Coptic document from Jeme (Upper Egypt) concerning the release from a debt which is turned into a donation, mentioning the monastery of Apa *Paulos, the anchorite, as well as institutions dedicated to *Kyrikos (child martyr of Tarsus, S00007), *Kosmas (probably the physician and martyr of Mesopotamia, S00385), and *Theodore (soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita, S00480); dated 13 September 698.
E04363
Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet
Documentary texts - Donation document
CLT 1
A monk from Pshension in the district of the city of Koptos, now belonging to a monastery on the mountain of Jeme, addresses the monks Apa Daniel, Apa Iakobos and Apa Athanasios, superiors of the monastery of Apa Paulos concerning a donation of twenty gold solidi he made to their monastery for the salvation of his soul.
Lines 12–15 and 23–26 of the document read as follows:
ⲉⲓⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲉⲛⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣ(ⲓ)ⲟ(ⲥ) ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲉⲧϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲇⲁⲛⲓⲏⲗ ⲡⲉ ⲙⲛ
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲕⲱⲃⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲗⲟⲓⲡⲁⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲕⲉⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲛⲏⲩ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲟⲩ ϩⲓ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲡⲕⲁⲥⲧⲣⲟⲛ
ⲛϫⲏⲙⲉ
‘I am writing to the spiritual sons (successors) of the blessed Apa Paulos, the anchorite, this one who is now among the saints, namely to Apa Daniel, Apa Iakobos, and Apa Athanasios and also to the rest of their brothers and to those succeeding them on the holy mountain of Kastron Jeme.’
ⲁϯ ϫⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲛϩⲟⲗⲟⲕⲟⲧⲧ(ⲓⲛⲟⲥ) ⲛⲁⲩ ⲁⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲣⲟⲩϫⲓⲧⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲟⲟⲧ ⲛⲥⲉⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ϩⲁ ⲧⲁⲯⲩⲭⲏ
ⲛⲧⲁⲗⲁⲓⲡⲱⲣⲟⲥ
‘I gave them twenty solidi. I adjured them in the name of God so that they would take them from me and would give them as charitable dispensation for my miserable soul.’
Signatures of witnesses include in line 128 a presbyter of (the church of) saint Kyriakos, and in lines 132–134 a presbyter of saint Kosma and saint Theodore.
Line 128:
++ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲍⲁⲭⲁⲣⲓⲁⲥ ⲡⲓⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ) ⲙⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲁⲕⲟⲥ ϯⲱ ⲙⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉ +
‘I, Zacharias, the most humble priest of saint Kyriakos, I am a witness.’
⳨ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛϣⲉⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ) ⲙⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲕⲟⲥⲙⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲙ ⲧⲉⲛϩⲟⲩⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲡⲁⲕⲱⲑⲉⲟⲥ ϯⲟ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ
Lines 132–134:
‘I, Eiot, the son of Shenoute, the most humble priest of saint Kosma and saint Theodoros in the area of Pakotheos, I am a witness …’
(Text and trans.: A. A. Schiller, slightly modified)
Cult building - monastic
Cult building - unspecified
Places Named after SaintMonastery
Non Liturgical ActivityBequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Distribution of alms
Bibliography
Text and translation:Schiller, A.A., Ten Coptic Legal Texts (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1932). = CLT
Till, W.C., Die koptischen Rechtsurkunden aus Theben (Vienna: H. Böhlaus, 1964) 22–27. = KRT
Gesa Schenke
14/11/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00007 | Kyrikos/Cyricus and Ioulitta/Julitta, child and his mother, martyrs of Tarsus | ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲁⲕⲟⲥ | Certain | S00385 | Kosmas and Damianos, brothers, physician martyrs of Syria | ⲕⲟⲥⲙⲁ | Uncertain | S00480 | Theodore, soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita | ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ | Certain | S01654 | Paulos the anchorite, monastic founder | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ | Certain |
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