Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) mentioning a monastery of Apa *Pesynthios (possibly Pisenthios, the ascetic and bishop of Koptos, S00057); datable to the first half of the 7th century.
Evidence ID
E04179
Type of Evidence
Documentary texts - Other private document
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
O.Frange 776
The text mainly records witnesses, possibly just as an exercise, mentioning also a monk of the monastery of Apa Pesynthios as a witness.
Lines 13–18 on the verso read as follows:
† ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲁⲧⲁⲡⲏ ⲡ̣[ⲉ-]
ⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧ)ⲟⲥ ⲙⲟⲛⲟ̣ⲭⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲙ[ -ca.?- ]
ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲛⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲟⲩ-
ⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲉⲥⲩⲛ-
ⲑⲓⲟⲥ ⲧⲉⲓⲟ ⲙⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉ
ϫ̣ⲉ ⲁⲁⲍⲁⲣⲁⲥ
‘I, Patape, the most humble monk of the […] holy monastery of Apa Pesynthios, I act as a witness for Aazarias.’
(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;;776
Cult Places
Cult building - monastic
Source
The ostracon inv. O.291125 is a limestone ostracon written on both sides. It 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
Pesynthios is not explicitly referred to as a saint, so he may just be the abbot of that monastery.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), 415.
Record Created By
Gesa Schenke
Date of Entry
23/10/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00057 | Pisenthios/Pesenthios, ascetic and bishop of Koptos, ob. 632 | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲉⲥⲩⲛⲑⲓⲟⲥ | Uncertain |
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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, E04179 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04179