E04107: Coptic letter from the monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit (Middle Egypt), invoking Apa *Apollo (founder of the monastery, 00160) for protection of the addressee; datable to the 7th/8th century.

P.Louvre Bawit 47

This very fragmentary document preserves the beginning of a letter in which the protection of the saint is invoked, not only for individuals but for an entire village.
Lines 2–3 read as follows:

[ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲉⲃⲉϩⲁⲣⲉϩ [ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲛ ]
[ ]ⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲧⲓⲙⲉ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ϫⲛ[ⲉ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ϣⲁ ⲡⲕⲟⲩⲓ


‘[God of saint] Apa Apollo, may he protect [you …] and the entire village from [the greatest to the smallest.’

A similar document is P.Soc. Arch. Copt. 7 (see P.Louvre Bawit, p. 81), likewise from the monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit. Lines 22–23 read as follows:

ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲉⲃⲉⲣⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲛⲉⲙ̣ⲁ̣ⲧ̣ⲛ̣

‘God of saint Apa Apollo, may he watch over you and all the brothers who are with you.’


(Text: S. J. Clackson/A. Delattre modified; trans. G. Schenke)