the desert tomb (TT29) to Isaac and Elias at the monastery of Epiphanios in an attempt to encourage verbal communication between them. Since his two addressees frequently refused to speak to him during his visits at their monastery, Frange is now sending a message to inform them that he very much needs to speak to them. He addresses them as 'holy men' or 'human saints' comparing them to Antony and Makarios 'the Egyptian'.
⳨ ϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲙⲡⲁ[ϣⲁϫ]ⲉ ⲛⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ)
ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ϩ̣ⲁ ⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲁ[ⲩⲱ ⲉⲁ]ⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙ̣-
ⲡⲉϩⲗⲟϭ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲅⲁⲣⲡ̣[ⲟⲥ] ⲉⲧ<ⲧ>ⲁⲩ̣ⲏ̣
ⲥⲧⲏ̣ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲟⲛ
5 ϯⲡⲱϩⲧ ⲙⲙⲟⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ · ⲉⲡⲕⲁϩ · ϯ-
ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙⲡⲓⲭⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ
ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ⲛⲑⲉ
ⲙⲡⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ
ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲉⲛ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲛϣⲓⲏⲧ
10 ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ϩⲱⲱⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲡⲱϩ
ⲉⲡⲉⲩϣⲓ ϩⲛ ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲏ · ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ · ϯ-
ϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ
ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲛⲉⲩⲣⲁⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲉⲧⲉ ·
ⲉⲡⲉⲓⲇⲏ · ⲁⲉⲓ ⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲏⲧⲛ ⲛϩⲁϩ ⲛⲥⲟⲡ
15 ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲛⲟⲩⲏⲛ · ⲛⲁ ⲙⲡⲣⲟ · ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲉ-
ⲧⲛϣⲁϫⲉ [ⲛ]ⲙⲙⲁ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲟⲛ ⲕⲁⲓⲡⲉⲣ
[ⲟⲩⲛ]ⲧⲁ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲟⲩⲱϣ ·ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ̣ . . . .
ⲛ̣[ⲑ]ⲉ̣ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡϩⲱⲙⲟⲗⲟⲕⲏ̣ⲧⲏ̣ⲥ̣
[ⲙⲛ ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲧⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲁⲁⲕ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ
20 ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲫⲣⲁⲛⲅⲁⲥ ⲡⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ̣ⲧ[ⲙⲡϣⲁ]
ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ[ⲧⲛⲣ ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉ-]
ⲧⲛϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ [ⲛⲁ-]
ⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲟϣ ⲉⲙⲁⲧⲉ ⲟⲩ̣ϫ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣ [ϩⲙ]
ⲡϫⲟ̣ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ . . .
‘Before my most humble message, I write, greeting and saluting the sweetness of your fruits that produce a pleasant fragrance.
Following this then, I cast myself down to the ground. I worship your holy footprints, you truly holy men in the manner of my father Antonios, the luminous column, and of Apa Makarios of Sketis. You yourselves have reached their measure by any good virtue. I also greet your pious children by their names. Hail in the Lord!
I have come north to you many times and you have not opened the gate to me, nor have you conversed with me just like (with) any (other) brother, even though I have a great desire for you (to converse with me), just like Apa Papnoute, the Confessor, (had) [with] Apa Antonios.
Give it (the message) to Apa Isaac and Apa Elias, from Phrangas/Frange, this [worthless] one. Be so kind and [remember me in] your holy prayers, for [my] sins are very numerous. Farewell in the Lord.’
Text: W. E. Crum
Translation: G. Schenke
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Visiting/veneration of living saint
MiraclesMiraculous sound, smell, light
Source
This potsherd, MMA.12.180.202, was found on the rubbish heaps at the former monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes. It is now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The dating is based on the records belonging to the same Frange archive.Discussion
This letter illustrates how monastic leaders were perceived as ‘human saints’ or ‘saintly humans’ by comparing them favorably to former ‘holy men’. For a similar reference to Antony as a column of light see E04172.Bibliography
Edition and Translation:Crum, W.E., and Evelyn White, H.G., The Monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes, Part II, New York 1926. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition), p. 64 (text), p. 217 (trans.).
Gesa Schenke
19/10/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00098 | Antony, 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356 | ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ | Certain | S00863 | Makarios 'the Egyptian', monastic founder in the Sketis, ob. 391 | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ | Certain | S00882 | Paphnoutios, Egyptian saint (precise identity uncertain) | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ | Certain |
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