One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 86638

Letter from Joseph to the anchorite Apa Isak asking for prayers TM 86638Theben (Ägypten)1. Hälfte 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 Joseph to the anchorite Apa Isak, whom he calls father, asking for his prayers and saying he will come north to pay his respects if God allows. He is reassured when Isak calls him 'son' or 'servant' rather than 'father'. It comes from the Theban monastic milieu of the first half of the 7th century AD.

In English machine translation

Be so kind and pray [for me in the lifting up] of your holy hands, [that God may] me, so that I may do his will […] For indeed every place that […] […] I your servant […] And again, if God grants me the means […] to him, and he shows mercy to my household, I will […] [Because] of you, you wrote to me, 'Father' […] not; my heart was troubled. But if you [write] to me 'my son' or 'my servant', my heart is at rest. For I am yours […] come north until the feast (?) […] If God grants me the means, and your prayers reach me, I will come north and do obeisance to your lordship. I […] many are the things that are upon me. Be so kind as to pray for me, that God [may grant] me the means to keep them. Otherwise I am in great need. Farewell in the Lord. [Address:] Give it to my beloved father and God-serving lord, worthy of all honour, Apa Isak the anchorite, from Joseph your son and most humble servant, the sinner.

The passage about being addressed as 'father' is damaged, so its exact sense is uncertain. The letter comes from the Monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter). 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 →

o.mon.epiph.105

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

ⲣ ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲩⲉ ⲛⲅϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉϫⲱⲓ ϩⲙ ⲡϥⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛⲛⲉⲕϭⲓϫ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲁ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲧⲁⲣ ⲡⲉϥⲟⲩⲱϣ […] καί γάρ ⲉⲓⲙⲙⲁ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲧ[…] ⲧⲟⲗⲏ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉⲕϩⲙϩⲁⲗ …[…] ⲁⲩⲱ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲣϣⲁⲛⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϯ ⲑⲉ …[…] ⲛⲁϥ ⲛϥⲣ ⲟⲩⲛⲁ ⲛⲏⲙⲏⲉⲓ ⲉⲓⲛⲁ[…] ⲉⲧ ⲃⲏⲧⲕ ⲁⲕⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲉⲓⲱⲧ […] ⲁⲛ ⲁⲡⲁϩⲏⲧ ϩⲓⲥⲉ ἀλλά ⲉⲕϣⲁⲛⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲉ ἤ ⲡⲁϩⲙϩⲁⲗ ϣⲁⲣⲉⲡⲁ…

HGV-meta Full record →

Letter

Papyri.info — HGV (Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis) — metadata · Accession no. 12.180.150 · 1. Hälfte VII · Theben (Ägypten)