Record | The Cult of Saints

Coptic ostracon from Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) with a letter addressed to a presbyter mentioning the celebration and the canon of Apa Shenetom/Senetom (saint with cult in the Thebaid, S02241), as well as an institution dedicated to Theodore (possibly the soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita, S00480), in which a judgement was to be made; datable to the 7th century.

Evidence ID

E05975

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

Documentary texts - Letter

O.Crum 105

In this letter addressed to the presbyter Ioannes, the sender is telling him that two people have been appointed to celebrate the feast at the place of Apa Shenetom and to receive a canon. Something or someone is also going to be judged inside the church of saint Theodore.

Lines 3–6 of the front of the ostracon read as follows:

ⲉⲓⲥ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲕⲟⲛⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲇ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ̣ⲕ̣(ⲟⲛⲟⲥ?) ⲁⲓⲧⲟϣⲟⲩ [ⲉⲧⲣⲉ]ⲩⲣϣⲁ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ϣ[ⲉ]ⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ ⲛⲥⲉϫⲓ ⲡ[ⲉⲩ]ⲕⲁⲛⲟⲛ

'Behold, Ioannes and Konarios, the deacons (?), I have appointed them [to have] them celebrate the feast at the place of Apa Shenetom and to have them receive [their?] canon.'

Lines 1–2 and 6–7 of the reverse read as follows:

[ⲉ]ⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲕⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲉⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ

'Concerning the canon from Apa Senetom, …'

ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲑⲉⲟ[ⲇ]ⲱⲣⲟⲥ

'… in (the church of) saint Apa Theodore.'

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

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Places Named after Saint

Church

Source

This ostracon was found at Deir el-Bahari and is kept at the British Museum in London, inv. 32865. The text has been dated on palaeographical grounds.

Discussion

This Shenetom occurs in two other documents from the Thebaid in Upper Egypt: E02439 and E02451. He was presumably a local saint.

Bibliography

Text and translation:
Crum, W.E., Coptic Ostraca from the Collections of the Egypt Exploration Fund (London, 1902), p. 18 and 23. = O.Crum

Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

27/7/2018

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00480	Theodore, soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita	ⲁⲡⲁ ⲑⲉⲟ[ⲇ]ⲱⲣⲟⲥ	Uncertain
S01220	Shenetom/Senetom, saint with cult in the Thebaid	ⲁⲡⲁ ϣ[ⲉ]ⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ / ⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲉⲛⲉⲧⲱⲙ	Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05975 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05975

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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