E05993: Coptic ostracon from Deir el-Bahari (Upper Egypt) with a letter written by bishop Abraham stating that clerics should go to the shrine of Apa *John (presumably either the Baptist, S00020, or the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042) to hold a night vigil and not just to receive the canon; datable around the year 600.

O.Crum 485

This letter seems to address the reluctance of some clerics to lead or participate in the entire service including the night vigil. Instead some seem to be in the habit of just joining when a canon is offered. Bishop Abraham considers those clerics non-clerics and goes on to offer an explanation for his assertion, by citing from a text; but the letter here becomes somewhat illegible.

Lines 1–11 read as follows:

⳨ ϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲙⲉⲛ ϯϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲧⲉⲕⲙⲛⲧϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲕⲗⲏⲣⲓⲕⲟⲥ ⲉ[ⲧⲉ] ⲙⲉϥⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲙⲁ ⲛⲁ[ⲡ]ⲁ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲉⲣⲟⲩϣⲏ ⲛⲣ[ⲟⲉ]ⲓⲥ ⲏ ⲉⲣϣⲁⲛϥⲃⲱⲕ
[ⲉⲃⲟ]ⲗ ϫⲉϥⲛⲁϫⲓ ⲕⲁⲛⲱⲛ ϥⲟ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲕⲗⲏⲣⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲥⲏϩ ϫⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲣϩⲱⲃ ⲁⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲧⲣⲉϥⲣ ...

'First, I am greeting your fraternity. The cleric [who] is unable to go forth to the place of Apa Ioannes to spend a night keeping awake, or if he (just) goes forth, so that he will receive a canon, he is no longer a cleric. As it is written: "He who does not work, neither let him …"'


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