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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.
online resource
posted on 2018-07-18, 00:00 authored by gschenkeO.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)
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)
History
Evidence ID
E05993Saint Name
John the Baptist : S00020 John, the Apostle and Evangelist : S00042Saint Name in Source
ⲁ[ⲡ]ⲁ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲁ[ⲡ]ⲁ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Documentary texts - Letter Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherdLanguage
- Coptic
Evidence not before
580Evidence not after
620Activity not before
580Activity not after
620Place of Evidence - Region
Egypt and CyrenaicaPlace of Evidence - City, village, etc
Deir el-BahariPlace of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Deir el-Bahari Hermopolis ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ Ashmunein HermopolisCult activities - Festivals
- Saint’s feast
Cult activities - Places
Cult building - unspecifiedCult activities - Places Named after Saint
- Monastery