[[The following preliminary study by a Princeton grad student who
has also been doing some work with me seems an appropriate candidate
for tapping the wealth of electronically accessible knowledge on selected
discussion lists. Pardon the length, and any duplication. Your suggestions
will be most welcome to her! Bob Kraft, UPenn]]
[[Posted to MEDTEXTL, Medieval-Religion, ELENCHUS, Hagiography, PAPY,
and Tito Orlandi's Coptic group]]
I have recently been working with 3 unpublished, uncatalogued
parchment fragments of a Sahidic Coptic, liturgical(?) codex from
the collection at Princeton University. I am looking both for
help with identifying what it may be and for bibliographic suggestions.
Below I describe the fragments, explain the way in which I have
sequenced them and then provide a rough translation. If you have
any comments on this material please contact me privately, in
addition to any discussion that might seem appropriate to any
particular discussion list.
Thank you,
Kirsti Copeland (who reserves copyright on the following)
[log in to unmask]
---
The three fragments (roughly 6in X 6in preserved) have consistent
handwriting and it seems clear that they are the main portions of
three leaves from the same codex. A single column spans each
page with 28-31 characters per line and 22-26 lines preserved per
page. The text is written in a slightly slanted book hand,
consistent with the ninth century. The ink is predominately
brown. All three leaves contain sections clearly separated by a
broken horizontal line which is drawn in a reddish brown paint.
The first letter of each section is large and semi-decorative.
High dots, the only form of punctuation, are in the same reddish
paint as are the bars over abbreviations of nomina sacra. There
are also traces of yellow paint highlighting the red. There is
considerable curling and possible signs of burning. The top and
bottom margins are never preserved, nor is the inside margin. Up
to an inch of the outside margin is preserved in some instances.
Of particular note are the small marginal numbers accompanying
the sections. They run consecutively from TMB (342) to TMH (348)
with 343 and 344, as well as anything prior to 342, no longer
visible because of damage to the inner margin. For codicological
reasons (namely: wear patterns, flesh presumably on adjacent pages,
and the marginal numbers) I have ordered the pieces in such a way
that the first leaf (unfortunately containing no numbering on
either side) shows its hair side with two sections and then its
flesh side with three sections, with a possible connection in
subject matter of the bottom section of the hair side with the
top section of the flesh side. The second leaf has three or
possibly four sections on its flesh side and then two visible
sections on its hair side. The first section on the hair side is
numbered TMB (342), the second is presumably 343. 343 must
continue on the hair side of the third leaf, and that leaf's
second section must have once been numbered 344. The flesh side
of this final piece shows traces of a decorative heading, possibly
in a different hand, and then contains 5 sections, the first 4
of which are numbered TME (345), TM digamma (346), TMZ (347) and
TMH (348). The fifth section, of which fewer than 7 letters are
preserved, must surely have been numbered 349.
Because there is only room for two sections between TMB (342) and
TME (345), we must assume that the bottom of the hair side of page
two and the top of the hair side of page three are part of the same
section and thus we can be certain that no entire section has
been lost between 342 and 348. This, combined with the decorative
heading of the flesh page of leaf 3, may imply that the height of
the writing area may not have been much larger than what we have now
and that the pages may have been nearly square, a format of the
parchment codex known fairly early in its history.
In the following translation, I have tried to follow the same
format as the text itself. I have also noted some biblical
references, although they often do not match the vocabularly used
in the standard available Sahidic New Testament. I have decided
not to post the transcription, but anyone who wishes it may contact
me. I have tried to split words which I have reconstructed to give
a fair idea of how much of the word is actually in the text. I have
not included lines from the upper and lower parts of pages when they
are missing or illegible.
LEAF 1 - HAIR
{{traces of 1 line}}
[....They di]vided his garments (Mt 27:35)[........]
[...a sp]ear into his side (Jn 19:34). He did[..]..[.....]
[...].....blood of the.....er.. [.................This is]
the cup of the new covenant. Those who [drink...]
from it(m, the cup), they will bequeathe their sins to him[..]
--------------------------------------------------------------
The one who brought himself onto the [cross]
according to the will of his father who is holy w[ill become]
the evening sacrifice. You become go[d. They]
seized you, carrying you off so that you scatter yourself ....[...]
You ascended onto the cross until you redeemed from [their]
sins. The one who feeds all flesh, they prepare themselves[..]
for his food. He gave manna to them, they ate [it.]
He nourished them in the desert. Go[d...]
everyone one in his very own hands. They [n-]
ailed him onto the cross according to the words of [the]
prophets. He cried out, saying [.........]
, "they nailed through? my feet...[they cast l-]
ots for my garment (Mt 27:35). They took..[...]
{{echoes of Mt 27:51 can be heard in the next two lines}}
The earth [shook]and it trembled. The sun d[arkened]
its light (Mt 27:45). The veil of the templ[e was torn]
while everyone watched; they were [........]
.........., "Truly, this is the s[on..... ](Mt 27:54)
They cried out, saying, "Ho[sana in ..]
[the highest (Mk 11.10)]... Blessed is the (m)[....]
[.....................]holy[....................]
LEAF 1-FLESH
{{traces of 2 lines}}
[...........]cross. That he went before...[.....]
[.........]...which is holy ---------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
[...]...the honor of the wood of the cross. This wood
[...]. immortality. They hung the king of glory
[.......]the lord who is over everyone. The blessed one
[...f]orever. They hung him on the cross. He gave his
[....]...God's place for us. He revealed his power to
[us] after he died. It was because he was immortal
[e]ternally that he gave life to everyone. He des-
[tr]oyed Satan. He took death prisoner.
[We wor]ship his holy cross. We believe
[in his] resurrection.---------------------------------
[..]of the cross, this hidden, ineffable myst-
[ery] of him. For the sake of the cross, they found him. Every-
[o]ne who takes pride in the cross of tr-
[u]th, he has permission to speak from them in front of the
[Lo]rd Jesus. He who comes upon the cross on account of our
[sin?], he tasted death for us through the stre-
[tching out]of his hands. He purified th[i]s world of
[.......]...the cross. It was through his persistence....[...]
[..............] our sins to us.
-------------------------------------------------------
[..........]............The one who loosens?...[.....]
[...........].....in front of th[e] Christ. He [broug]ht.[.....]
[.......................]through the cross[..................]
LEAF 2- FLESH
{{traces of 1 line}}
[..................]...........gifts of the king
[.............]he destroyed the gi[fts?]. He accepted the
[............D]am[a]scus that a god is..........
--------------------------------------------------------
{{This section follows Mt 2:7-12 fairly closely,
although vv. 9-10 are highly altered}}
Herod called the wise men. He inquired
[from] them their proclamation of the star which they saw
[i]t in the east. He sent them to Bethlehem
[they] went to seek after the small child. When you (pl)
[find] him, tell me. This is my greeting to him. Wh-
[en] it (m) went by its (m) agency, the star went ahead of them.
[..].they found the savior Jesus. They bowed, worshipping him,
[they] opened their treasures. They brought their gifts:
[to] him: gold, frankincense, myrrh, oil of my-
[r]rh, cassia. They were warned to not retur-
[n] themselves to Herod. Through other ways, they with-
[dr]ew to their country---------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
[The wise]men of the east saw the star in the Eas-
[t]. They understood at once that it was the power of the Lord.
[They w]alked after the star. They [came to ] Bethlehem.
[They found] the savior Jesus. He[..]ing. [He ate] it. They saw
[the vir]gin dwelling i[n his] presence.
[...........] ox and a donkey were shelter[ing.....the L]ord.
[They worshi]pped the savior. They gave.[......T]hey bent down
[..................].in the resurrection which sav[es...........]..
{{traces of 2 lines}}
LEAF 2-HAIR
{{traces of 2 lines}}
which is hidden in the separation? that they[.............]
....which is hidden in its (f) midst. You (f) did[.........]
[..]...a scepter/diadem of the king and a crown of[......]
in the hand of their lord. So that?, the one (f) whic[h....]
itself (f) to Jerusalem. This holy city[.......]
great king. The one (f-city) which this virgin (m) saw?[....ci-]
ty of refuge into it. He spoke to the [......]
honor: Since that city needs . [........]
sun. But the flame of the moon does not shine[.....]
The righteous sun, that which(m) is situated in its (f) mi[dst,]
shines on it (f) which is the Christ. Blessed (pl) is
everyone who lives in this city. The one upon [this th-]
rone will guard it (m). Oh, Blessed is Mar[ia]
the virgin because the king of the angels did.....[....]
........ Beseech him, O, the pr[i]d[e]
of our nation (genos).......................[...............]
our sins ..............-------------------------------------
{{TMB in the left margin}}
------------------------------------------------------------
Hail Mary, [.......theVi]rgin
Hai[l.......]...... which she arose[........]
Hai[l.......].......which I lived[............]
Hai[l the thro]ne which I sat on [it......]
Hai[l.......]...... which she arose[........]
[Hail.......].......which I[lived...............]
[Hail the throne which I] s[at on it.....]
LEAF 3-HAIR
[prophe]ts and [the patriar]chs and the apos-
[t]les, and all of those who are holy.
[.........]..... to her my virgin mother
[....].....us forever in my kingdom---
-------------------------------------------------------------
[........]Mary the queen, the mother of the king of life,
[.....]...the things of heaven. The joy of those who are on the earth
[......].It was the sun that rose. It was the moon which did...[..]
[...hy]mns of joy? a harp? of singing of
[.....]......The......of the apostles
[who wear the?] crown of the martyrs. The joy of the
[....]...all of them. Mary my virgin mother
[....].Do (fs) not be disturbed (Lk 2:10, Gk), nor groan....
[...]came up to me. Mary my virgin mother
[...]...the one(m) in the southern store houses. I commanded
[...] him. He will not .........to come up to me
[...]to the gates[..........]I opened them. Co-
[me?]into paradis[e......]him in front of the
[..................] And...[.............]..a great...
[..................] And they[.........the b]ook of life (Rev 2.7,etc.)
{{Traces of 5 lines}}
LEAF 3- FLESH
{{decorative title, perhaps in a different hand}}
.......................[.....].......the mother of god
---------------------------------------------------------
C]ome (pl) all of you today bring near your [sacri-]
fice. Those who receive light with the light[.....]
REAS (name?) who is holy so that we glorify the (f) v[irgin]
in a great merriment. We utter [........]
saying it with Gabriel, the archangel,
"Hail, favored one (f), the lord is with you." (Lk 1:28, Gk)
{{TME in left margin}}
---------------------------------------------------------
For every eye of every man they will..[....]
...the mystery of God, that he was
in their stomach. For God is a fire which
burns. And he did not burn their body. X
{{TM digamma in left margin}}
---------------------------------------------------------
Gabriel, this good angel, you came to us
today you................ the (f) virgin, the jo-
y of this entire world. It was through him that you (f) heard,
"Hail, the [one (f) who has] found favor." X
{{TMZ in left margin}}
---------------------------------------------------------
David the might[y .......who is] holy. He being the
root for the sake of[ .................].Zion.[......]
being at ease.[................................]. That this
place of d[welling....................].forever. X
{{TMH in left margin}}
---------------------------------------------------------
{{Traces of 3 lines}}
//end//
--
Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
[log in to unmask]
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
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