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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 Jeme (Upper Egypt) relating the details of a contract to train a camel for one year, from the feast of *Michael (presumably the Archangel, S00181) to the same feast the following year; datable around 710/720.

Evidence ID

E05928

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Other private document

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

O.Crum 218

The Theban document acknowledges the arrangement of a man from Jeme to work with the camel of a man named Apa Jacob for the duration of one year, from the feast of saint Michael to the next.

Lines 23
–25 on the back of the ostracon read as follows:

ⲛⲧⲁⲣϩⲱⲃ ϫⲓⲛ ⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ϣⲁ ⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ

"… and (I am ready) to work from the feast of Apa Michael to the feast of Apa Michael."


(Text and trans.: W. E. Crum)

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Source

The ostracon is kept at the British Museum in London, BM inv. 32794.


Bibliography

Text and translation:
Crum, W.E., Coptic Ostraca from the Collections of the Egypt Exploration Fund (London, 1902), pp. 31–32 and 40–41. = O.Crum

German translation:
Till, W.C., Die Koptischen Rechtsurkunden aus Theben (Vienna, 1964), 57.


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

9/7/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00181Michael, the Archangelⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05928 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05928