Coptic Studies

The aim of this paper is to show how the collection of
Coptic fabrics “Ramon Soler Vilabella” of Montserrat
Museum was formed. This fact is associated with Albert
Gayet archaeological campaigns of the early twentieth
century. The importance of these campaigns and the textile
collection formed, lies in all written documentation
that allowed us to give a context and a rough chronology,
both as training materials thereof.

Background: This thesis aims to show that the narratives of the Nag Hammadi Apocalypse of Paul and First Apocalypse of James are written for a Valentinian audience. The purpose is to broaden the field of research on Valentinianism by showing how the authors and their implied readers composed and perceived the texts in question.

Method: Comparing the mythological language of the two narratives and their description of a hero’s journey in a transcendent reality it is possible to disentangle the Valentinian material from the imaginative world of the reader, a world consisted of ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology as well as Jewish apocalypticism and early Christian legends and traditions. The texts are also compared with new research in the field, other related Valentinian scriptures, the New Testament, and Christian Apocrypha.

Results: The texts are pseudepigraphic and written within a Jewish apocalyptic genre sometime during the late second or early third century. The symbolism and the diverse metaphors of the narratives indicate that the texts incorporate a specific soteriological message through embedded Valentinian mythology. The implied reader is to understand that the material world is an illusion and that the purpose of the initiate is to awaken the mind and acquire knowledge about the truth. By doing so the redemption of the believer’s spirit from its human body and soul leads to the reunion of the spirit with God.

Conclusion: The analysis of the texts points toward the fact that the narratives could very well have been used for catechetical or other educational purposes within a Valentinian community. The language and form of the two narratives fit to serve this purpose. In many ways, the reader has to be initiated within a Valentinian context in order to grasp the intended message.

The article offers a reflection on the first part of the saying 52 of the Gospel of Thomas. The disciples state that 24 prophets spoke ‘in’ Jesus. What does it mean? A number of scholars felt that the context of the saying suggests that the prophets spoke ‘about’ Jesus and thus translated the phrase as ‘all of them spoke of you.’ However, none of these scholars offered any explanation for such an interpretation. The author’s suggestion is that the Coptic expression used in saying 52 renders ἐν σοί of the Greek Vorlage. The Coptic translator found in the Greek text an expression λαλεῖν ἔν τινι. The preposition ἐν in this expression had an unusual meaning ‘about’, specific to the translation Greek. The Coptic translator did not understand the meaning of the phrase and rendered ἐν with its usual Coptic equivalent.

Trotz zahlreicher und fundierter Einblicke in die Gattung und den theologischen
Inhalt der Nag-Hammadi-Apokalypse des Paulus (NHC V,2) bleibt die genaue
Valenz des Textes umstritten: Ist der Text valentinianisch, wie oft behauptet, oder
nicht, und was bedeutet die Antwort für unser Verständnis der gnostischen Apokalypsen im Allgemeinen? Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über das Problem und belegt, dass der Nachweis für eine valentinianische Herkunft des Textes problematisch ist. Vor allem ist es unwahrscheinlich, dass die berühmten valentinianischen Lehrer des 2. Jahrhunderts Bedarf an Pseudonymität gehabt hätten. Ganz im Gegenteil zeigt die Beleglage für die Beziehung zwischen Gruppendefinition und Pseudonymität, dass die bekannten valentinianischen Lehrer ihre Autorität durch ihre kirchlichen Institutionen und hohe Ausbildung begründeten – im Unterschied zu den namenlosen Autoren der pseudonymen Apokalypsen und der sogenannten „sethianischen“ Literatur. Hier erscheint die Möglichkeit, dass die Nag-Hammadi-Apokalypse des Paulus eher ein späterer Text wäre, geschrieben nach der Blüte des Valentinianismus, in einer Zeit, als die valentinianische Theologie eine Art Geheimwissen unabhängig von irgendeiner Schule geworden war.

All of the extant authentic sayings and teachings of Yeshua remembered in the earliest oral Jesus traditions and collections compiled by his Jewish disciples A.D. 30-50 before they were rendered into Greek, misunderstood, and Christianized in the later Gospels.
• Translated in terms of the original Hebrew/Aramaic vocabulary and idioms used by Yeshua
• Interpreted in the context of Second Temple messianic haggadah,  midrash, Merkabah, prophetic, and wisdom traditions
• Organized and presented as a coherent body of exquisite spiritual teaching that was lost and forgotten in Christianity.

I am including in this Addendum several points in my notes to the text which were omitted from the final publication because of the semi-popular nature of the book Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. In presenting these notes, I would like once again to acknowledge Prof. Helmut Satzinger's exemplary editio princeps of the text (JARCE 12 [1975] 37-50 with Pl. XIII).

Seven years, and a bibliography of over 100 pages: that is what Detlev Koepke invested in researching the gospel of Thomas.
Over 600 carefully worded pages disclose in great detail his intricate study and findings on Jesus in the gospel of Thomas as well as in the New Testament, and Q.
Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist and James are discussed in a separate chapter each, and we are presented with a full translation from Coptic, and a commentary on the gospel of Thomas.

The second half of this book focuses on the New Testament and history of Christianity: its historical background, Josephus, Paul, the Roman Empire and Christian persecution are some of the highlights.
Detlev Koepke passed away in 2015, leaving behind a truly majestic piece of work on the gospel of Thomas, its relation to Christianity, and the historical Jesus. A most complete work on the combination of these topics.

Detlev Koepke was fluent in 4 languages, and learned ancient Greek and Coptic specifically for and during his research. Most of his research was conducted utilising Harvard Divinity School library as well as his own extensive personal library: "no stone has been left unturned".

2021 edition, republished with permission from his son, David Koepke

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Includes Discussion content (92 pages) - see https://www.academia.edu/57161277/Publication_List_and_Discussion_Content_access

A discussion of how G.R.S. Mead shaped 20th-century Anglophone discourse about Gnosticism decades prior to the Nag Hammadi discovery, through his interpretation of the Askew and Bruce Codices, and his popularization of the work of Berlin Coptologist Carl Schmidt. Thanks in part to Mead, the reception-history of the Askew and Bruce Codices goes straight through histories of esotericism, occultism, and magic in the twentieth century.

The history of contemporary Egypt is most starkly marked by two revolutions: the army revolution in 1952 and the populist revolution in 2011. Throughout the nearly two thousand years of Christianity in Egypt, the ecclesiastical hierarchy and the Coptic people have often been subject to forces of discrimination and persecution by both Christian and non-Christian governments. Modern history is no exception. Copts are, however, much more than an oppressed Christian minority. As this volume illustrates, they are inheritors and preservers of an ancient civilization, builders of a modern nation, and defenders of Christian orthodoxy. The popes of this era—Pope Yusab II (1946–56), Pope Kyrillos VI (1959–71), and Pope Shenouda III (1971–2012)—played a significant role in recent Coptic history, as have the activities and faith of the Coptic people, the modernization of Egypt, the rapid expansion of the Coptic Diaspora, and the spread of globalization and ecumenism.

This chapter seeks to describe and analyze the flow of crucial events in Coptic history from Pope Yusab’s election in 1946 up to the present day, noting especially the internal and external challenges in the 1950s, relief and progress in the 1960s, relations between church and state under Pope Shenouda III, the achievements made despite hardships over the last four decades, and the role of the Copts in the 2011 revolution. Within this historical context, certain topics are addressed including the problematic personal status law, the evolution of Ethiopian–Coptic relations, ecumenical progress in and outside Egypt, and the development of the Coptic world and Coptic media. Other topics germane to this era, such as spirituality, monasticism, liturgical and linguistic revivalism, theological developments, music, and art, are covered in their respective chapters.

In many countries with a strong Orthodox Christian presence there are tensions between Evangelicals and Orthodox Christians. These tensions are rooted in many theological, ecclesiological, and epistemological differences. In practice, one of the crucial causes of tension comes down to different practical understandings of what a Christian disciple looks like. This paper examines key aspects of discipleship as expressed in revival movements in Orthodox Churches Egypt, India and Ethiopia which are connected to the challenges presented by the huge expansion of Evangelical Protestant mission from the nineteenth century. Key aspects will be evaluated in comparison with aspects that are understood to characterize disciples in Evangelical expressions, including: differing understandings of the sacraments and their place in the life of a disciple; ways in which different traditions engage with the Bible and related literary works; contrasting outlooks on discipleship as an individual and a community way of life; and differing understanding of spiritual disciplines.

In der Zeit zwischen den Ayyūbiden und den Osmanen erlebten Ägypten, Syrien und einige Gebieten im Raum des Mittelmeers und Jemen die Herrschaft der Mamlūken oder die Dynastie der herrschenden Sklaven (mamlūk arab. für leibeigen). Dabei wurde die islamische Welt heftig durch die Kreuzzüge und den Terror der Mongolen heimgesucht. Das hinterließ Spuren hinsichtlich der Identität bei den Muslimen allgemein und den Nicht-Muslimen, wie die Kopten. Im Mittelalter wurde in der islamischen Welt die Identität durch die Gemeinschaft geprägt. Die Identität des Individuums wurde durch seinen Stellenwert innerhalb der Gemeinschaft bestimmt. Nach Durkheim wurde die Gemeinschaft die Kernidee der Identität im Mittelalter. 1 Eine umstrittene Frage unter Mediävisten und Soziologen hinsichtlich des Begriffs der " Moderne " , ist der Fall der Identität der Kopten im 1 Van Bekkum und Cobb 2004: 2.

This new series provides a forum for exchange on a myriad of alternative histories of marginalized communities and individuals in the Near and Middle East and Mediterranean, and those of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean heritage. It will highlight thematic issues relating to various native peoples and their narratives and – with particular contemporary relevance – explore encounters with the notion of ‘other’ within various societies. Often moving beyond the conventional state-centred and dominant monolithic approach, or reinterpreting previously accepted stories, books in the series examine and explain themes from inter-communal relations, environment, health and society, and will explore ethnic, communal, racial, linguistic and religious developments that go beyond geopolitical compositions.

Building on the foundations of scholarship within an interdisciplinary framework, this series spans the continuum of Near Eastern and Mediterranean traditions extending from the fourth millennium B.C. to the present – bridging previous fields which originally had little connection with each other. The aim is to enhance perspectives by applying various methodological approaches to dilemmas that have in the past been treated as the exclusive concern of a single given discipline.

Key Features

Creates a forum for marginalized and/or indigenous communities to engage with the ‘accepted past and present’ and to challenge previously accepted truths
Opens a dialogue for alternative intellectual histories/narratives
The first series to focus on indigenous and minoritized related narratives from the understudied and often marginal perspective
Covers cultural, linguistic, ethnic, gendered, political, numerical and economic communities in the Near and Middle East, the Mediterranean and its extended environs
Engages with all periods of history from the ancient world to the present day, especially in terms of continuity of culture, cultural heritage and heritage preservation
Communities studied may include Alawites, Alevis, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Copts, Druze, Jews, Mandaens, Maronites, Palestinians, Pontian/ Anatolian Greeks, Samaritans, Shabbaks, Yezidis and Zoroastrians among others

PLEASE TYPE SAIS TO OPEN THE PDF

The 2200+ selected references, constituting the core of the literature, are organised according to an elaborate classification for immediate identification of subject matter (The book may be ordered from http://saisbooks.co.uk) :

000 - General and Introductory
          001 - Sign lists and dictionaries
          002 - Introductory publications and general syntheses
          003 - Literature
          004 - Cartouches
005 - Proto-Egyptian [Palaeography]
          006 - Sign lists
          007 - Inscriptions
                      0071 - Seals
                      0072 - Pottery inscriptions [not sealed]
010 - Old Egyptian [Old Kingdom]
          011 - Old Egyptian Signs and Dictionaries
          012 - Old Egyptian Grammars
          013 - Old Egyptian Texts
020 - Middle Egyptian [Middle Kingdom]
          021 - Middle Egyptian Signs and Dictionaries
          022 - Middle Egyptian Grammars
          023 - Middle Egyptian Texts
030 - Late Egyptian [New Kingdom]
          031 - Late Egyptian Signs and Dictionaries
          032 - Late Egyptian Grammars
          033 - Late Egyptian Texts
050 - Ptolemaic
          051 - Ptolemaic Signs and Dictionaries
          052 - Ptolemaic Grammars
          053 - Ptolemaic Texts
060 - Coptic
          041 - Coptic Signs and Dictionaries
          042 - Coptic Grammars
          043 - Coptic Texts
          044 - Coptic and Ancient Egyptian

-------------- Parallel scripts

070 - Hieratic [since Dyn 1 or earlier]
          071 - Hieratic Signs and Dictionaries
          072 - Hieratic Grammars
          073 - Hieratic Texts
                      0731 - Early Hieratic texts
                      0732 - Middle Hieratic texts
                      0733 - New Kingdom Hieratic texts
                      0733 - Later Hieratic texts
080 - Demotic
          081 - Demotic Signs and Dictionaries
          082 - Demotic Grammars
          083 - Demotic Texts
                      0831 - Early Demotic texts
                      0832 - Middle Demotic texts
                      0833 - Late (Roman) Demotic texts

----Cross periods by genre and all types of supports (papyrus, leather, wood, etc..) ----

090 - Poetic texts (all periods and genre)
          091 - Songs
          092 - Music
100 - Philosophical texts (Teachings, morals, etc...)
          101 - Scientific (general and not belonging to below)
          102 - Astronomical & Astrological
          103 - Botanical & Agricultural
          104 - Medical
          105 - Historical and self laudatory/propaganda
                      1051 - Scarabs
110 - Legal & Administrative
                      1101 - Ostraca (general)
          111 - Taxation
          112 - Marriage
          113 - Birth & Death
          114 - Land tenure and acts of property
          115 - Trade and export/imports
          116 - Mummy labels and equivalent
          117 - Titles
120 - Religious
          121 - Daily Ritual
          122 - Votive inscriptions
          123 - Pyramid Texts
          124 - Coffin/Sarcophagus Texts
          125 - Book of Coming Forth (Book of the Dead) and related
          126 - Passage to the Netherworld
                      1261 - Shawabtis
          127 - Cryptic texts
          128 - Hymns and prayers
          129 - Magical texts
130 - Specific subjects (cross periods, including lexicography, onomastics)
          131 - Verb
          132 - Noun
          133 - Adjective
          134 - Other specific grammatical forms
          135 - Vocalization

[Only an extract of this article is given here; for the full version consult "Revue de l’histoire des religions" or contact the author]

La créativité des pratiques rituelles des traditions magiques gréco-égyptienne et chrétienne se présente de façon constante et paradoxale comme étant fondée sur une connaissance ancienne et éternelle, transmise de la sphère divine au domaine humain, soit de façon temporelle par une série de « figures de mémoire », soit au travers d'une distance ontologique, par révélation divine directe. Cette étude explore les tensions et les contradictions de ces deux sources de « tradition » à travers deux études de cas, la « liturgie mithriaque » et la « Prière de Marie à Bartos » : ces deux textes rituels se présentent comme l'héritage d'un passé ancien, implicitement plus divin, et promettent aussi un accès direct au divin dans le présent.
The creativity of the ritual practices found in the Graeco-Egyptian magical tradition, and its Christian successor, consistently and paradoxically represents itself as being based in an ancient and eternal knowledge, transmitted from the divine sphere to the human realm either temporally-through a series of "figures of memory" or across an ontological distance-by direct divine revelation. This study explores the tensions and contradictions in these two sources of "tradition" through two case studies, the so-called 'Mithras Liturgy' and the 'Prayer of Mary in Bartos', two ritual texts which at once represent themselves as the heritage of an ancient, and implicitly more divine, past, and promise direct access to the divine in the present.

Abstract: The zabbalin are famous and this celebrity needs to be taken into account in the analysis of this community of garbage collectors and recyclers. This articles presents the different imaginaries developed around those neighborhoods and the ways in which the garbage collectors themselves appropriated locally those discourses. The outsiders' representations are either extremely negative or, on the contrary, they romanticize this community. For this reason, the place of living of the zabbalin could be described as a sort of heterotopia, as those imaginaries tell us more about those who formulate them than on the garbage collectors themselves.

On 22 April 2017, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press) in NY held a special event to celebrate the release of His Grace Bishop Suriel’s book, Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness. Bishop Suriel’s 890-page PhD dissertation (Fordham University, NY, 2014) formed the basis of the 296-page book on the life and legacy of the influential reformer Habib Girgis who was canonized by the Coptic Church’s Holy Synod on 20 June 2013.
    As such, the publication of this book marks a major success for the field of Coptic Studies at large and the broader recognition of the beloved reformer. The book also includes an extensive collection of rare photographs and documents from the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchal Archives in Cairo. In the words of Bishop Suriel, Habib Girgis helped Egyptians “to give meaning to their own struggles… to look within to understand their lives and to think of what lay beyond.”

Is God involved? Why do bad things happen to good people? What is up to us? These questions were explored in Mediterranean antiquity with reference to ‘providence’ ( pronoia). In Did God Care? Dylan Burns offers the first comprehensive survey of providence in ancient philosophy that brings together the most important Greek, Latin, Coptic, and Syriac sources, from Plato to Plotinus and the Gnostics.

Burns demonstrates how the philosophical problems encompassed by providence transformed in the first centuries CE, yielding influential notions about divine care, evil, creation, omniscience, fate, and free will that remain with us today. These transformations were not independent developments of ‘Pagan philosophy’ and ‘Christian theology,’ but include fruits of mutually influential engagement between Hellenic and Christian philosophers.