E05974: Coptic ostracon from Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) with a receipt for the full payment of a salary, mentioning the steward of an institution dedicated to Apa *Phaustos (presumably the martyr of Alexandria, S00299) acting as a witness and the scribe of the document; datable around the year 600.

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posted on 2018-07-18, 00:00 authored by Bryan

O.Crum 51

The document addressing bishop Apa Abraham acknowledges the complete payment of a salary. Two witnesses subscribe to it, one of them acting also as the scribe and being identified as the oikonomos (steward) of Apa Phaustos.

Lines 3–5 of the back of the ostracon read as follows:

[ⲁ]ⲛⲟⲕ ⲥⲁⲗⲱⲙ ⲡⲟⲓⲕⲟⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲁⲩⲥⲧⲟⲥ ϯⲟ ⲙⲙⲁ[ⲣⲧⲩⲥ] ⲁⲓⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲡⲉⲡⲗⲁⲝ [ⲛⲥ]ⲟⲩ ϫⲟⲩⲧⲥⲛ[ⲟⲟⲩⲥ

'I, Salom(on), the oikonomos of Apa Phaustos, I am acting as a witnesses. I have written this tablet (ostracon) on day 22 of the months ….'

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

History

Evidence ID

E05974

Saint Name

Phaustos/Faustus, martyr of Alexandria : S00299

Saint Name in Source

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲁⲩⲥⲧⲟⲥ

Related Saint Records

https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Phaustos_Faustus_martyr_of_Alexandria/13729939

Type of Evidence

Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherd Documentary texts - Other private document

Language

Coptic

Evidence not before

580

Evidence not after

620

Activity not before

580

Activity not after

620

Place of Evidence - Region

Egypt and Cyrenaica

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Deir el-Bahari

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

Deir el-Bahari Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein Hermopolis

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - unspecified

Cult activities - Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Source

This ostracon is kept at the British Museum in London, inv. 32899.

Bibliography

Text and translation: Crum, W.E., Coptic Ostraca from the Collections of the Egypt Exploration Fund (London, 1902), p. 13 and 35. = O.Crum German translation: Till, W.C., Die Koptischen Rechtsurkunden aus Theben (Vienna, 1964), 46.