Record | The Cult of Saints

Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) with a letter mentioning a feast to be celebrated in a desert shrine of an unmentioned saint (S00518); datable to the first half of the 8th century.

Evidence ID

E04180

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

O.Frange 187

In this letter Frange writes to his parents. He urges his father to come and join a feast at a shrine (topos) in the desert.

[⳨ ⲁⲛⲟ]ⲕ ϥⲣⲁⲛⲅⲉ· ⲉϥ-
[ⲥϩ]ⲁ̣ ⲉ̣ϥϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲉⲓ-
ⲱⲧ ⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲉϥ-
ⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲉⲥⲉⲁⲛⲏ ϯϣⲓ-
5
ⲛⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ
ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲇⲉ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ϯϣⲓ-
ⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ ⲁⲛⲁⲛⲓⲁⲥ
ⲙⲛ ⲥⲁⲃⲉⲕ ⲟⲩϫⲁ
ϩⲙ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ

verso:

10
[⳨ ⲡ]ⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ
[ⲙⲡ]ⲣ̣ⲣ ⲡⲱⲃϣ ⲙⲡϫⲁⲉ
ⲛⲛϣⲓⲣ ⲛⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲉⲕ̣-
ⲉⲓ ⲛⲅⲣ ⲡϣⲁ ϩⲙ ⲡⲧⲟ-
ⲡⲟⲥ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲕⲱ ϩⲱⲃ
15
ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲥⲱⲕ ⲛⲅⲉⲓ ϩⲛ
ⲟⲩϭⲉⲡⲏ ⲛⲅⲣ ⲡϣⲁ
ϩⲛ ⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡϫⲁⲉ
ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ

‘I am Frange who writes greeting his father David and his mother Meseiane. I am also greeting your children, most of all I do salute my brother Ananias and Sabek. Be well in the Lord!
My father David, do not be forgetful of the Enchir desert these days. You could not come and celebrate the festival in the topos. Now then, leave everything behind and come quickly and celebrate the feast at the topos in the desert of God.’

(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;;187

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Non Liturgical Activity

Visiting graves and shrines

Source

The ostracon inv. O.292441 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.

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), 156–157.

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

23/10/2017

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00518	Saints, unnamed		Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04180 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04180

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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