E02970: Festal Letter (42), in Coptic, of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, discusses healings at martyr shrines, emphasising that it is Christ who heals through the martyrs and condemning any belief that the saints speak through demons; written in AD 370.

Ed. Lefort, fragment 10, p. 28.14–18, and fragment 15, p. 65.3–7:

ⲉⲩϣⲁⲛϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ϫⲉ ⲁϩⲁϩ ⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ ϩⲛ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲩⲛ ⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲛⲁⲕⲁⲑⲁⲣⲧⲟⲛ ϩⲓⲱⲟⲩ · ⲛⲁ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲩⲗⲟⲓϭⲉ · ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩⲥⲱⲧⲙ
ⲛⲧⲁⲟⲩⲱϣⲃ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲓϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲉϣⲁⲩⲧⲁⲗϭⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡⲧⲣⲉⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲓ ϩⲉⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲉϣⲁⲩⲧⲁⲗϭⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲓⲧⲙ ⲡⲥⲱⲧⲏⲣ ⲡⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ

‘When they say that many people who had unclean spirits have been healed in the martyr shrines, these are their excuses. Let them listen, and I will answer them by saying that they are not healed by the martyrs coming upon the demons, but they are healed by the Saviour, the one whom the martyrs confessed.’

Ed. Lefort, fragment 10, p. 28.23–26, and fragment 15, p. 65.15–19:

ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ϭⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲛⲁⲉⲗⲉⲅⲭⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲥⲩⲛⲏⲇⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲉⲧϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲥⲉⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ⲉⲩⲃⲏⲕ ⲁⲛ
<ⲉⲛ>ⲧⲁⲫⲟⲥ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲓⲁⲑⲏⲕⲏ ⲙⲙⲉ ϯⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ϯϩⲧⲏⲧⲛ ⲛⲧⲁϣⲁϫⲉ

‘So, in order that now their conscience, which is evil against the martyrs, might be convicted and it might be made clear that they are not going to the tombs of the martyrs with a true disposition, I exhort you to pay attention to what I say.’

Ed. Lefort, fragment 15, p. 65.29–66.17:

ⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲛⲉⲁⲩⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲑⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲁ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲩϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲥ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲉⲓⲙⲉ ϫⲉ
ⲟⲩⲁϣ ⲛϭⲟⲧ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲥⲱϣ ⲉⲧⲟⲩϯ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲥ ⲉⲩⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲉⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ
ⲛⲧⲁⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ϫⲉ ⲉⲩⲛⲁϣⲁϫⲉ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲟⲧⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ
ⲛⲧⲁϥⲕⲱ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲁϥϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲡⲁ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲥⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲧⲙⲉⲓⲙⲉ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ · ⲉⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲉ ϫⲉ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲉⲩϩⲛ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲉⲧⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲥⲉϭⲱϣⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϣⲁⲛⲧϥϭⲱⲗⲡ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ⲏ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲣⲁⲥⲟⲩ ⲏ
ⲛϥϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉⲡⲉⲩϩⲏⲧ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲁⲡⲱⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲣⲁⲧⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ · ⲛⲁϣ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲛϩⲉ ⲟⲩⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲓⲙⲓⲛⲉ
ϫⲉ ⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲉϣϣⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲛⲥⲁϩⲱⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲱⲥ ϣⲙⲙⲟ ⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛϫⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲉⲅⲣⲁϥⲏ ⲁⲩⲱ ϫⲉ ⲙⲛⲧⲁⲩ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲛⲟⲩⲥⲩⲛⲏⲇⲉⲥⲓⲥ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ϩⲱⲗⲟⲥ ⲥⲉⲃⲏⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ⲉⲛⲉⲩⲧⲁⲫⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙⲡⲉⲓⲥⲕⲩⲗⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲁⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲩⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲁϩⲣⲙ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲩⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ · ⲟⲩϩⲱⲃ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁ ⲛⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲛⲉⲓⲡⲁⲣⲁⲃⲁⲥⲓⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲓⲙⲓⲛⲉ ϩⲉⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲥⲱⲃⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲉⲩⲧⲟⲟⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉϥϣⲙϣⲉ ⲉⲓⲇⲱⲗⲟⲛ

‘Therefore, if they themselves believed because of the confession of the martyrs, through which they confessed God, they would understand what kind of condemnation they bring upon themselves by thinking that the demons are the prophets of the martyrs. But the martyrs did not confess that they would speak through the demons and that the Lord, whom the martyrs confessed and who did not abandon those who confessed him, spoke through the demons. This is the humiliation of the saints and a sign of ignorance about what a martyr is. For if they understood, they would believe that the martyrs are in Christ, not in the demons, and they would call upon Christ who is in them and wait until he reveals to them what they are seeking, either in a dream or by speaking in their heart, and they would not run to the demons.

And so how can such people be called Christians? How could it not be necessary for us to withdraw from them? For they have been revealed to be strangers to God and enemies of the Scriptures and people without a good conscience toward the holy martyrs. Why do they even go to their tombs? They are doing this annoying thing, not because they want them to act as ambassadors ⲟn their behalf before God, but so that they might question the demons. This is not a Christian act, but such transgressions are foolish acts of the demons and appropriate to idolatry.’


Text: Lefort, 1955. Translation: Brakke 1998.