Three Coptic ostraca from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) with writing exercises practising a formula referring to *Moses (presumably the Old Testament prophet and lawgiver, S00241) and *Aaron (presumably the first High Priest, brother of Moses, S01427) as holy among priests; datable to the first half of the 8th century.
E04198
Documentary texts - Other private document
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
O.Frange 433
Model phrases for letter writing practised on three ostraca all include the same phrase concerning the sanctity of Moses and Aaron. Whether these were local saints/holy men with biblical names, or whether the phrase referred to the OT saints themselves remains unclear.
⳨ ϩⲁⲑⲏ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲙ
ⲉⲥϩⲁ ⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲁⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ
ⲛⲛⲁⲙⲉⲣⲁⲧⲉ ⲛⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲙ-
ⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲱⲙⲉ
ⲙⲱⲩ ⲩ ⲩ
+ϩⲓⲧⲛ ϩⲁϩ ⲛ . . . . . .
ⲙⲱⲥⲏⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲁⲣⲱⲛ ⲥⲉⲟⲩⲁ[ⲁⲃ]
ϩⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲏⲃ
‘Before anything, I write greeting and saluting my beloved, pious and caring brothers.
Moy{yy}(ses?)
From numerous …
Moyses and Aaron, they are holy among his priests.’
O.Frange 434
ⲙⲱⲩⲥⲏⲥ
ⲙⲛ ⲁⲁⲣⲱⲛ ⲥⲉⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ
ϩⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲏⲃ
‘Moyses and Aaron, they are holy among his priests.’
O.Frange 435:
Lines 5–6 of this ostracon with letter writing exercises read as follows:
ⲙⲱⲩⲥⲏⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲁⲣⲱⲛ
ⲥⲉⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ
‘Moyses and Aaron, they are holy.’
(Text: A. Boud'hors and Ch. Heurtel, trans.: G. Schenke)
Cult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Source
The ostraca inv. O.291782 and inv.O.291891 are fragments of an amphora; inv. O.292130 is a fragment of fine ceramic Egyptian Red Slip A. All three documents were 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), 277–278.
Gesa Schenke
23/10/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00241 | Moses, Old Testament prophet and lawgiver | ⲙⲱⲩⲥⲏⲥ ⲙⲱⲥⲏⲥ | Uncertain | S01427 | Aaron, first High Priest, brother of Moses | ⲁⲁⲣⲱⲛ | Uncertain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04198 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04198