One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 86712

Letter from a widowed mother to her son Enoch TM 86712Theben (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 on an ostracon from a widowed mother to her beloved son Enoch, reproaching him for not coming to visit again and swearing by Almighty God that she has known great grief since their father died. It comes from the Theban area and dates to the first half of the 7th century AD.

In English machine translation

[recto] I, Rachel (?), the widow, your mother, who writes and greets my beloved son Enoch. Why is it that you did not wish to come again? And you have caused people too to [...] against my sons (?) the whole day of my life. I swear by God the Almighty that since the moment our father died I have not taken grief (?) such as [...] until now. Enoch my son, he said, 'Until you [...]' Especially (?) stay, the [...] of your [...] [...] him, place of [...] [...] place of [...] [...] place [...] [verso] [... 7 lines lost ...]

The mother's name is written ⲧⲁⲭⲏⲗ, probably a form of Rachel. Several phrases are obscure, and the end of the recto and the entire verso are lost.

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.179

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

[r] ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲧⲁⲭⲏⲗ ⲧⲉχήρα ⲧⲉⲕⲙⲁⲩ ⲉⲧⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲉⲧϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲁⲙⲉⲣⲓⲧ ⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲉⲛⲱⲭ ⲉⲡⲏ ⲛⲧⲉⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲟⲩ ⲙⲛⲡϣⲁ ⲉϥⲉⲉⲓ ⲟⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲕⲧⲣⲉⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ϩⲱⲙ ⲉϫⲛ ⲛⲁϣⲣⲏⲩ ⲛⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲧⲏⲣϥ ⲛⲡⲁⲱⲛϩ ϯⲱⲣⲕ ⲛⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ παντοκράρτωρ ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲧⲁⲡⲟⲩⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲓϫⲓ ⲧⲉχολήχολή ϣⲁϯ ⲙⲛⲧⲁⲉⲛⲱⲭ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ϫⲉ ϣⲁⲉⲕⲧⲁϫ μάλιστα ϭⲱ ⲧⲡϣⲏ ⲛⲡⲉⲕ[…] ⲥⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ …

HGV-meta Full record →

Letter

Papyri.info — HGV (Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis) — metadata · Accession no. 12.180.49 + 12.180.77 · 1. Hälfte VII · Theben (Ägypten)