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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Coptic ostracon from Jeme (Upper Egypt) with a letter mentioning an institution dedicated to Apa *David (possibly David, Old Testament king of Israel, S00269) and one dedicated to Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080); datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E05988

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

O.Crum 376

The letter is addressed to a 'father' Ioannes reporting on a robbery and mentioning that the victims went to the place of Apa David and then to the place of Apa Phoibammon where they gathered for the eucharist.

Lines 7–11 read as follows:

ⲁⲉⲓϫⲟⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲁⲩϫⲓⲟⲩⲉ ⲉⲣ[ⲟⲛ?] ⲁⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ [ⲇⲁⲩ]ⲉⲓⲇ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲟⲛ ⲁⲛ[ⲃⲱⲕ?] ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱ[ⲛ] ⲁⲛⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ

'I reported that we (?) were robbed. We went to the place of Apa David; and then again we [went] to the the place of Apa Phoibammon and we gathered for the service.'


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

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified
Cult building - dependent (chapel, baptistery, etc.)

Places Named after Saint

Monastery
Church

Source

This ostracon is kept at the Museum in Cairo, inv. 8202.


Bibliography

Text and translation:
Crum, W.E., Coptic Ostraca from the Collections of the Egypt Exploration Fund (London, 1902), pp. 66 and 71. = O.Crum



Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

3/8/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00080Phoibammon, soldier and martyr of Assiutⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲱ[ⲛ]Certain
S00269David, Old Testament king of Israel, Psalmistⲁⲡⲁ [ⲇⲁⲩ]ⲉⲓⲇUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05988 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05988