E01733: Coptic list of holy books belonging to the monastery of Apa *Elijah (S00667) on the mountain, presumably at Aphroditopolis/Atfih (Middle Egypt), listing a papyrus manuscripts containing the Lives of Apa *Epiphanios (S00093) and Apa *Petros (S00036), most probably the Lives of Epiphanios of Salamis and Peter II of Alexandria, as well as Encomia by Apa *Athanasios (S00294) and others, datable to the 7th/8th century.
online resource
posted on 2016-07-16, 00:00authored bygschenke
KSB 1.12
A large limestone ostracon preserves one hundred and fifteen lines written in two columns, listing all the books belonging to the monastery of Elijah on the mountain. The list begins with books from the Old Testament followed by the gospels, and various other manuscripts, including Encomia ($E01733, $E01737, $E01738, $E01740), Lives (E01732, $E01733, $E01734, $E01736, $E01741), and Martyrdoms (E01731, $E01735, $E01739, $E01742, $E01743). The material of the books is listed either as papyrus (ⲭⲁⲣⲧⲏⲥ) or as parchment (ⲙⲉⲃⲣⲁⲛⲟⲛ), specifying whether these manuscripts are old or new.
‘⟨The Life of⟩ Apa Epiphanios, papyrus (χάρτης), ⟨The Life of⟩ Apa Petros, and the Encomia by Apa Athanasios and others, papyrus (χάρτης), new (καινούργιος).’
Text: M. Hasitzka, KSB 1.12. Translation: G. Schenke.
History
Evidence ID
E01733
Saint Name
Elijah (unspecified) : S00667
Epiphanios : S00093
Peter the Apostle : S00036
Athanasios, bishop of Alexandria, ob. 373 : S00294
Documentary texts - List
Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd
Language
Coptic
Evidence not before
600
Evidence not after
799
Activity not before
600
Activity not after
799
Place of Evidence - Region
Egypt and Cyrenaica
Place of Evidence - City, village, etc
Atfih
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Atfih
Hermopolis
ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ
Ashmunein
Hermopolis
Cult activities - Places
Cult building - monastic
Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Source
The limestone ostracon belongs to the IFAO in Cairo, Inv. 13315, and has been dated to the 7th/8th century according to its script.
Discussion
Since the manuscripts mentioned here are most probably the vitae of Epiphanios of Salamis and Peter II of Alexandria, both anti-Arian wonder-working bishops of the 4th century, the encomia mentioned as being by Athanasios and others most likely concern the same two men, i.e. an encomion by Athanasios on Epiphanios and an encomion by Athanasios on Peter II of Alexandria.