E05703: Coptic document from Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) recording an oath sworn to saint Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080) to settle a dispute concerning financial matters; datable to the 7th/8th century.

O.CrumST 111

The documented oath is written on an ostracon and concerns the payment of two coins and an explanation on how they were spent. This oath is sworn to a man named Samuel presumably to settle a financial dispute and most likely was uttered at the shrine dedicated to Apa Phoibammon on the mountain of Jeme.

The beginning of the document reads as follows:

⳨ ϣⲉ ⲧⲇⲩⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥ ⲙⲡϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲱ̣ⲛ ⲛϥⲡⲁⲣⲁⲇⲓⲅⲙⲁⲧⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲙ ⲡⲁⲓⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲗⲟⲕ(ⲟ)ⲧ(ⲧⲓⲛⲟⲥ) ⲛⲧⲁ ⲡⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣ(ⲓⲟⲥ) ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓ̣ⲕ̣ⲧ̣ⲱ̣ⲣ ⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲁ ⲁⲓϯ ⲡⲟⲩⲁ ⲉⲡⲇⲏⲙⲟⲥⲓⲟⲛ

‘By the power of saint Apa Phoibammon and he makes an example of it.
With these two coins which the blessed Apa Biktor has given me, I have paid one for the demosion tax …’

Lines 11–12 at the end of the document read as follows:

ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲛⲁϣ ⲛⲧⲁⲛ̣ …… ⲟ̣ⲣⲕϥ ⲛⲥⲁⲙⲟⲩⲏⲗ

‘This is the oath which … (personal name) has sworn for Samuel.’


(Text: W. E. Crum; trans.: G. Schenke)