E04040: Coptic inscription on nummulitic limestone, presumably from Middle Egypt, with a long invocation to a large number of saints including *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), *Michael (the Archangel, S00181), *Adam (S00772), the *Patriarchs (S00138) and *Apostles (S00084), the martyrs Apa *Viktor (son of Romanos, Egyptian martyr, S00749), Apa *Phoibammon (soldier and martyr of Assiut, S00080), Apa *Paul (the first anchorite, S00089) and his brothers, as well as list of holy monastic figures, such as Apa *Apollo, Apa *Anoup, and Apa *Phib (monks and monastic founders, S00774), Apa *Patermoute (S01222), Apa *Proou, and all the saints. Datable to the 6th/9th century.

KSB 1 416

The inscription mentions a man from Aqfahs in Middle Egypt and includes in its invocation the three saints Apollo, Anoup, and Phib celebrated at Bawit (Middle Egypt) which makes this a likely place of origin.

The last lines are very fragmentary, but lines 1–11 read as follows:

ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲟⲩⲗⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲣⲙ ⲕⲃⲉϩⲥ
+ ⲡⲓⲱⲧ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲉⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲇⲁⲙ ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲓⲟⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲁⲧⲣⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲥ
ⲙⲙⲁⲣⲧⲏⲣⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲃⲓⲕⲧⲱⲣ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲟⲓⲃⲁⲙⲙⲱⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲥⲛⲏⲩ ⲛⲉⲛⲉⲓⲟⲧ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲱ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ
ⲁⲡⲁ ⲫⲓⲃ ϫⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲧⲉⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲣ[ⲱⲟⲩ ⲙⲛ] ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ [

‘Apa Ioulios, the man of Aqfahs.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother Mary and our father Michael, our father Adam and our fathers the patriarchs and the apostles, the martyrs Apa Viktor, Apa Phoibammon, and Apa Paule with his brothers, our (monastic) fathers and elders, Apa Apollo, Apa Anoup, and Apa Phib, also Apa Patermoute, Apa Pr[ou and] all the saints […’


(Text: M. Hasitzka, trans.: G. Schenke)