E04835: Coptic Homily on *Michael the Archangel (S00181), from the monastery of the Archangel Michael near Hamouli in the Fayum (Lower Egypt), attributed to Gregory of Nazianzus (the Theologian), asked to discuss status and function of the archangel and his contrast to the devil; allegedly written in 4th century and translated presumably sometime between the 5th and the 9th century.

Homily on the Archangel Michael, attributed to Gregory of Nazianzus

The text is introduced as follows:

M592, fol. 8r–16v:

ⲟⲩⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ ⲉⲁϥⲧⲁⲩⲟϥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡⲉⲛⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲓⲏⲩ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲅⲣⲏⲅⲟⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲑⲉⲟⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ϩⲙ ⲡⲧⲣⲉϥⲁⲓⲧⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲡⲟⲩⲇⲏ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡⲑⲉⲟⲥⲉⲃⲏⲥⲧⲁⲧⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ
ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲏⲙⲁⲛⲇⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲉⲩⲥⲉⲃⲓⲟⲥ ⲡϩⲩⲅⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲣⲁⲣⲁⲧ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲑⲁⲣⲙⲉⲛⲓⲁ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲁ ⲧⲕⲓⲃⲱⲧⲟⲥ ⲛⲛⲱϩⲉ ⲟⲩⲱϩ
ϩⲓϫⲱϥ ⲉⲁϥⲥϩⲁⲓ ϣⲁ ⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲅⲣⲏⲅⲟⲣⲓⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲥⲟⲡⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲙⲁⲧⲁⲙⲟⲓ ϫⲉ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲥⲉϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ
ⲛϭⲓ ⲛⲉⲧⲏⲡ ⲉⲑⲁⲓⲣⲉⲥⲓⲥ ⲙⲙⲁⲛⲏ ϫⲉ ⲁϥⲧⲁϩⲟ ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ ⲙⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲙⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲙⲏ ⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲱⲗⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ϫⲓⲛⲛ ⲛϣⲟⲣⲡ ϫⲓⲛ ⲙⲡⲉ ϯⲥⲟⲡⲥ ϭⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲕϩⲁⲅⲓⲱⲥⲩⲛⲏ ⲙⲁⲧⲁⲙⲟⲛ ⲉⲡⲉⲓϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲇⲉ
ⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲅⲣⲏⲅⲟⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲥⲟⲡⲥ ⲙⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲙⲉⲓⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲉⲛⲁϣⲱⲟⲩ ⲉϥⲧⲱⲃϩ ⲙⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ
ϣⲁⲛⲧⲉϥⲧⲉⲧ ⲡⲉϥϩⲏⲧ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ

‘A homily which our holy and in every way glorious father saint Gregory the theologian and holy bishop delivered, when the most pious priest and archimandrite Eusebios, the hegoumenos of Mount Ararat in Armenia, on which Noah’s Ark had rested, asked him with zeal, when writing to saint Gregory with great supplication, “Tell me why those who belong to the heresy of Mani say that he (God) has installed Michael as archangel in the place of the devil. Is he the devil then? Has he been fully (installed) as archangel from the beginning or not? I implore your holiness, tell us about this.” Saint Gregory then remained in long prayers with strong plentiful tears imploring the Lord, until he had satisfied his heart sufficiently over this mystery. In God’s peace. Amen.’

(Text and trans. Depuydt 1993, 231, modified)