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E01184: Coptic will of the heads of the monastery of Epiphanios at Thebes (Upper Egypt), drawn up in the mid 7th cenutury, attesting a monastery of Apa *Mena (probably the soldier and martyr of Abu Mena, 00073) on the mountain of Jeme.

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posted on 2016-03-11, 00:00 authored by Bryan

P.KRU 75

A monk and presbyter of the holy topos of Apa Mena on the mountain of Jeme was asked to act as scribe and witness for the will of Jacob and Elias, heads of the monastery of Epiphanios at Thebes.

Lines 135–137 read as follows:

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲓⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ) ⲙⲙⲟⲛⲟⲭⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃ(ⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) ⲡⲁⲣⲁ ⲡⲁⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲏⲛⲁ ϩⲓ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϫⲏⲙⲉ

'I, George, the son of Patermoute, the least monk and presbyter beyond my worth, at the holy topos of Apa Mena on the mountain of Jeme.'

Text: W. E. Crum and G. Steindorff; German trans. W. C. Till; Engl. trans. G. Schenke.

History

Evidence ID

E01184

Saint Name

Menas, soldier and martyr Abu Mena : S00073

Saint Name in Source

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲏⲛⲁ

Related Saint Records

https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Menas_soldier_and_martyr_buried_at_Abu_Mena/13729309

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Will Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

Language

Coptic

Evidence not before

600

Evidence not after

700

Activity not before

600

Activity not after

700

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Thebes Jeme

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Thebes Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis Jeme Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - abbots Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy

Source

This very lengthy document is written on papyrus. It is lacking the beginning of the text and has a few lacunae. The papyrus is kept at the Museum in Cairo, inv. 8730.

Discussion

Whether this monastery of Apa Mena is named after Apa Mena the soldier martyred at Phrygia and buried at Abu Mina, remains uncertain.

Bibliography

Edition and translation: Crum, W.E., and Steindorff, G., Koptische Rechtsurkunden des achten Jahrhunderts aus Djeme (Theben) (Leipzig, 1971), 239–245. Till, W.C., Erbrechtliche Untersuchungen auf Grund der koptischen Urkunden (Vienna, 1954), 198–204.