The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Brit. Mus. Ms. Oriental no. 6783, fol. 67b–83a

The vita is introduced as follows:

Fol. 67b; Budge, p. 185, lines 1–8:

ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲃⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲙⲟⲛⲟⲭⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲛⲧⲁⲛϥⲉⲓⲟⲟⲧⲉ ⲥⲙⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲡⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ · ⲉⲁϥϫⲱⲕ
ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡϥⲃⲓⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲛⲧⲧⲉⲗⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲩⲡⲟⲙⲟⲛⲏ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ · ⲛⲥⲟⲩ ϥⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲃⲟⲧ · ⲙⲉⲭⲓⲣ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ
ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲛ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ ⁖-

‘This is the life of the blessed man John, the perfect monk, this one whose parents provided him with the golden Gospel, who completed his good life in perfection and good patient endurance on day four of the month Mecheir
(29 January). In God’s peace. Bless us all. Amen.’

John was the youngest of the three sons of Eutropius, the archon of the city of Rome, and his wife Theodora. The Christian family was very rich and the youngest son received instructions to enter a career in the church.

One day a monk from the monastery of ‘Those who do not sleep’ (ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲙⲉⲩⲛⲕⲟⲧⲕ) passed by on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, John asked the monk to take him to his monastery so he can join their life. On his return from Jerusalem, the monk fulfilled his promise to visit John again who had secretly made preparations to leave his parents’ home and join that monastery.

John asked his parents for a proper Gospel which they happily supplied for him, lavishly decorated and covered in gold, as well as for some money which he spent on his fare on board a ship that took him to the monastery of Those Who Do Not Sleep.

Even though he was still very young, John was allowed to enter the monastery as a full member where he then prayed day and night and exercised such severe asceticism that even the abbot of the monastery became concerned for his physical well-being. After six years of the most severe fasting and sleeplessness, his body was infirm and weak. So much so that the devil was able to approached him and inspire in him a desire to see his parents again.

As a result, John prepares to leave the monastery to visit his parents back in Rome. The monks pray over him to invoke the protective powers of the saints for him.

Fol. 76a; Budge, p. 194, lines 29–33:

ⲛⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϩⲓ ⲟⲩⲥⲟⲡ ⲁⲩⲡⲱⲣϣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲛⲉⲩϭⲓϫ ϩⲓϫⲛ ⲧⲁⲡⲉ ⲛⲓⲱⲥ ⲉⲩϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ
ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲕ · ⲉⲧⲣⲉ ⲕϩⲱⲙ ⲉϫⲛ ⲧϭⲟⲙ ⲧⲏⲣⲥ ⲙⲡϫⲁϫⲉ ⁖-

‘And they all together spread out their hands over John’s head, saying: “The prayers of the saints shall go with you to let you trample all the power of the enemy.”’

When John reached his parents house in the city of Rome, his parents did not recognise him due to his altered state, resembling a dying beggar. His father fed him from the kitchen and the door keeper made him a small hut by the gateway of the house to remain away from sight. John spent ten years living as a beggar by the gate of his parents’ house, distributing the charity he received from his father’s house amongst the poor and helpless of the city.

When his final days approached, he had a vision of Christ announcing his death in the following way:

Fol. 79a; Budge, p. 198, lines 23–26:

ⲁⲓⲧⲉⲓ ⲕⲉϣⲟⲙⲛⲧ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲟⲩⲛⲧⲁⲕ ⲥⲟⲩ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲓⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ · ϣⲁⲛⲧⲕⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ ϩⲁϩⲧⲏⲓ · ⲛⲅⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲁⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ·

‘I have given you three more days to have in this world, until you come up to the heavens before me and rest yourself with my saints.’

John then asked the doorkeeper to urge his mother to come to him, which she very reluctantly does. Only due to the golden Gospel held by John did she believe that this was her long lost son. Under tears she swore him an oath to bury him in his humble clothes in this very hut in which he had spent these last years.

When after her son's death his mother ignored her oath and arranged a befitting state funeral for him, an angel came down causing her immediate immobility and pains in her feet. Realising her broken oath, the parents rectify the situation and follower John's wishes for his burial closely which results in the immediate healing of his mother's condition.

The text then ends with the distraught parents building a shrine (martyrion) over their son’s burial and making donations to the poor.

Fol. 83a; Budge, p. 202, line 31–p. 203, line 5:

ⲛϥⲉⲓⲟⲟⲧⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲩⲧⲱⲙⲥ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲛ {ϩⲛ} ⲧⲕⲁⲗⲩⲃⲏ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲑⲉ ⲛⲧⲁϥϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲩⲕⲱⲧ ⲉϫⲱϥ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲩϥⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲛⲧⲁⲩ ⲧⲏⲣϥ · ⲁⲩⲥⲟⲣϥ ⲛⲛϩⲏⲕⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧϣⲁⲁⲧ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁⲛϥⲉⲓⲟⲟⲧⲉ ϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲃⲓⲟⲥ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ ⲉⲩϯⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲛⲛⲉⲛⲉⲓⲟⲟⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⁖- ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲅⲱⲛ ⲙⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲓⲱⲥ ⲛⲧⲁϥϭⲙϭⲟⲙ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ ·

‘And his parents buried him in the hut, just as he had told them (to do). They built a martyr shrine (martyrion) above him and took everything they owned and distributed it to the poor and those in need. Afterwards, his parents completed a good life, glorifying God with the prayers of our holy fathers. This is the contest of saint John in which he found strength.’


Text: E. A. W. Budge.
Summary and translation: G. Schenke.

Cult building - monastic
Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)

Monastery

Prayer/supplication/invocation
Oath
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Pilgrimage
Distribution of alms
Construction of cult buildings
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts

Miracle during lifetime
Miracle after death
Punishing miracle
Healing diseases and disabilities

Women
Ecclesiastics - abbots
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Relatives of the saint
Other lay individuals/ people
Angels

Source

Discussion

Bibliography