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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 Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) with an funerary inscription, mentioning the monastery of Apa *Stephen (presumably Stephen, the First Martyr, S00030) at the city of Ape (Upper Egpyt); datable to the 7th/8th century.

Evidence ID

E05994

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

O.Crum 491

+ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲛⲟⲩ[ⲧⲉ]
ⲛⲓϩⲁⲣⲁⲩ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ [?]
ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ
{ⲙ}ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲧⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥ
ⲛⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲁⲡⲉ ⲛⲧⲁϥ[ⲓ]
[ⲉ]ⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲙⲛⲧⲁ[ⲥⲉ]
[ⲛⲉⲡ]ⲏⲡ ⲛⲧⲉⲫⲟⲙ[ⲡⲉ]

'God, my God! Niharau, the son of […] (or Niharau, (the son of) Pshere), from the holy topos of Apa Stephanos at the city of Ape. He has departed on day 16 of (the month) Epiph in the year …'


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

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified
Cult building - monastic

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Source

This ostracon is kept at the British Museum in London, inv. 32917.


Discussion

For a church of Apa Stephen at Ape see E02467.


Bibliography

Text and translation:
Crum, W.E., Coptic Ostraca from the Collections of the Egypt Exploration Fund (London, 1902), pp. 80 and 83. = O.Crum


Record Created By

Gesa Schenke

Date of Entry

4/8/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00030Stephen, the First Martyrⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲧⲉⲫⲁⲛⲟⲥUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Gesa Schenke, Cult of Saints, E05994 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05994