E04106: Coptic document from the monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit (Middle Egypt), presumably containing an oracle question, possibly directed at Apa *Apollo (founder of the monastery, 00160); datable to the 7th/8th century.
online resource
posted on 2017-10-04, 00:00authored byBryan
P.Louvre Bawit 66
This very abraded text seems to have been an oracle question produced to be taken into a saint’s shrine. Whether it addresses a local Bawit saint, such as Apollo, Phib, or Anoup, or was prepared to be brought further away to a famous oracle shrine, remains unknown. Lines 1–2 read as follows:
+ ⲡ̣ⲛ̣ⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲧⲉ ⲛⲫⲁ̣ⲅ̣ⲓ̣ⲟ̣ⲥ̣ . . . . [ ] ⲉϣⲱⲡ̣ⲉ
‘God of saint …[…], if …’
(Text: S. J. Clackson/A. Delattre; trans. G. Schenke)
History
Evidence ID
E04106
Saint Name
Saints, name wholly or largely lost : S01744
Apa Apollo (founder of the monastery at Bawit, 4th century ) : S00160
Liturgical texts - Divinatory texts and oracle questions
Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet
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
Bawit
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Bawit
Hermopolis
ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ
Ashmunein
Hermopolis
Cult activities - Places
Cult building - monastic
Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Divination
Source
The small papyrus document is kept as inv. E 27590 at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The dating is based on palaeographical grounds.
Bibliography
Text and French translation:
†Clackson, S.J., and Delattre, A., Papyrus grecs et coptes de Baouît conservés au Musée du Louvre (Bibliothèque d'Études coptes 22; Cairo, 2014), 107.