Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) referring to Apa *Antonios (Antony 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098) as a luminous column; datable to the first half of the 8th century.
E04172
Documentary texts - Letter
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
O.Frange 41
The addressees of this fragmentary letter written by Frange are now lost, so is the reason for and the content of the letter. What remains, however, is the reference to Antony as a column of light and the mention that the addressees are 'holy men' or 'human saints' just like Antony.
⳨ ϩⲁⲑⲏ ⲙⲉⲛ
[ⲙⲡ]ⲁϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ)
[ⲉⲓⲥϩ]ⲁ ⲉⲓϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲛⲁⲙⲉⲣⲁⲧⲉ
[ⲛⲥⲛⲏⲩ?] ⲙⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲩⲗⲁ(ⲉⲥⲧⲁⲧⲟⲥ?)
[ⲛ]ⲣ̣ⲱ̣ⲙ̣ⲉ̣ ⲛϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛ̣ⲁ̣ⲙ̣ⲉ̣ ?
[ ̣] ⲛⲑⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲥⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲛ̣-
[ⲟⲩⲟ]ⲉⲓⲛ · ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ
[ⲡⲗ]ⲁⲥ · ⲉⲧϣⲱϣ ⲥϯ
[ⲛ]ⲟⲩϥⲉ · ⲉⲃⲟ[ⲗ]
[ ⲁ?]ⲛⲟⲕ [ ̣ ̣]ⲥ̣ⲧ̣[ -ca.?- ]
ⲧⲁⲁ̣ⲥ̣ ⲛ̣[ -ca.?- ]
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
‘Before my most humble message, I write, greeting my beloved, devout and most pious [brothers?], the truly human saints in the manner of the luminous column, Apa Antonios, [the tongue?] that spreads a pleasant fragrant. I …
Give it (the message) to …’
(Text: A. Boud'hors and Ch. Heurtel; trans.: G. Schenke)
A complete record of the text is available at:
http://papyri.info/ddbdp/o.frange;;41
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Visiting/veneration of living saint
MiraclesMiraculous sound, smell, light
Source
The ostracon inv. O.291809 + O.291810 is a fragment of an amphora and was found during a season of the Belgian excavation at the Theban necropolis. It is part of the archive of the monk Frange who inhabited the tomb of Amenemope (TT29) in the Valley of the Kings.Discussion
For a similar reference to Antony as a luminous column see E04146.Bibliography
Text and French translation:Boud'hors, A., and Heurtel, C., Les ostraca coptes de la TT 29. Autour du moine Frangé (Études d'archéologie thébaine 3; Brussels, 2010), 62.
Gesa Schenke
20/10/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00098 | Antony, 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356 | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04172 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04172