E00610: Fragmentary Bohairic Coptic Life of *Pachomios (Egyptian monastic founder, ob. 346, S00352),based to a large extent on the Sahidic Life (E00602); includes miraculous healing activity and visions, a description of Pachomios’ death, and a transfer of his body to a secret location; written in the 9th c.

Bohairic Life of Pachomius

The text starts with stories from Pachomios’ very particular childhood. Born to pagan parents, he would accidentally frighten and drive away their gods during sacrifice. He would also escape the attempts of the devil wishing to have the young boy killed by a pack of wild dogs, or to commit sin by joining in sexual activity.

It then continues with Pachomios’ conversion to Christianity and his attending to the sick in the village of Sheneste (Chenoboskion), followed by his visit to Apa Palamon, a famous hermit in the neighbourhood in order to learn from him how to live a monastic life. Then follows his vocation at the abandoned village of Tabennese where he hears a voice from heaven ordering him to build a monastery at this place to receive people desiring to live an ascetic life.

Various other visions follow during the course of his adult life, together with numerous attempts by demons to hinder his holy conduct. Men and women suffering from illnesses are healed by his mere presence, by the touch of his garment or his hand, or even by his prayer over oil with which the diseased would then be anointed.

Shortly before his death, Pachomios urges Theodore to take care of his physical remains. But since the section concerning the death of Pachomios is not preserved in the Bohairic Life, the translation of Veilleux in his Pachomian Koinonia, has supplemented that part, chapters 116–123, by using the Pierpont Morgan Codex manuscript in Sahidic Coptic S7 ($E00602).

However, unlike S7, the Bohairic account does not end with Pachomios' death, but continues relating the affairs of his successors. Many chapters later, Theodore in despair over the new riches and possessions acquired by the monastic community (koinonia), prays to the Lord to let him die, so that he does not have to witness the dissolution of his brothers’ souls. He ventures into the mountains to pray to Christ on the grave of Pachomios which (unlike in the Sahidic version of the Life) does not seem to be in a secret location.

Chap. 198:
Ed. Lefort, VB, p. 193, line 8–22:
ⲙⲉⲛⲉⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲁⲟⲩⲁⲓ ⲛⲛⲓⲥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲁⲣⲭⲉⲟⲥ ⲙⲟϣⲓ ⲛⲥⲱϥ ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲁⲛⲁⲣⲟⲩϩⲓ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲏⲟⲩ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲧⲁϥⲫⲟϩ ⲉⲡⲓⲙⲁ ⲉⲣⲉ
ⲡⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲡⲁϧⲱⲙ ⲑⲟⲙⲥ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲧⲱⲟⲩ ⲁϥⲟϩⲓ ⲉⲣⲁⲧϥ ⲛϫⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲥⲁⲡϣⲱⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲁϥϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉϥⲣⲓⲙⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛⲉⲣⲙⲱⲟⲩⲓ ⲉⲩⲟϣ ⲉϩⲣⲏⲓ ϩⲁ ⲡⲭⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲡϭⲥ ⲫϯ ⲡⲓⲛⲁⲏⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲣⲉϥϣⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲙⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧϥ ⲫⲣⲉϥϯϩⲁⲡ ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲏ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϧ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲏ ⲉⲑⲙⲱⲟⲩⲧ ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲡϭⲥ ⲉⲧⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡⲁϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲁⲙⲉⲩⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲧⲁⲥⲩⲛⲓⲇⲏⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲁⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲁⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲧⲉⲕⲙⲉⲧⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ ⲧⲁϩⲟⲛ ⲉⲑⲃⲉ ϯⲙⲉⲧⲉⲃⲓⲏⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲥ ⲉⲧⲁⲛϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛϧⲏⲧⲥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϫⲓⲛⲑⲣⲉⲛⲣⲓⲕⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲁ ⲛⲓⲙⲱⲓⲧ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲱⲛϧ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲉⲕⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲉⲕⲉⲛⲧⲟⲗⲏ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲁⲕϩⲟⲛϩⲉⲛ ⲙⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲟⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲛⲇⲓⲕⲉⲟⲥ ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉϯⲟϩⲓ ⲉⲣⲁⲧ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ϩⲓϫⲉⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ

'Then one evening one of the senior brothers followed him at a short distance. When he reached the place where the body of our father Pachomios was buried in the mountain, Apa Theodore stood over it and, weeping profusely, he prayed to Christ, saying, "Lord, God, merciful and alone tender-hearted, judge of the living and the dead, you O Lord who know my heart, my thoughts, my conscience, and my goal, may your mercy and your goodness rest on us in the whole sorry state in which we find ourselves. For we have turned from the paths of life and from your laws and your commandments which you gave to our righteous father, over whose holy body I am now standing."'

Translation: Veilleux, Pachomian Koinonia, p. 245–246, slightly modified. Summary: Gesa Schenke.