Record | The Cult of Saints

Coptic Graffiti from the monastery of Epiphanios at Thebes (Upper Egypt), invoking the intercession of *Epiphanios (S00093) and the saints in general (unnamed, S00518) in general; datable to the first half of the 7th century.

Evidence ID

E04426

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Graffiti

P.Mon.Epiph. 647:

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲁⲧⲁⲗⲉⲡⲟⲣⲟⲥ ⲛⲣⲉϥⲣ ⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲓⲁⲛⲛⲁⲕⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲉⲓⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲙⲛⲧ[ⲉⲓⲱ]ⲧ · ⲡⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲉⲡⲓⲫⲁⲛⲉⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲅⲧⲱⲃϩ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲉϫⲱ ⲛⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩ[ⲧⲉ] ⲛⲧⲁϩⲁⲏ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ [ϣ]ⲗⲏⲗ ⲉϫⲱⲓ ⲁⲙ[ⲏⲛ]

‘I am this wretched sinner Iannakis. Be so kind, as I beseech your paternity, my father, holy Epiphanios. Be so kind and entreat the saints for me kindly, and God will bring forth my end. Pray for me. Amen.’

P.Mon.Epiph. 644:

ⲁⲅ]ⲓⲟⲥ ⲉⲡⲓ̣[ⲫⲁⲛⲓⲟⲥ . . . . . . . . . . . ] ⲛⲛⲁⲅ̣[ⲁⲡⲏ

‘… ] holy Epiphanius, [pray … for me?] kindly […’

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

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

P.Mon.Epiph. 644 was found on the wall of the monastic vestibule, P.Mon.Epiph. 647 on the wall of a tomb passage.

Bibliography

Edition and Translation:
Crum, W.E., and Evelyn White, H.G., The Monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes, Part II, New York 1926. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition), p. 141 (text), p. 326–327 (trans.).

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

6/12/2017

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00093	Epiphanios, anchorite, monk and abbot of the Theban monastery	ⲉⲡⲓⲫⲁⲛⲉⲓⲟⲥ	Certain
S00518	Saints, unnamed		Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E04426 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04426

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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