Home › Spine › TM 82913
One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 82913

Letter of praise and prayer to Bishop Pesynthios of Koptos TM 82913Memnoneia - Djeme (Thebes west)VII

The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 2 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →

A Coptic letter from a self-described humble writer to a revered bishop, almost certainly Pesynthios of Koptos, full of elaborate praise comparing him to Elijah and Elisha and calling him a shepherd and pillar of light. The writer prays for the bishop's healing and hopes to see him again before his own approaching death. It dates to the 7th century and comes from the Theban west bank (Djeme).

In English machine translation

[…] ... papyrus (?). First, indeed, before I speak, I, the most humble, prostrate myself, I bow down, I worship the footstool of the feet of your holy godliness, my father, greeting your greeting thirteen times daily with my whole heart and my whole soul, the great bishop of the whole country, the great Elijah the Tishbite and Apa Elisha, the spirit-bearer, your holy disciple. You are the great shepherd who brings back the sheep that have been scattered into the fold of the rational (sheep), the holy one. You are the pillar of light that rises over the whole inhabited world. You are our glory and our crown and our boast. My humility entreats Christ on your behalf, for he is the physician of the sick, the bishop of souls, the helper of the needy, the protector who heals every sickness and every disease, that he may grant you healing and rest, and that the Lord may make me worthy to see you again soon, for the time of my release has drawn near. Farewell in the Lord.

The first line is lost, so the sender's name and the opening of the address do not survive. The phrase 'the time of my release' probably refers to the writer's death; 'thirteen times' renders a likely restoration of a damaged numeral.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as A letter to Pesynthios of Koptos). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

DDbDP-text Full record →

apf.70.183

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text

[… 1 line lost …] ⲙⲉⲓϭⲛ χάρτης ϣⲟⲣⲡ μέν ⲙⲡⲁϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲛἐλάχιστος ϯπροσκυνεῖν ϯⲡⲁϩⲧ ϯⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ ⲙⲡὑποπόδιον ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲙⲛⲧⲙⲁⲓⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲓϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲕϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛϣⲟⲙⲛⲧ ⲛⲥⲟⲡ ⲙⲙⲏⲛⲉ ϩⲙ ⲡⲁϩⲏⲧ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲁψυχή ⲧⲏⲣⲥ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲛἐπίσκοπος ⲛⲧⲉχώρα ⲧⲏⲣⲥ ⲡⲛⲟϭ ⲛϩⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ ⲡⲉΘεσβίτης ⲙⲛ ⲁⲡⲁ ϩⲉⲗⲉⲥⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉπνευματ…