Record | The Cult of Saints

Coptic funerary stela from Wadi Sarga (Upper Egypt) with a sketch of three sail boats, mentioning Apa Thomas (S01695) and invoking Anoup (monk and monastic founder, S00774) for the sake of a deceased sailor; datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E04268

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

I.Sarga 73

The invocation is surrounded by sketches of three sail boats.

+ ⲓⲥ ⲟ̣ ⲁⲅ̣ⲓ̣ⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ
ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ ⲛⲟϭ
ⲣⲟⲓⲥ ⲫⲡ . . ⲟ̣
ⲥ ⲕⲟ(ⲩ)ⲓ ⲡⲛⲏϥ ⲟ̣

'Jesus. Saint Apa Anoup, great one, watch over young NN, the great sailor.'

Next to one of the boats one reads:

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲑⲱⲙⲁⲥ

'Apa Thomas'.

(Text and trans.: W. E. Crum, modified)

For both, Apa Thomas and Apa Anoup included in a list of holy men from Wadi Sarga, see E01245.

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

The stela was found at Wadi Sarga and is now housed in the British Museum in London.

Bibliography

Text and translation:

Bell, H.I. and Crum, W.E., Wadi Sarga: Coptic and Greek Texts from the Excavations Undertaken by the Byzantine Research Account (Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandel-Nordisk Forlag, 1922), 82.

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

30/10/2017

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00774	Apollo, Phib, and Anoup, monks and monastic founders	ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ	Certain
S01695	Thomas, Apa Thomas, patron saint at Wadi Sarga	ⲁⲡⲁ ⲑⲱⲙⲁⲥ	Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04268 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04268

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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

Coptic funerary stela from Wadi Sarga (Upper Egypt) with a sketch of three sail boats, mentioning Apa Thomas (S01695) and invoking Anoup (monk and monastic founder, S00774) for the sake of a deceased sailor; datable to the 7th/8th century.

E04268

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

Bibliography

Gesa Schenke

30/10/2017

Coptic funerary stela from Wadi Sarga (Upper Egypt) with a sketch of three sail boats, mentioning Apa *Thomas (S01695) and invoking *Anoup (monk and monastic founder, S00774) for the sake of a deceased sailor; datable to the 7th/8th century.

E04268

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

Bibliography

Gesa Schenke

30/10/2017

Coptic funerary stela from Wadi Sarga (Upper Egypt) with a sketch of three sail boats, mentioning Apa Thomas (S01695) and invoking Anoup (monk and monastic founder, S00774) for the sake of a deceased sailor; datable to the 7th/8th century.