E05991: Coptic ostracon from Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) with a list of saints or rather institutions dedicated to saints, such as Mary (presumably Mary, mother of Christ, S00033), Apa Michael (presumably the Archangel, S00181), and Apa Biktor (possibly Viktor, son of Romanos, S00749), possibly also one to *Mena (presumably Menas, soldier and martyr celebrated at Abu Mena); datable to the 7th century.

online resource

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

O.Crum 470: This fragmentary document seems to offer a list of churches or monasteries, some dedicated to known saints, but the purpose of the list is lost. ⲑⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙ[ⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲓⲭ[ⲁⲏⲗ ⲡⲓⲱⲉ ⟨ⲛ⟩ⲃⲣⲣⲉ ⲧⲉⲙⲁⲙⲏ or ⲡⲙⲁ ⟨ⲛ⟩ⲙⲏ[ⲛⲁ? ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧ[ⲱⲣ 'Saint Mary Apa Michael The new washing (basin?) Temame (? or the place/shrine of Menas?) Apa Biktor' (Text: W. E. Crum; trans.: G. Schenke)

History

Evidence ID

E05991

Saint Name

Mary, Mother of Christ : S00033 Michael, the Archangel : S00181 Viktor, son of Romanos, martyr in Egypt : S00749 Menas, soldier and martyr celebrated at Abu Mena : S00073

Saint Name in Source

ⲑⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙ[ⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲓⲭ[ⲁⲏⲗ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧ[ⲱⲣ ⲧⲉⲙⲁⲙⲏ or ⲡⲙⲁ ⟨ⲛ⟩ⲙⲏ[ⲛⲁ?

Related Saint Records

Type of Evidence

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

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

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. 33112.

Bibliography

Text and translation: Crum, W.E., Coptic Ostraca from the Collections of the Egypt Exploration Fund (London, 1902), pp. 44 and 77. = O.Crum