E00091: Coptic Life of *Onnophrios, the Anchorite (Egyptian anchorite, 4th c., S00055), written probably in the 5th/6th c. in the Scetis (Lower Egypt), recounts a miraculous liver operation performed on *Timotheos, the hermit (S00056).

Paphnoutios of Scetis, Life of Onnophrios, the Anchorite

Timotheos who has been living in the remote desert for thirty years tells Paphnoutios of his initial suffering which was due not only to remorse over his sin (a six months sexual affair with a nun), but also due to pain in his liver. The latter, however, was healed successfully by a spiritual being in the following manner, as Timothy reports:

ⲁⲓϩⲓⲥⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲙⲙⲟⲕϩⲥ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲱⲓ ⲁⲓϭⲱϣⲧ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲓⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲉϥϩⲁⲉⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲙⲁⲧⲉ ⲁϥⲁϩⲉ ⲣⲁⲧϥ ϩⲁ ϩⲧⲏⲓ
ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲉⲕϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲉⲟⲩ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲧⲁϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲓ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩⲓ ⲡⲉϫⲁⲓ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲡϫⲥ ⲉⲓϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲁϩⲏⲡⲁⲣ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ
ⲙⲁⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟⲓ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲕϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲁⲓⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟϥ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲡⲁϩⲏⲡⲁⲣ ⲉⲧϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲁϥⲥⲟⲃⲧⲉ ⲛⲧⲉϥϭⲓϫ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲉⲣⲉⲛⲉϥⲧⲏⲏⲃⲉ ⲧⲁⲗⲏⲩ ⲉϫⲛ
ⲛⲉⲩⲉⲣⲏⲩ ⲁϥⲡⲉϩ ⲡⲁⲥⲡⲓⲣ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲏϥⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲁϩⲏⲡⲁⲣ ⲁϥⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟⲓ ⲉⲛⲉⲡⲗⲩⲅⲏ ⲉⲩϩⲓⲱⲱϥ ⲁϥϩⲟⲕⲟⲩ ⲁϥϯ
ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲟⲩⲁⲙⲟⲙⲉ ⲉⲩⲧⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲁϥϯ ⲟⲛ ⲙⲡⲁϩⲏⲡⲁⲣ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲁ ⲛⲕⲉⲥⲟⲡ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲥⲗⲟϭⲗϭ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉϥϭⲓϫ ⲁϥⲧⲱϭⲉ ⲙⲡⲙⲁ
ⲛⲧⲁϥⲡⲁϩϥ ⲉϫⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲉⲣⲏⲩ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲁⲕⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲙⲡⲣⲕⲟⲧⲕ ⲉⲣⲛⲟⲃⲉ ϫⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲡⲉⲑⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲡⲁⲓ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲁⲣⲓ
ϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ⲙⲡϫⲥ ϫⲓⲛ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ ϫⲓⲛ ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲛⲉⲧⲙⲡⲁⲥⲁ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲓⲗⲟ ⲉⲓϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲁϩⲏⲡⲁⲣ
ϯϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲁ ⲛϫⲁⲓⲉ ⲭⲱⲣⲓⲥ ϩⲓⲥⲉ
ⲁϥⲧⲥⲁⲃⲟⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲧⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲙⲟⲙⲉ ϩⲓⲱⲱⲥ

'"But I suffered great distress due also to the stabbing pain on me. So I looked and I saw someone full of glory. He stood in front of me and said to me, 'Where do you feel pain?' As for me, my strength came back to me for a moment and I said to him, 'Lord, I feel pain in my liver'. He said to me, 'Show me the spot where you feel pain'. And I pointed him to my painful liver. He reached out his hand to me, with his fingers resting upon each other, and he cut open my side as with a knife. He brought out my liver and showed me the wounds on it. He scraped them [clean] and put their ulcers upon a cloth. Then he put my liver back in its place again. He smoothed over my body with his hands and repaired the spot into which he had cut. He said to me, 'Behold, you are well. Do not turn back to sinning, so that no greater evil than this shall come upon you. But be a servant to the Lord from now on until eternity'. From that day onwards, all my inner organs were fine. I stopped feeling pain in my liver, living here in the desert without suffering."
And he showed me the cloth with the ulcers on it.'

For a summary of the complete text, see $E0089.

Text: Budge 1914, p. 208–209, fols. 5a–5b. Translation: Gesa Schenke.