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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) presenting a contract drawn up to settle a debt in presence of a presbyter from the monastery of Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut (ob. c. 304), S00080) on the mountain of Jeme, mentioning also a monk of that monastery in the process; datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E04216

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

P.MoscowCopt. 40:

In this contract, a man acknowledges his debt of one solidus which he is unable to repay. In order to avoid legal proceedings, he agrees to hand over his cow as payment for the debt. The agreement is drawn up in presence of a presbyter from the monastery of Apa Phoibammon on the mountain of Jeme, mentioning also a monk of that monastery who is presumably acting as a scribe and witness of the transaction.

Lines 20–23 and 25–end read as follows:

ⲁⲛⲥⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲓⲥⲩⲙⲫⲱⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϫⲏⲙⲉ

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲁ̣[ⲩ]ⲉⲓⲇ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲗ(ⲁⲭⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ) ⲙⲙⲟⲛⲟⲭⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡ̣[ⲟⲥ] ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲉⲗⲓⲥⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲓⲧⲉⲓ̣ ⲙⲙ̣(ⲟⲓ) [
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

‘We made these agreements in presence of our holy father Apa Viktor, the presbyter of the monastery of Apa Phoibammon on the mountain of Jeme.’

‘I, David, the most humble monk at the monastery of Apa Phoibammon, Elisaios asked me [and I have written …’


(Text: P. V. Jernstedt, trans.: G. Schenke)

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Source

The document is housed in the Pushkin Museum in St Petersburg. Dated on palaeographical grounds.


Bibliography

Text and Russian translation:
Ernshtedt, P.V. (Jernstedt), Koptskie teksty Gosudarstvennogo muzeia izobrazitel'nykh iskusstv imeni A.S. Pushkina (Leningrad, 1959), 97–99.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

27/10/2017

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiutⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ Certain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04216 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04216