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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic document from Jeme (Upper Egypt) concerning the sale of a donkey, mentioning a man of an institution dedicated to Apa *Viktor (presumably Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos, S00749) as the seller of the animal; datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E04200

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Sale document

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

O.Medin.Habu Copt. 80

In this document, a certain Phoibamon of Apa Viktor, most likely a monk of the monastery of Apa Viktor, writes to confirm the settlement of the sale of his donkey to Viktor son of Simon. He mentions the validity of the sale and a holy oath of the Christians (ⲁϣ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲛⲉⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ).

Lines 2–3 of the document read as follows:

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲫⲉⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ

'I, Phoibamon of Apa Viktor, …'


(Text and trans.: E. Stefanski and M. Lichtheim, slightly modified)

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified
Cult building - monastic

Source

The ostracon MH 1090, now in the Museum in Cairo, is a fragment of red slip pottery. The dating is based on context and palaeography.


Bibliography

Text and translation:
Stefanski, E., and Lichtheim, M., Coptic Ostraca from Medinet Habu (Univ. of Chicago. Oriental Institute Publications 71; Chicago, 1952), 16.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

24/10/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00749Viktor, martyr of Egypt, son of Romanos; and companion martyrsⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04200 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04200