Coptic ostracon from the area of Hermonthis (Upper Egypt) with a letter mentioning that some people entered the church of *George (presumably the soldier and martyr, S00259) causing damage, for which they will be banned from the celebration of the saint’s feast day; datable to the end of the 6th century.
E05697
Documentary texts - Letter
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
O.CrumVC 40
The letter was sent by a man named Abraham, possibly the famous bishop of Hermonthis. It is addressed to more than one person, stating that the sender has been informed that the addressees have entered the church of saint George and ruined the place, seemingly by having taken things from it. As punishment they and their entire households are excluded from the saint’s feast day celebration.
⳨ ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲉⲓ ⲁⲩϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲁⲧⲛⲉⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲃⲗ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲁⲩ̣[ⲱ] ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲣ ϩⲉⲛⲕⲉⲉⲡⲉⲣⲁ̣ⲉⲓⲥⲓⲥ
ⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲣⲭⲣⲓⲁ ⲙⲡⲉⲥ̣ⲧⲁⲩ[ⲣ]ⲟⲥ̣ ⲛⲧⲁⲗ̣ . . . . ⲉ̣ⲡⲉ ⲣⲭⲣⲓⲁ ⲛ̣ⲛⲉ . . . ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉ[ⲗⲟⲥ] ⲙ̣ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲩϣ̣ⲉ̣ ⲉϫ̣ⲛ̣ ⲡⲓ̣ⲙ̣ⲁ̣
ⲡⲉ̣ⲩ̣ⲙⲁ ⲛⲟⲩⲱϩ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲉⲕⲕ(ⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ) ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲁϥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ [ϥϩ]ⲓⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ [ⲧ]ⲏⲣϥ ⲕⲁⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ
ⲁⲡϩⲏⲕⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ϯⲧⲉϥϩⲏⲙⲏⲣⲁ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲛⲣϩⲟⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲛϣⲓⲡⲉ ϩⲏⲧⲛ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲁϥⲃⲓ ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛ̣ϩ̣ⲟⲩⲛ
ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ϥϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⲧⲏⲣϥ [ϣ]ⲁ̣ⲛⲧϥⲧ̣ⲓ̣ⲙⲁ
ⲧⲁⲁⲥ ⲙ[…….] ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲁⲃ[ⲣⲁϩⲁⲙ
‘Behold, I have been approached and told that you have entered (the church) of Apa George and that you have destroyed the place and have committed other atrocities. Everyone is in need of the cross. The … are in need of the … The angels of God frequent this place. The church is their dwelling place. Now anyone who has entered (the church) of Apa George is excluded from the feast, together with his entire household. For that poor man provided his (feast) day. You did not fear God, nor were you ashamed of yourselves. Now anyone who took anything away from there, is excluded from the feast, together with his entire household, until he pays respect.’
Address: ‘Give it to […], from Abraham [the bishop?].’
(Text and translation: W. E. Crum, modified by G. Schenke)
Service for the saint
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Cult building - unspecified
Activities accompanying CultFeasting (eating, drinking, dancing, singing, bathing)
Places Named after SaintChurch
Non Liturgical ActivityDistribution of alms
Source
This limestone ostracon is part of a private collection. The text of the letter is written on both sides.The dating of this text is based on the assumption that the Abraham writing here is the famous bishop of Hermonthis.
Discussion
Since the accused are not asked to return whatever they took from the church, they seemingly did not take any valuables belonging to the church, but most likely took from the edible donations made available, and possibly already laid out for the feast day celebration. The comparison drawn seems to be between the self-sacrifice of the martyr saint whose feast day is a gift to the congregation and the gluttonous members of congregation who could not wait for the festivities to begin, presumably entering early to cherry pick from what was available.Bibliography
Text and translation:Crum, W.E., Varia Coptica (Aberdeen, 1939), 14 (text), 21 (trans.).
Gesa Schenke
11/6/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00259 | George, soldier and martyr, and Companions | ⲁⲡⲁ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ | Uncertain | S00723 | Angels, unnamed or name lost | ⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉ[ⲗⲟⲥ] | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05697 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05697