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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Fragmentary Coptic letter from Jeme (Upper Egypt) mentioning the shrine of Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080); datable to the 7th century.

Evidence ID

E05707

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

Documentary texts - Letter

O.CrumST 324

The document seems to concern a delivery of material for a wooden roof at the shrine/monastery (topos) of the saint. Lines 4–5 read as follows:

] ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟ[ⲥ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁ]ⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛ ⲙ[ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϫⲏⲙ]ⲉ ⲙⲙⲉⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲧⲥⲟ ⲉⲧⲉ̣ⲛ̣ⲁⲙⲁϩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲥ

‘… ] into the shrine (topos) [of saint] Apa Phoibammon on [the mountain of Jeme]. The parts from the (wooden) roof of which we took hold … ’


Text: W. E. Crum, modified. Translation: G. Schenke.

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Source

The fragmentary papyrus document 1156,7 is kept at the Musée d’ Orléans.


Bibliography

Text:
Crum, W.E, Short Texts from Coptic Ostraca and Papyri (Oxford, 1921), 86–87.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

18/6/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiutⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱⲛCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05707 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05707