KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS search icon
MANUSCRIPTS
TEXTS
ARCHIVES
HELP


KYPRIANOS M361

Sigla: question mark icon Modern names for the manuscript, including inventory and publication numbers.

British Library MS Or 5899 (1)
P. Lond. Copt. 1007

Category: question mark icon Classification of the contents, e.g. magical (formulary or applied), alchemical, liturgical, documentary or medical.

Magical (formulary)
Contents:

Original use:

1. Ro. ll 1-16: Healing spell.
2. Vo ll. 1-12: Invocation to bring grace and favour.

Re-use:

3. Ro. ll x+1-10: Arabic accounts, written over palimpsest/faded text 1 (of recto).
See all texts in this manuscript.

Language(s):

Egyptian (Coptic)
Script(s):

Coptic
Dialect:

Sahidic (non-standard)
Language/dialect notes:

See related texts for further notes. Cf. Bélanger Sarrazing (2017: p. 398), who lists as Sahidic.
Date: question mark icon Dates are CE unless preceded by a minus sign <->, in which case they are BCE. 901 – 1000
Date notes:

641-1000 in TM (20/9/2018), but a date before the 10th century is unlikely based on the use of paper.
Archive/collection: question mark icon Larger collection to which manuscript belongs.
Archive name:
State of edition:

Published (not fully). New edition required.
Image:

Form:

Sheet
Material:

Paper
Dimensions (cm): Height: 15.1 Width: 10.7 Depth:
Dimensions (notes):

Maximum dimensions (EL from autopsy on 19/12/2019); 6 x 4.25 inches (Crum 1905: p. 417)
Folding pattern:

6 (?) horizontal creases (EL from autopsy on 19/12/2019)
State of preservation:

Fragmentary, roughly rectangular, but one end maximum 10.7 cm, the other maximum 6.4 cm. Palimpsest and faded text. (EL from autopsy on 19/12/2019)
Pages/Columns: question mark icon Total surviving columns in the manuscript for rolls, sheets and rotuli; total number of pages for codices.

2
Pages/Columns (notes):

1 column each, recto and verso. 16 surviving lines recto. 12 surviving lines verso.
Hand:

Recto and verso hands are different

Findspot:

Egypt

(TM places ID: 49)
Place of purchase: (TM places ID: )
Writingspot:

Egypt

(TM places ID: 49)
Present Location:

London, British Library
Collection History:

Purchased from W. J. Myers (Crum 1905: p. 417). Acquired by the British Library in 1901 (EL from British Library Catalogue on 19/12/2019)
Trismegistos collection: question mark icon Page on the database Trismegistos collections for the institution which currently houses the manuscript. 192
Collection website:

Notes/Discussion:

BL reference list stated Or.5899(1) is framed with MS Or 5899 (2); (7); (8); (9); (10); (11); (12), according to Catalogue, so order Or.5899(2) at the British Library (EL 17/12/2019)
Actually framed as “GSA3” with MS Or 5655; 5899 (3); 5899 (4), (5) & (6) (EL from autopsy on 19/12/2019)

There is no 5899(2) (BL 19/12/2019) only frame “GSA3” with 5899, and MS Or 5899 (1); (3); (4); (5); (6); (7) with 5655 and MS Or 5899 (7); (9) with 4832 (EL 19/12/2019)

“Miscellaneous fragments on papyrus | Coptic” (List of Oriental Manuscripts 1890-1908, Or. 4047-6947: p. 212)

Bibiliography
Editions:

Crum, Walter E. Catalogue of the Coptic Manuscripts in the British Museum. London: British Museum, 1905, p. 417-418, no. 1007.
Translations:

Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Übersetzungen und Anmerkungen. Vol. 2. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931, p. 123, no. 38.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 103-104, no. 57.
General:

Department of Oriental P.B. and Mss. (British Library), List of Oriental Manuscripts 1890-1908, Or. 4047-6947, p. 212.

Trismegistos ID:

98051

 PAThs:
PGM: question mark icon Papyri Gracae Magicae SM: question mark icon Supplementum Magicum GEMF: question mark icon Greek and Egyptian Magical Formularies (forthcoming) ACM: question mark icon Ancient Christian Magic

57
Bélanger Sarrazin: question mark icon Bélanger-Sarrazin. “Catalogue des textes magiques coptes”

204205

 AKZ: question mark icon Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte

2.38

 CBd: question mark icon Campbell-Bonner Magical Gems Database Mert.-Pack: question mark icon Mertens-Pack online database
Van H: question mark icon van Haelst, Catalogue des papyrus littéraires

98051

 Bruyn-Dijkstra: question mark icon de Bruyn and Dijkstra, “Greek Amulets and Formularies (Checklist)" TheDefix: question mark icon Thesaurus Defixionum To Zodion:
Edit History:

EL (20/9/18; 19/12/2019); MPS (11/9/2019); KD (10/12/2019); EL (2/9/2020); KD (6/10/2021); KD (15/5/2023)

How to cite:
Korshi Dosoo & Markéta Preininger (principal editors). "KYP M361," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/manuscript/kyp-m361. Accessed on 21/11/2025

Found a mistake? Let us know!