E01093: Coptic account of miracles wrought through *Shenoute (S00688, abbot of the White Monastery near Sohag in the area of Panopolis (Upper Egypt), c. 348-465), (commonly referred to as the Life of Shenoute), ascribed to his disciple and successor Besa and intended to be presented on Shenoute's feast day, thus claimed to have been written in the 5th c, though most likely a compilation of various encomia produced not before the 7th c.

Besa, The Miracles and Wonders of Shenoute, commonly referred to as the Life of Shenoute

This account claims to present merely a fraction of the miracles and wonders wrought through Apa Shenoute, the prophet (ed. Leipoldt 1 and 172). It is a liturgical text presented on Shenoute’s feast day for the benefit of those who will hear it.

Ed. Leipoldt 1:
ϩⲁⲛⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲓϫⲟⲙ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲓϣⲫⲏⲣⲓ ⲉⲧⲁⲫϯⲁⲓⲧⲟⲩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲟⲧϥ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲙⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ
ⲡⲓⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲓⲁⲣⲭⲓⲙⲁⲛⲇⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲉⲁϥϩⲩⲥⲧⲟⲣⲓⲛ ⲙⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲛϫⲉ ⲫⲏ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲏⲥⲁ ⲡⲉϥⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲉⲩⲱⲟⲩ ⲙⲫϯ ⲟⲩⲟϩ
ⲟⲩϩⲏⲟⲩ
ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲉⲑⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ ⲉⲣⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲥⲉϯⲱⲟⲩ ⲙⲫϯ ⲛⲥⲏⲟⲩ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲓⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲉϥⲉⲣⲫⲙⲉⲩⲓ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲍ
ⲙⲡⲓⲁⲃⲟⲧ ⲉⲡⲏⲡ ⲡⲉ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉⲫϯ ⲁⲙⲏⲛ

'A few of the miracles and wonders which God wrought through our holy father, the prophet Apa Shenoute, the presbyter and archimandrite [abbot]. The holy Apa Besa, his disciple, related them for the glory of God and for the benefit of anyone who will hear of them and will glorify God at any time, but especially on the day of his holy remembrance which is the 7th day of the month Epiph. In peace of God. Amen.'

The account of miracles is presented as absolutely reliable and trustworthy, since it is in part an eyewitness report, and partly relying on the word of the abbot Shenoute, the miracle worker, himself.

Ed. Leipoldt 2:
ⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲁⲓⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲱⲟⲩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲁⲃⲁⲗ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲃⲏⲥⲁ ⲡⲉϥⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲓⲕⲉⲭⲱⲟⲩⲛⲓ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲁⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ϫⲟⲧⲟⲩ
ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲣⲱϥ

'These (miracles and wonders) which I, Besa, his disciple, have seen with my own eyes and also those that our holy father Apa Shenoute has told me himself.'

It is also made explicit that it is Shenoute’s feast day on which the account is presented.

Ed. Leipoldt 2:
ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲁⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲫⲁⲡⲓⲉⲣⲫⲙⲉⲩⲓ ⲉⲑⲛⲁⲛⲉϥ ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲉⲛⲉⲣϣⲁⲓ ⲛⲁϥ ⲙⲫⲟⲟⲩ ⲟⲩϣⲟⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲛⲉϥϩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲓ ⲉⲑⲛⲁⲛⲉⲩ.

'Since my father Apa Shenoute, the one of good remembrance, this one whose feast we are celebrating today, is someone worthy of a narration of his good deeds.'

Summary/List of miracles:
The account begins with examples of miraculous behaviour already detectable in Shenoute as a young boy when he worked as an under shepherd to a man watching over his father’s sheep. When the young boy fails to come home at night, the main shepherd testifies that he saw Shenoute entering a cistern and praying while standing in the deep water with his hands stretched out, his ten fingers appearing like flaming lamps (ed. Leipoldt 4).

When his father took the young Shenoute along to the monastery of his uncle Apa Pjol to receive the abbot’s blessing, abbot Pjol asked for the young boy’s blessing instead, referring to him as “father” and “archimandrite” (ed. Leipoldt 5).

In the monastery of Apa Pjol was a man suffering from a daemon. The young boy Shenoute started to beat the demon inside the man, which cried out in fear and pain and left the man, who recovered his health immediately (ed. Leipoldt 6).

The first night the young Shenoute stayed in the monastery, abbot Apa Pjol had a vision of an angel guarding the sleeping boy. The angel instructed Apa Pjol to put the mantle which he would find in the morning onto the boy Shenoute, as it was the mantle of Elijah the Tishbite, which Jesus intended to hand over to Shenoute, since he would be the chosen one to build a monastery and be a strong protector of his community and everyone in need. Apa Pjol follows these instructions and makes Shenoute a monk (ed. Leipoldt 8).

When the boy Shenoute was out walking with Apa Pjol and Apa Pshoi (possibly the founder of the Red monastery), all three of them heard a voice from heaven proclaiming Shenoute to be appointed as archimandrite of the entire world (ed. Leipoldt 9).

The image created of Shenoute is one of excessive monastic labour and asceticism, continuous prayer, sleep deprivation, and perpetual fasting. He is described physically as little more than skin and bone, with black hollow eyes constantly watering (ed. Leipoldt 12).

He possessed the power of clairvoyance, which made him acutely aware of the sins committed all over the world. People coming to seek his blessing or advice would not be able to pretend, but proceeded to confess their sins readily to Shenoute, since he was already aware of them. Through this ability, Shenoute was able to announce a proper punishment for sinners, as well as the right course of action for the just (ed. Leipoldt 13–16; 33–35; 36–37; 42–52; 74–75; 80; 87; 98–101; 102; 109–114; 131–134; 144–150).

He also exercises power over evils, such as arrogance, magic, paganism, and violence, and causes immediate punishment for them (ed. Leipoldt 81–82; 83–84; 85–86; 88; 89; 125–127; 128–130; 151–153).

Twice Shenoute travels miraculously by cloud (ϭⲏⲡⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ), the first time, because on his return trip from the imperial court at Constantinople, where he had been discussing Nestorios, some lesser servants did not recognise who Shenoute was, and refused to let him board the ship with Cyril, the archbishop of Alexandria. Desperate to return to his monastery, Shenoute prayed to Christ and immediately a shining cloud appeared, taking him and his accompanying disciple up into the air to transport them home. When they had caught up with the ship sailing without them, archbishop Cyril looked up and saw Shenoute with his disciple passing them on a cloud, and asked him for a blessing, as the new Elijah (ed. Leipoldt 17–19). The second time Shenoute travels by cloud, the emperor Theodosius II, having heard much about the miracles wrought by this Egyptian man, insisted he should come and visit him at his royal residence. The emperor sends a very intimidating courier with an invitation and strict instructions not to return without Shenoute. The latter feeling too old, and preoccupied with more pressing matters at the monastery, refuses to visit the emperor abroad. The courier threatens Shenoute with arrest and forcible travel, so he prays in the sanctuary for a sign of what he should do. Immediately a shining cloud (ϭⲏⲡⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ) appears and picks him up to bring him to Constantinople. There he fulfils the emperor’s wish for a blessing, but refuses to stay longer at the royal court. Shenoute urges the emperor to write a message to his courier, which Shenoute would deliver, so that the courier would agree to return home. Afterwards, the cloud picks him up again and brings him safely back to his monastery. The courier is so impressed that he wishes to remain at the monastery of Shenoute as a monk, but Shenoute urges him to return with his soldiers to the emperor. He blesses him and sends him on his long journey back (ed. Leipoldt 53–67).

Shenoute possesses power over plants, water, stones, and animals. When he was visiting the imperial court, he found a single grain of wheat lying on the floor. He picked it up and took it home with him to the monastery. There he placed it under the millstone and it produced so much flour that the monks where unable to gather it all up. Only when Shenoute asked the millstone to stop grinding, did this miraculous production of flour end (ed. Leipoldt 17 and 20). When Shenoute wished to see a ship sail in the desert, the area was filled with water and the Lord as the captain, with the angels as sailors, sailed by where Shenoute stood in prayer. They asked him to tie the rope of the ship to a rock, and when Shenoute touched the rock, it yielded a hole through which the rope could be put (ed. Leipoldt 22–23). When a newly built well collapsed, Shenoute placed his palm branch into the wall of the well, and immediately the branch sprang roots and produced leaves and fruit. The workers ate and the well never collapsed again (ed. Leipoldt 24). During a drought, all the inhabitants of the area of Panopolis and Pshoi came to the monastery to be fed. When the monastery ran out of bread for the masses, Shenoute asked the monk who distributed the loaves to get whatever was left in stock. When nothing was left to eat or give, Shenoute asked his monks to pray for a blessing to feed the masses. When they returned to the storeroom, it was filled with such an abundance of bread that there was no shortage at all (ed. Leipoldt 27–28). More such bread miracles took place (ed. Leipoldt 140–143). When the bakers complained about too much ash from their eleven ovens, Shenoute said that he trusted in God and the prayers of the saints that if they put all the ash into one oven to dispose of it, the oven would never fill up, and indeed it did not (ed. Leipoldt 29). To punish the owners of vineyards who mistreated their farmers, Shenoute struck the soil and set the vineyards permanently under water (ed. Leipoldt 85–86). Lions bowed before Shenoute (ed. Leipoldt 135), and a camel was persuaded to offer milk to her calf (ed. Leipoldt 161). Shenoute also helped a farmer from Panopolis to grow seeds and make a profit from his fruit trees, the first fruits of which should regularly be donated to his monastery (ed. Leipoldt 162–171).

When Christ ordered Shenoute to build a sanctuary in his name, Shenoute indicated that he was short of funds. Christ pointed to a place where he would find the means to pay for the expenditure, a small leather bag full of gold coins lying in the desert. The workers could thus be paid to complete the building of the church (ed. Leipoldt 30–32).

Shenoute has many visions and conversations with Christ, and divine visits from the apostles (Paul); from Mary, the Mother, and from various prophets, through which mysteries are revealed to him (ed. Leipoldt 22; 25; 30; 32; 70–72; 91–92; 93; 94; 95; 96; 115–124; 138–140; 147; 154–160).

Shenoute also exercises healing powers (ed. Leipoldt 40–41) and provides divine nourishment for those in need (ed. Leipoldt 77–79).

Contact relics of Shenoute help the duke (dux) and the comes in battle against t