Coptic Texts Research Articles

Study of Four Coptic Texts relating to Date Fruits

Study of Four Coptic Texts relating to Date Fruits

The First Apocalypse of James in a Socio-Linguistic Perspective: Three Greek and Coptic Versions from Ancient Monastic Egypt

The discovery of the Nag Hammadi Codices (NHC) in 1945 rates as one of the two most profound occurrences for Biblical archaeology and interpretation during the last hundred years, along with the Dead Sea Scrolls (1946–1956). The codices allow us to document Christian monastic culture, gnostic Christianity and gnostic offshoots in the desert climate of Late Ancient Egypt. The recovery of the related Codex Tchacos (CT) brought further excitement for contemporary readers by 2006, it being sensational that narratives of “Judas the betrayer” and “doubting Thomas” were found in the whole collection of writings. The text named the [First] Apocalypse of James, significantly, was found to be in both NHC and CT in different Coptic versions (from near the sacred sites of Chenoboskion and El Minya), but yet another more fragmentary version in Greek had turned up much earlier among the huge cache of papyri found at Oxyrhynchus (also, like the other places, on the banks of the Nile). Given the opportunity for comparison, what distinguishes the three versions? Does comparative analysis better tell us what this ancient text is about? Does the strong presence of Gnostic Christian insights in the Coptic texts still imply a historical Jamesian community is being honoured? This paper concentrates on three comparable passages in the three versions that apparently contain historical memories of James and his followers. It works on the reasonable hypothesis that the Greek version of Oxyrhynchus Papyri (P.Oxy. 5533) (hereafter = PO) is prior and read with different purposes than the two Coptic translated versions of CT (CT 2.10–30) and NHC (NHC V,3. 24–44). When a critical approach, involving a socio-linguistic comparison, is applied, we will see that the three versions of the text were not directly related to each other, but that narratives about James the Just were available to desert monastics from the second century CE. The paper argues for a literal transmission of traditions from a Jewish Christian community around James into Egypt, that the textual figure of James in the Oxyrhynchus fragments points to a ‘mutual familiarity’ between PO and CT, while the NHC tradition of James has been further elaborated by processes of compilation and addition.

Critical Edition and Philological Analysis of the Isa 53 Text Based on the Coptic Manuscript of sa 52 (M 568) and Other Coptic Manuscripts of the Sahidic Dialect and the Greek Text of the Septuagint

The article is a critical edition, translation, and philological analysis of the Isa 53 text, prepared on the basis of the Coptic manuscript of sa 52 and other available manuscripts, written in the Sahidic dialect. Its first part outlines general information about the section of codex sa 52 (M 568) that contains the analyzed text. This is followed by a list and brief description of other manuscripts that contain at least some verses from sa 53. The most important part of the article is the presentation of the Sahidic text and its translation into English. The differences identified between the Coptic translation and the Greek Septuagint were presented in a table. It includes, for example, additions and omissions in the Sahidic translation, lexical changes, and semantic differences. The final part of the article aims to clarify more challenging philological issues observed either in the Coptic text itself or in its relation to the Greek text of the LXX.

The Questions of Theodore. Part II

The article contains a translation of the second part of the Coptic text, composed in the genre of “erotapokrisis” (question-answer) and in the form of a dialogue between the Archbishop of the Coptic Church John III and a certain presbyter named Theodore (admittedly real historical characters). The Questions reveals a number of legends and interpretations based on the biblical text; some of them find analogies in Coptic as well as in early Christian literature in other languages and in Jewish interpretations, other ones probably should be considered unique. Distortions in biblical quotations suggest that the compiler often quotes them from memory. In addition, there are a number of quotations from the Alexandrian Physiologus, which confirms the popularity of this book in Egypt.

The Questions of Theodore. Part 1

The article contains a translation of the first part of the Coptic text, composed in the genre of “erotapokrisis” (question-answer) and in the form of a dialogue between the Archbishop of the Coptic Church John III and a certain presbyter named Theodore. Most of the sections are interpretations of individual sayings of the Old and New Testaments. The Questions reveals a number of legends and interpretations based on the biblical text; some of them find analogies in Coptic as well as in early Christian literature in other languages and in Jewish interpretations, other ones probably should be considered unique. The absence of typical pseudepigraphal details in the Coptic original suggests that both actors are real historical characters.

Texts, Manuscripts, Versions, Canon

Texts, Manuscripts, Versions, Canon Christopher T. Begg, Fred W. Guyette, Thomas Hieke, Richard A. Taylor, and William J. Urbrock 98. [The MBH Project] Élodie Attia and Léo Pascal, "The MBH Project and the Systematic Study of Late Medieval Hebrew Bibles: New Perspectives and 3D Experiments," The Hebrew Bible Manuscripts, 349-73 [see #894]. The authors present the MBH project, which involves first describing a limited corpus of Hebrew biblical manuscripts, all of which were produced in Ashkenaz up until 1300 and then, using improved quantitative approaches, seeking to better grasp and understand the materialization of the biblical text, i.e., the forms and functions of biblical manuscripts, their social and cultural meaning, and their Sitz im Leben, as well as to reassess the typology of medieval "Hebrew Bibles" by examining their different socio-cultural contexts of production. Their article also explores some 3D photogrametry experiments conducted at several libraries in France and discusses the benefit of photographing various Hebrew and Latin biblical codices in this way in order to improve our comprehension of manuscripts in the digital age. [Adapted from editors' preface, p. xii—C.T.B.] *99. [Deut 34:6] Hans Ausloos, "Deuteronomy 34:6: Moses' Burial in Text and Translation," HTS 77 (1, 2021) 1-5 [see Editor's Notes, p. 367]. Who buried Moses? In a recent article on the final chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, Serge Frolov argues for the traditional view: "God buried Moses." In his view, it [End Page 29] is clear that the narrator considers Yhwh "the only suitable antecedent of the sentence's masculine singular predicate." See Frolov, "The Death of Moses and the Fate of Source Criticism," JBL 133 (3, 2014) 648-60. But the MT allows for other grammatical possibilities. One such possibility is a passive form: "Moses was buried." Another grammatical possibility is an impersonal form: "Someone buried Moses." The LXX allows yet another possibility: "They buried Moses." For more on these questions, see Philip Yoo, "The Four Moses Death Accounts," JBL 131 (3, 2012) 423-41.—F.W.G. 100. [The LXX and DSS relationship exemplified by 2QDeuta Deut 1:7-9] Hans Ausloos, "How the Septuagint Can Shed New Light on the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Case of Deut 1,8 in 2QDeuta," Bibel und Patristik, 49-59 [see #917]. The manuscript cited in A.'s title is a tiny fragment containing portions of Deut 1:7-9 that was first published by M. Baillet in 1961. In his essay, A. focuses on two instances where the manuscript's readings (may) diverge from those of the MT Deut 1:8 with regard to person or number. The first of these concerns the manuscript's reading of the plural imperative rʾw for the singular imperative rʾh of the MT, while the second involves the divergence between MT's third person form nšbʿ ("and he [Yhwh] swore") and what might be reconstructed as the manuscript's first person singular form nšbʿty ("I [Yhwh] swore"). What makes these two cases of particular interest is the fact that both the manuscript's readings have a counterpart in those of SP and LXX Deut 1:8, a finding that suggests that their readings are not free "inventions" of their respective translators but rather drew on a Hebrew Vorlage of the sort attested by 2QDeuta.—C.T.B. 101. [The Coptic (Sahidic) Text of Isaiah 46–48] Tomasz Bartłomiej Bąk, "Critical Edition and Philological Analysis of the Text of Isa 46–48 on the Basis of the Coptic Manuscript sa 52 (M568) and Other Coptic Manuscripts in the Sahidic Dialect and the Greek Text of the Septuagint," BibAn 11 (4, 2021) 597-635. This article, a continuation of a series that began with Isaiah 40 (see OTA 44 [2021] #1838; 45 [2022] ##1027, 1028), provides a critical edition of the text of Isaiah 46–48 based on the Coptic manuscript sa 52 and other extant manuscripts in the Sahidic dialect. I first present general information on the fragment of the codex sa 52 (M 568) which includes the above three chapters...

The Coptic Particle hamoi 'Oh would that': Applying on a comparison between The Ancient Egyptian texts and Coptic texts

The Coptic Particle hamoi 'Oh would that': Applying on a comparison between The Ancient Egyptian texts and Coptic texts

Exegesis on the feast day of Archangel Michael ascribed to Macarius of Tkow (М. 592 f. 27v–37r). Translation from Coptic into Russian, comments and introduction

The Archangel Michael is the angel in charge of all the heavenly powers. He is mentioned by name only in the Book of Daniel (Old Testament), the Epistle of Jude (New Testament) and the Revelation written by John the Apostle (New Testament). The Archistratigus is highly revered in various Christian traditions. This article presents the first literary translation into Russian of a Coptic text known as ‘Exegesis on the feast day of Archangel Michael ascribed to Macarius of Tkow’. The Coptic text, published by G. Lafontaine with a Latin translation in 1979, was used for translation. The analysis of the ‘Exegesis’ in question is relevant from the point of view of Coptic peculiarities both in the veneration of the Archangel and in the construction of the sermon. All the more so because there is no serious reason to doubt the authenticity of the authorship. The Coptic tradition, through the translation of the ‘Exegesis’, offers opportunities for comparative studies of the image of the Archangel Michael.

What is the hyssop in Coptic texts? Linguistic study""

What is the hyssop in Coptic texts? Linguistic study""

Своеобразие двенадцати явлений архангела Михаила по коптскому преданию

The aim of this article is to analyze a passage from a Coptic text about Archangel Michael and the Penitent thief, which recounts the twelve days of the year associated with the archangel’s participation in certain events. The classification of his apparitions allows us to divide them into three groups: ones of the Old Testament, of the New Testament and non-biblical. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comparative analysis of the event described in the Coptic text and the account of it in the Bible or in Coptic sources. The notes from the Copto-Arab Synaxarium have been also studied in terms of the coincidence/incidence of information about Archangel Michael on the marked day. Such a study has not been carried out so far. As a result, it has been proven that, firstly, the author most freely transmitted the Old Testament plots making certain changes in them. Secondly, the days of remembrance according to the Coptic text under study did not become official and their local nature can be assumed. Finally, the author of this Coptic text did not mention such an important subject as the victory of Archangel Michael over Satan, which may be due to his rejection of the veracity of this story.

Review: The Rise of Coptic: Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity, by Jean-Luc Fournet

Review: <i>The Rise of Coptic: Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity</i>, by Jean-Luc Fournet

Guidelines for editing papyri

Text prepared at the request of the president of the AIP (August 2018) by a committee headed by Jean-Luc Fournet and made up of the following people: Rodney Ast, Amin Benaissa, Willy Clarysse, Hélène Cuvigny, Alain Delattre, Nick Gonis, Jürgen Hammerstaedt, Federico Morelli, Paul Schubert, Joanne Stolk, Katelijn Vandorpe. These guidelines were presented to the AIP General Assembly at the end of the XXXth International Congress of Papyrology (July 30, 2022). - 1. Editing Greek / Latin texts. - 2. Editing Demotic texts. - 3. Editing Coptic texts.

A New Witness to the Fayyūmic Version of First Corinthians (P.MorganLib. 265). Part II: Notes on its Text-Critical Value, with an Edition of the Coptic Text

AbstractThis is the second part of a two-part article focused on a fragmentary parchment codex, whose three extant leaves, designated in Leo Depuydt's catalogue as P.MorganLib. 265, are housed at the Morgan Library &amp; Museum in New York. These fragments bear witness to 1 Cor 2.12–3.18; 7.16–30; 15.3–30 in the ‘classical’ variety of Fayyūmic Coptic (dialect F5). The first part of this article was published in NTS 68 (2022) 89–104. In the second part, I discuss the witnesses to the Fayyūmic version (fa) of First Corinthians, the relationship between fa and the Bohairic version (bo), and the text-critical value of the variant readings attested in P.MorganLib. 265. This is followed by the editio princeps of the manuscript, notes on the Coptic text, an English translation and images.

Cruces Copticæ: sopra alcuni luoghi della versione copta del De anima et resurrectione di Gregorio di Nissa

The essay points out some loci in the surviving part of the Coptic translation of De anima et resurrectione, written in Greek by Gregory of Nyssa. It shows how the Coptic text can be useful not only for amending the Greek text but also for understanding better the underlying theology of the Alexandrian Church, which promoted the Coptic translation. In this way, a reading of Gregory’s fragment will be read for the first time using the Coptic version on its own terms and not merely as a translation of Ancient Greek.

Satanological Myth in the Coptic literature and its development

The article deals with the satanic myth, its Biblical genesis and further development in Judaism and early Christianity as well as its variants in Coptic literature. The myth is based on the story about the fall of the Supreme Angel and his subsequent transformation into an evil spirit. Two versions of the myth are known conventionally called “The proud man” and the “Envious man”. The first is the “legend of Lucifer” when Satan wished to become higher than God or equal to Him and was cast down. This legend goes back to the Biblical prophets as well as the pre-Christian exegesis. The second version describes how Satan was cast down for refusing to worship Adam. This legend is partly rooted in the book of Job and could have developed as a result of two coexisting, however, separate motives were found in the Jewish and early Christian exegesis. Both variants occur in great detail in various Coptic texts, including magical ones. The Biblical basis of the myth enlarged by various additions. Besides, there is also a version, which comprises details from both legends. The Satanological myth, like other apocryphal legends about angels and demons based upon the Biblical narrative in Coptic literature is developed in two ways: 1) personification of abstract concepts and properties, 2) allegorical interpretation of stories regarding Biblical characters as legends about angels or demons.

Coptic Papyri of the University History Museum of Perm State University

This article constitutes the editio princeps of the Coptic manuscripts from the private collection of Alexandr Palnikov (1857–1917), presently housed at the University History Museum of Perm State University. All these manuscripts are written on papyrus and can be dated to the second half of the first millennium C. E. The twenty-five fragments with Coptic text come from ten different manuscripts. Of those, two seem to be literary; the rest, documentary. The transcription of the Coptic text is accompanied by a Russian translation and a papyrological commentary.

A Critical Edition and Philological Analysis of the Text of Isa 46–48 on the Basis of the Coptic Manuscript sa 52 (M 568) and other Coptic Manuscripts in the Sahidic Dialect and the Greek Text of the Septuagint

The article constitutes a critical edition and a philological analysis of the text of Isa 46-48, based on the Coptic manuscript sa 52 and other available manuscripts in the Sahidic dialect. The first part provides general information on this fragment of the codex sa 52 (M 568), which includes the text being elaborated. This is followed by a list and a brief description of the remaining manuscripts, containing at least some verses from Isa 46-48. &#x0D; The most significant part of the article is the presentation of the Coptic text (in the Sahidic dialect) as well as its translation into English. The differences noted between the Sahidic text and the Greek Septuagint, on which the Coptic translation is based, are presented in a tabular form. It includes, i.a., additions and omissions in the Coptic translation, lexical changes and semantic differences. The last part of the article is devoted to more difficult philological issues, observed either in the Coptic text itself or in its relation to the Greek text LXX. Particularly noteworthy are those verses of Isa 46-48, which appear only in the manuscript sa 52.2 and have not been published anywhere so far.

Send Them to Me by This Little One: Child Letter-carriers in Coptic Texts from Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt

Send Them to Me by This Little One: Child Letter-carriers in Coptic Texts from Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt

A Coptic Magical Text for Virginity in Marriage: A Witness to “Celibate Marriage” from Christian Egypt

AbstractThe Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose (CA) owns a small but important collection of unpublished Coptic papyri and parchments. One notable papyrus preserves a unique text in which the practitioner invokes an unnamed female figure to help a woman protect her “purity,” “virginity,” and “marriage.” Although the specific context behind the text is not altogether clear and the appeal for virginity in marriage is curious and without parallel in other magical texts, one possibility is to see the text in light of the Christian practice of celibate marriage whereby a male and female entered into a non-sexual marriage.

Encomium on the Twenty-four Elders ascribed to Proclus of Cyzicus (М. 591 f. 1r–11v)

The 24 elders are the biblical image that is found only in the Book of Revelation of John the Apostle. They surround the throne of God and are endowed with certain attributes of glory. In the Ancient Church this image was interpreted in different ways. This article presents the first Russian literary translation of Coptic text signed as Encomium in honor of the 24 elders. The translation was carried out from the edition, which was published with the Italian translation in 1977 by Antonella Maresca. The author of Encomium is declared Proclus of Cyzicus, who later became the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, this is a pseudo-attribution, namely, this hierarch did not write this Encomium, and its real author remains unknown. The Italian translator divides the text into 33 paragraphs, and in the preface to Coptic edition highlights the four parts of Encomium. Two of them, dedicated to John Chrysostom and the exegetical interpretation of the first chapter of Genesis, seem to be interpolations. But after analyzing the entire narrative it is possible to say that these parts are embedded in the narrative. Also the features of the Coptic veneration of the 24 elders, which are reflected in Encomium, are discussed in the introduction to Russian translation. In particular, the bodiless nature of the 24 elders. Their unknown origin is emphasized several times in Encomium, the priestly role of these elders in the Kingdom of Heaven is also noted. It can be stated that the author of Encomium in the first two parts acts as a storyteller-historian of the Church, conveying information about John Chrysostom, and in the last two as an exegete. The image of 24 elders in Eastern traditions is a little studied topic and acquaintance with the Coptic tradition thanks to the translation of this Encomium opens up opportunities for comparative studies.