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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic document from Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) recording an oath sworn to saint Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080) to settle a dispute concerning financial matters; datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E05703

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

Documentary texts - Other private document

O.CrumST 111

The documented oath is written on an ostracon and concerns the payment of two coins and an explanation on how they were spent. This oath is sworn to a man named Samuel presumably to settle a financial dispute and most likely was uttered at the shrine dedicated to Apa Phoibammon on the mountain of Jeme.

The beginning of the document reads as follows:

⳨ ϣⲉ ⲧⲇⲩⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲱ̣ⲛ ⲛϥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲇⲓⲅⲙⲁⲧⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲙ ⲡⲁⲓⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲗⲟⲕ(ⲟ)ⲧ(ⲧⲓⲛⲟⲥ) ⲛⲧⲁ ⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣ(ⲓⲟⲥ) ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓ̣ⲕ̣ⲧ̣ⲱ̣ⲣ ⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲁ ⲁⲓϯ ⲡⲟⲩⲁ ⲉⲡⲇⲏⲙⲟⲥⲓⲟⲛ

‘By the power of saint Apa Phoibammon and he makes an example of it.
With these two coins which the blessed Apa Biktor has given me, I have paid one for the
demosion tax …’

Lines 11–12 at the end of the document read as follows:

ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲛⲁϣ ⲛⲧⲁⲛ̣ …… ⲟ̣ⲣⲕϥ ⲛⲥⲁⲙⲟⲩⲏⲗ

‘This is the oath which … (
personal name) has sworn for Samuel.’


(Text: W. E. Crum; trans.: G. Schenke)

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Non Liturgical Activity

Oath

Source

The ostracon R 1780–10546 is kept at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.


Bibliography

Text:
Crum, W.E., Short Texts from Coptic Ostraca and Papyri (Oxford, 1921), 31.

German Translation:
Till, W.C.,
Die Koptischen Rechtsurkunden aus Theben (Vienna, 1964), 225.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

18/6/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiut ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲱ̣ⲛCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05703 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05703