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E05700: Coptic Ostracon from the area of Hermonthis (Upper Egypt) offering a list of various metal objects signed by the deacon of a church dedicated to *George (presumably the soldier and martyr, S00259); datable to the 7th century.

online resource

posted on 2018-06-12, 00:00 authored by gschenke

O.CrumVC 127

The text is very fragmentary, but the signature of the deacon who drew up this list reads as follows (lines 7–9):

ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲕⲱⲗⲑⲉ [ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟ]ⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲅⲉⲟⲣ[ⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲓⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛ]ⲧⲓⲅⲛⲟⲥⲓⲥ ⲛⲧⲁϭⲓϫ

‘I Kolthe, [the deacon] of saint George, I have written] this list with my own hand.’

(Text and translation: W. E. Crum, lightly modified)

History

Evidence ID

E05700

Saint Name

George, soldier and martyr : S00259

Saint Name in Source

ⲅⲉⲟⲣ[ⲅⲓⲟⲥ

Related Saint Records

https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/George_soldier_and_martyr_and_Companions/13729822

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - List 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

Hermonthis

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

Hermonthis Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - unspecified

Cult activities - Places Named after Saint

Church

Source

The ostracon inv. no 38 is kept at University College London.

Discussion

This could be an inventory of the church’s belongings. For similar objects mentioned in an inventory of the church of Theodore in Hermopolis see E04266. The same church of saint George seems to be mentioned in E05697.