E00602: Fragmentary Sahidic Coptic Life of *Pachomios (Egyptian monastic founder, ob. 346, S00352), presumably written at his monastery in Tabennese (Upper Egypt) during the second half of the 4th c., includes accounts of miraculous healing activity and visions, of Pachomios’ death, and of his body being secretly buried to avoid the construction of a cult building (martyrion) over it.

Sahidic Life of Pachomius

Summary:

The Sahidic Life is only preserved in fragments from more than twenty different manuscripts.

The earliest vision Pachomios has is described in the fragment known as S1, where a luminous man appears to Pachomios to let him know that God’s will is for him to serve mankind in order to call people to God. He then starts to make room for others to join him in his anchoritic life.

Pachomios’ healings of two dropsical men and a man bitten by a snake are described in S2 as taking place through the mere presence or the touch of this holy man. He brings about healing through the Lord and tells the healed henceforth to sin no more.

The Life concludes with an account of how Pachomios on his deathbed urged his close disciple, Theodore, to ensure that his bodily remains were hidden, so that they could not attract cult:


Ed. Lefort, VS, p. 93, line 26–p.94, line 10 (S7, Pierpont Morgan Codex M 663):
ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁϥⲕⲧⲟϥ ⲉⲑⲉⲱⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲁϥϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁϥ· ϫⲉ ⲉⲣϣⲁⲛ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ϭⲙ ⲡⲁϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲙⲡⲣⲕⲁ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ ϩⲙ ⲡⲙⲁ
ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲛⲁⲧⲟⲙⲥϥ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ
ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱϣϥ ⲛⲁϥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲕⲁϩ ⲛϩⲏⲧ· ϫⲉ ϯⲛⲁⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲡⲉⲕϣⲁϫⲉ·
ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁϥⲁⲙⲁϩⲧⲉ ⲛⲧϥⲙⲟⲣⲧ· ⲁϥϩⲓⲟⲩⲉ ⲉϫⲉⲛ ⲧϥⲙⲉⲥⲧⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲙⲡⲙⲉϩⲥⲉⲡ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ· ϫⲉ ⲑⲉⲱⲇⲱⲣⲉ ϩⲁⲣⲉϩ· ⲙⲡⲣⲕⲁ ⲡⲁⲥⲱⲙⲁ· ⲙⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲛⲁⲧⲟⲙⲥϥ ⲉϩⲏⲧϥ
ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱϣϥ ⲛⲁϥ ⲟⲛ· ϫⲉ ⲱ ⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ϯⲛⲁⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ϩⲱϥ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲉⲕⲛⲁϩⲱⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲟⲟⲧ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϣⲡ
ϩⲙⲟⲧ
ⲑⲉⲱⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ· ⲁϥⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ· ϫⲉ ⲡⲱⲗⲗⲁⲕⲓⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲡⲁⲓ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲙⲡⲁⲣⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲁ· ϫⲉ ⲙⲏⲡⲟⲥ
ⲛⲧⲉϩⲟⲓⲛⲉ ⲃⲓ ⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲛϫⲓⲟⲩⲉ ⲛⲥⲉⲕⲱⲧ{ⲉ} ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲓⲱⲛ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲉϣⲁⲩⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ·
ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉ ϣⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲛϩⲁϩ ⲉⲥⲟⲡ ⲉϥϭⲉⲛ ⲁⲣⲉⲓⲕⲉ [ⲉⲛⲉⲧⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ·]

'Afterwards, he (Pachomios) turned back to Theodore and spoke with him: ‘If the Lord visits me, do not let my body remain at the place where it will be buried!’ He replied to him in deep sadness: ‘I shall act in accordance with your word.’
Afterwards, he (Pachomios) grabbed his beard and tapped his chest a second time: ‘Theodore, be alert, do not let my body remain at the place where it will be buried!’’ He replied to him again: ‘My fatherly lord, I shall act thankfully in accordance with everything you will order me (to do).’
Theodore thought to himself: ‘He is saying this many times in great exertion, because perhaps some people will steal his body and build for it a memorial shrine (martyrion) just as it is often done with the holy martyrs,’ since he heard him many times reproaching [those who act for them in this manner].”


Ed. Lefort, VS, p. 96, line 1–7 (S7, Pierpont Morgan Codex M 663):
ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲟⲩⲉⲓ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ ϩⲓ ⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ· ⲁⲑⲉⲱⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ϫⲓ ⲛⲉⲙⲁϥ ⲛⲕⲉϣⲟⲙⲛⲧ ⲛⲥⲟⲛ ϩⲛ ⲧⲉⲩϣⲏ ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲩⲛⲧϥ
ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲙ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲩⲧⲟⲙⲥϥ ⲉϩⲏⲧϥ· ⲁⲩⲛⲟϫϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲥⲟⲛ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲑⲉⲱⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲣϥϫⲓ ⲏⲡⲉ
ⲛⲧⲕⲟⲓⲛⲱⲛⲟⲓⲁ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲙⲛ ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲙⲁ ⲉⲛϥⲛϩⲏⲧϥ ϣⲁ ϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲡⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩ

“After they (the monks) had come down from the mountain (where they had buried him), Theodore took with him three other brethren that night. They brought him (the corpse) down from the place where he was buried. He was sent away with Apa Papnoute, the brother of Apa Theodore, the accountant of the community (koinonia); and nobody knows where he is until this very day.”

Translations: Gesa Schenke.