Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) with a letter mention the copying of books for a monastery/shrine (topos) of an unnamed saint (S00518); datable to the first half of the 8th century.
E04181
Documentary texts - Letter
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
O.Frange 651:
In this letter from a presbyter named Paul to his spiritual father Joseph, Paul announces the copying of books for the topos among which could well have been hagiographical manuscripts.
⳨ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ
ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲡϣⲓⲛⲙⲡⲥⲁ-
ⲭⲱ ⲉⲧⲥϩⲁ ⲙⲡⲁⲙⲉ-
ⲣⲓⲧ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ
ϫⲉ <ⲉ>ⲡⲧⲉ ⲁ<ⲉ> ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲛⲏ.
ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ
ⲁⲓⲕⲱⲃ ⲉⲛϫⲱⲱ[ⲙⲉ]
ⲟⲩϩⲁⲧⲏⲧ.
. . .
ⲧⲁⲁⲥ <ⲛ>ⲓⲱⲥⲏⲫ
ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ
ⲙⲡⲥⲁⲭⲱ
ⲕⲁⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ
ⲣⲭⲣⲓⲁ ⲛⲏⲩ
ϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉϫⲱⲓ
‘It is I, Paul, the presbyter, the son of Psacho, who writes to my beloved father Joseph.
Since I came to you (?) and Apa Paulos, I have made duplicates for the books … (as agreed?) …
Give it (the message) to Joseph, from Paulos, (the son) of Psacho, because the topos needs them (the books).
Pray for us.’
(Text: A. Boud'hors and Ch. Heurtel, trans.: G. Schenke)
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityTransmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Source
The ostracon inv. O.292528 is a fragment of an amphora written on both side. 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), 358.
Gesa Schenke
23/10/2017
| 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, E04181 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04181