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E04177: Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) mentioning *John (most likely the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042); datable to the 7th century.

online resource

posted on 2017-10-19, 00:00 authored by gschenke

O.Frange 796

In this fragmentary letter, a saint John is mentioned seemingly as part of the solution to a discussed problem. It might even have involved an oath sworn to the saint.

Lines 16–19 on the verso of the letter run as follows:

ⲡⲗⲏⲛ ⲧⲡⲣⲟⲑⲉⲥ̣[ⲙⲓⲁ]
[ⲛ]ⲧ̣ⲁⲛⲧⲟϣⲥ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ ⲛ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣
ⲙ̣ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ [ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲱⲁⲛ[(ⲛ)ⲏⲥ]
[ⲉ]ⲕϣⲁⲛⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲛ̣[ -ca.?- ]

‘But the deadline which we have determined with him for … […] for/to saint Apa John, if you come to the […] …’

(Text: A. Boud'hors and Ch. Heurtel; trans.: G. Schenke)

A complete record of the text is available at:

http://papyri.info/ddbdp/o.frange;;796

History

Evidence ID

E04177

Saint Name

John, the Apostle and Evangelist : S00042

Saint Name in Source

[ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲱⲁⲛ[(ⲛ)ⲏⲥ]

Related Saint Records

https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/John_the_Apostle_and_Evangelist/13729210

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Letter Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd

Language

Coptic

Evidence not before

600

Evidence not after

699

Activity not before

600

Activity not after

699

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Thebes

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

Thebes Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - monastic

Source

The ostracon inv. O. 291894 is a limestone ostracon inscribed on both sides and was found during a season of the Belgian excavation at the Theban necropolis. It is part of the archive of the monk Frange who inhabited the tomb of Amenemope (TT29) in the Valley of the Kings.

Discussion

Perhaps one could consider reading ⲱⲣⲕ 'swearing (an oath)' or ⲡⲱⲣⲕ 'the swearing (of an oath)' at the end of line 17 to have in lines 16–18: ⲡⲗⲏⲛ ⲧⲡⲣⲟⲑⲉⲥ̣[ⲙⲓⲁ] [ⲛ]ⲧ̣ⲁⲛⲧⲟϣⲥ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ ⲛ̣ ⲡ̣[ⲱⲣ]ⲕ̣ ⲙ̣ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ [ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲱⲁⲛ[(ⲛ)ⲏⲥ] ‘But the deadline which we have determined with him for the [swearing (of an oath)] to saint Apa John, …'

Bibliography

Text and French translation: Boud'hors, A., and Heurtel, C., Les ostraca coptes de la TT 29. Autour du moine Frangé (Études d'archéologie thébaine 3; Brussels, 2010), 427–428.