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E04146: Coptic ostracon from western Thebes (Upper Egypt) referring to Apa *Antonios (Antony 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098) as a luminous column, and alluding to him and Apa *Makarios ('the Egyptian', monastic founder of the Sketis, ob. 391, S00863) as model holy men, and mentioning how Apa *Paphnoutios (probably the confessor and holy man of the Thebaid, S01542) had needed council with Antony; datable to the first half of the 8th century.
online resource
posted on 2017-10-12, 00:00 authored by gschenke, BryanP.Mon.Epiph. 247
This message was sent from the monk Frange/Phrangas living in the desert tomb (TT29) to Isaac and Elias at the monastery of Epiphanios in an attempt to encourage verbal communication between them. Since his two addressees frequently refused to speak to him during his visits at their monastery, Frange is now sending a message to inform them that he very much needs to speak to them. He addresses them as 'holy men' or 'human saints' comparing them to Antony and Makarios 'the Egyptian'.
⳨ ϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲙⲡⲁ[ϣⲁϫ]ⲉ ⲛⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ)
ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ϩ̣ⲁ ⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲁ[ⲩⲱ ⲉⲁ]ⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙ̣-
ⲡⲉϩⲗⲟϭ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲅⲁⲣⲡ̣[ⲟⲥ] ⲉⲧ<ⲧ>ⲁⲩ̣ⲏ̣
ⲥⲧⲏ̣ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲟⲛ
5 ϯⲡⲱϩⲧ ⲙⲙⲟⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ · ⲉⲡⲕⲁϩ · ϯ-
ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙⲡⲓⲭⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ
ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ⲛⲑⲉ
ⲙⲡⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ
ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲉⲛ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲛϣⲓⲏⲧ
10 ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ϩⲱⲱⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲡⲱϩ
ⲉⲡⲉⲩϣⲓ ϩⲛ ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲏ · ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ · ϯ-
ϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ
ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲛⲉⲩⲣⲁⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲉⲧⲉ ·
ⲉⲡⲉⲓⲇⲏ · ⲁⲉⲓ ⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲏⲧⲛ ⲛϩⲁϩ ⲛⲥⲟⲡ
15 ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲛⲟⲩⲏⲛ · ⲛⲁ ⲙⲡⲣⲟ · ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲉ-
ⲧⲛϣⲁϫⲉ [ⲛ]ⲙⲙⲁ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲟⲛ ⲕⲁⲓⲡⲉⲣ
[ⲟⲩⲛ]ⲧⲁ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲟⲩⲱϣ ·ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ̣ . . . .
ⲛ̣[ⲑ]ⲉ̣ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡϩⲱⲙⲟⲗⲟⲕⲏ̣ⲧⲏ̣ⲥ̣
[ⲙⲛ ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲧⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲁⲁⲕ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ
20 ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲫⲣⲁⲛⲅⲁⲥ ⲡⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ̣ⲧ[ⲙⲡϣⲁ]
ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ[ⲧⲛⲣ ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉ-]
ⲧⲛϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ [ⲛⲁ-]
ⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲟϣ ⲉⲙⲁⲧⲉ ⲟⲩ̣ϫ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣ [ϩⲙ]
ⲡϫⲟ̣ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ . . .
‘Before my most humble message, I write, greeting and saluting the sweetness of your fruits that produce a pleasant fragrance.
Following this then, I cast myself down to the ground. I worship your holy footprints, you truly holy men in the manner of my father Antonios, the luminous column, and of Apa Makarios of Sketis. You yourselves have reached their measure by any good virtue. I also greet your pious children by their names. Hail in the Lord!
I have come north to you many times and you have not opened the gate to me, nor have you conversed with me just like (with) any (other) brother, even though I have a great desire for you (to converse with me), just like Apa Papnoute, the Confessor, (had) [with] Apa Antonios.
Give it (the message) to Apa Isaac and Apa Elias, from Phrangas/Frange, this [worthless] one. Be so kind and [remember me in] your holy prayers, for [my] sins are very numerous. Farewell in the Lord.’
Text: W. E. Crum. Translation: G. Schenke.
This message was sent from the monk Frange/Phrangas living in the desert tomb (TT29) to Isaac and Elias at the monastery of Epiphanios in an attempt to encourage verbal communication between them. Since his two addressees frequently refused to speak to him during his visits at their monastery, Frange is now sending a message to inform them that he very much needs to speak to them. He addresses them as 'holy men' or 'human saints' comparing them to Antony and Makarios 'the Egyptian'.
⳨ ϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲙⲡⲁ[ϣⲁϫ]ⲉ ⲛⲉⲗⲁⲭ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ)
ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ϩ̣ⲁ ⲉϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲁ[ⲩⲱ ⲉⲁ]ⲥⲡⲁⲍⲉ ⲙ̣-
ⲡⲉϩⲗⲟϭ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲅⲁⲣⲡ̣[ⲟⲥ] ⲉⲧ<ⲧ>ⲁⲩ̣ⲏ̣
ⲥⲧⲏ̣ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ · ⲉⲃⲟⲗ · ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲟⲛ
5 ϯⲡⲱϩⲧ ⲙⲙⲟⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ · ⲉⲡⲕⲁϩ · ϯ-
ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙⲡⲓⲭⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ
ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ · ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛϩⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ⲛⲑⲉ
ⲙⲡⲁⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ
ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲉⲛ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲛϣⲓⲏⲧ
10 ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ϩⲱⲱⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲡⲱϩ
ⲉⲡⲉⲩϣⲓ ϩⲛ ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲏ · ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ · ϯ-
ϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲙⲁⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ
ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲛⲉⲩⲣⲁⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲉⲧⲉ ·
ⲉⲡⲉⲓⲇⲏ · ⲁⲉⲓ ⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲏⲧⲛ ⲛϩⲁϩ ⲛⲥⲟⲡ
15 ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲛⲟⲩⲏⲛ · ⲛⲁ ⲙⲡⲣⲟ · ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲉ-
ⲧⲛϣⲁϫⲉ [ⲛ]ⲙⲙⲁ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲟⲛ ⲕⲁⲓⲡⲉⲣ
[ⲟⲩⲛ]ⲧⲁ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲟⲩⲱϣ ·ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ̣ . . . .
ⲛ̣[ⲑ]ⲉ̣ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡϩⲱⲙⲟⲗⲟⲕⲏ̣ⲧⲏ̣ⲥ̣
[ⲙⲛ ⲁ]ⲡⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲧⲁⲁⲥ ⲛⲁⲡⲁ ⲥⲁⲁⲕ ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ
20 ϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ ϩⲓⲧⲛ ⲫⲣⲁⲛⲅⲁⲥ ⲡⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ̣ⲧ[ⲙⲡϣⲁ]
ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ[ⲧⲛⲣ ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉ-]
ⲧⲛϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ [ⲛⲁ-]
ⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲟϣ ⲉⲙⲁⲧⲉ ⲟⲩ̣ϫ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣ [ϩⲙ]
ⲡϫⲟ̣ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ . . .
‘Before my most humble message, I write, greeting and saluting the sweetness of your fruits that produce a pleasant fragrance.
Following this then, I cast myself down to the ground. I worship your holy footprints, you truly holy men in the manner of my father Antonios, the luminous column, and of Apa Makarios of Sketis. You yourselves have reached their measure by any good virtue. I also greet your pious children by their names. Hail in the Lord!
I have come north to you many times and you have not opened the gate to me, nor have you conversed with me just like (with) any (other) brother, even though I have a great desire for you (to converse with me), just like Apa Papnoute, the Confessor, (had) [with] Apa Antonios.
Give it (the message) to Apa Isaac and Apa Elias, from Phrangas/Frange, this [worthless] one. Be so kind and [remember me in] your holy prayers, for [my] sins are very numerous. Farewell in the Lord.’
Text: W. E. Crum. Translation: G. Schenke.
History
Evidence ID
E04146Saint Name
Antony, 'the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356 : S00098 Makarios the Egyptian, ascetic in Sketis, ob. 391 : S00863 Paphnoutios, confessor and bishop in the Thebaid : S01542Saint Name in Source
ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Documentary texts - Letter Late antique original manuscripts - Ostracon/Pot-sherdLanguage
- Coptic
