KYP T-127

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T127

Manuscript:	M528
Sigla:	P. CtYBR inv. 1792 qua
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	575 – 625

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-22
Type of text:	Healing/protection (magical, applied)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Amulet against venomous serpents (?)

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic (non-standard)
Script:	Coptic
Image:	https://hdl.handle.net/10079/digcoll/2759554

Text:

Translation:

Above, left:

1. ⲁⲗⲫⲁ
2. ⲗⲉⲱⲛ
3. ⲫⲱⲛⲏ
4. ⲁⲛⲏⲣ
5. ⲙ̣ⲟⲓⲱⲓ

Above, right:

6. ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏⲫⲱⲃⲏⲗ
7. ⲥⲓⲣⲓⲥⲛⲟⲣⲟⲙⲓⲛ

Above, lower left right:

8. ⲥⲁⲧⲱⲣ
9. ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲱ
10. ⲧⲏⲛⲏⲧ
11. ⲱⲧⲏⲣⲁ
12. ⲣⲱⲧⲁⲥ
13. ⲑ̣ϥ

Above, lower far right:

14. ⲙⲉ̣ⲗ/ⲭⲓⲱⲣ
15. ⲑⲁⲧⲧⲁⲥⲓⲁ
16. ϥⲁⲑⲓⲥⲱⲣⲁ

17. + ⲧⲁⲩϫⲡⲟ ⲛ̅ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲥⲟⲩϫⲟ̣ⲩⲧ ⲯⲓ̈ⲥ
18. ⲛ̅ⲭⲁⲓ̈ⲁϩⲕ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉⲁϥⲉ̣ⲓ̣ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ
19. ⲉϫⲙ̅ ⲡⲕⲁϩ ⲁϥⲉⲡⲓⲧⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲏϫⲁⲧⲧⲃⲉ̣
20. ⲛⲓⲙ ⲣⲉϥⲛⲉϫⲙⲁⲧⲟⲩ ⲡϩ̣ⲏⲃⲉⲥ
21. ⲛⲁⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲉⲣⲏ̣ⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕϣⲁ̣ϫ̣ⲉ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓ̈ⲥ
22. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲁϩⲓ̈ⲏ

Above, left:

[1] Alpha
[2] Leōn
[3] Phōnē
[4] Anēr
[5] Moiōi

Above, right:

[6] Tarkhēphōbēl
[7] Sirisnoromin

Above, lower left right:

[8] Satōr
[9] Aretō
[10] Tēnēt
[11] Ōtēra
[12] Rōtas
[13] Amen (?)

Above, lower far right:

[14] Melchior, [15] Thaddias [16] Balthasar

[17] + Christ was born on the twenty-ninth [18] of Khoiak, he came, having descended [19] upon the earth, and he rebuked [20] all venom-spitting reptiles. [21] Your word is the lamp of my feet, O Lord, [22] and it is the light of my way.

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

1. ⲁⲗⲫⲁ i.e. Greek ἄλφα
2. ⲗⲉⲱⲛ i.e. Greek λέων
3. ⲫⲱⲛⲏ i.e. Greek φωνή
4. ⲁⲛⲏⲣ i.e. Greek ἀνήρ
5. ⲙ̣ⲟⲓⲱⲓ : ⲗⲟⲓⲱⲓ Parássoglou, Brashear, Meyer/Smith
13. ⲑ̣ϥ : ⲟϥ Parássoglou, Meyer/Smith : Peterson does not note
14. ⲙⲉⲗ/ⲭⲓⲱⲣ : ⲙⲁⲭⲓⲙⲟ Petersen : ⲙⲁⲭⲓⲱⲟ Parássoglou
15. ⲑⲁⲧⲧⲁⲥⲓⲁ : ⲧⲁⲧⲧⲁϥⲁ Petersen | ⲧⲑⲁⲧⲧⲁϥⲁ Parássoglou : or ⲧⲑⲁⲧⲧⲁⲅⲓⲁ Brashear
16. ϥⲁⲑⲓⲥⲱⲣⲁ corrected from ϥⲁⲑⲓⲥⲓ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ̣ by overwriting : ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲥⲙⲓⲣⲁ Petersen | ϥⲁⲑⲓⲥⲙⲓⲣⲁ Parássoglou : ϥⲁⲑⲓⲥ[[ⲓ̣]]ⲱ̣ⲓ̣[[ⲣⲁ]] Brashear
17. ⲧⲁⲩϫⲡⲟ : ⲧⲁϥϫⲡⲟ Petersen
18. ⲛ̅ⲭⲁⲓ̈ⲁϩⲕ : ⲛ̅ⲭⲁⲓⲱϩⲕ Petersen, Parássoglou | ⲉⲁϥⲁ̣ⲉ̣ⲓ̣ : ⲉⲁϥϩ̣ⲉ̣ Petersen : ⲉⲁϥⲁ̣ϩ̣ Parássoglou
19. ⲁϥⲉⲡⲓⲧⲓⲙⲉ i.e. Greek ἐπιτιμᾷν | ⲛⲏϫⲁⲧⲧⲃⲉ̣ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ϫⲁⲧϥⲉ : ⲛⲏϫⲁⲧⲃ[ⲉ] Petersen
20. ⲣⲉϥⲛⲉϫⲙⲁⲧⲟⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲣⲉϥ-ⲛⲉϫ-ⲙⲁⲧⲟⲩ
21. ⲛⲁⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲉⲣⲏ̣ⲧⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ-ⲛⲁ-ⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ
22. ⲧⲁϩⲓ̈ⲏ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲧⲁ-ϩⲓⲏ

Notes:

1-14. Each of the sequences (ll. 1-5, 6-7, 8-13, 14-16) has a circle drawn around it.
1-4. ⲁⲗⲫⲁ ⲗⲉⲱⲛ ⲫⲱⲛⲏ ⲁⲛⲏⲣ This is the Alpha-Leon sequence, associated with the names of the Four Living Creatures which bear the throne of God; see Dosoo (2022) 523.
6-7. 6. ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏⲫⲱⲃⲏⲗ ⲥⲓⲣⲓⲥⲛⲟⲣⲟⲙⲓⲛ̣ These words are very mysterious; we might parse ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏ as ⲧ-άρχή (“the beginning”), perhaps referencing a passage such as Mark 1.1: “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God” (ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲙⲡⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲏⲥ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ), Genesis 1.1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (ϩⲛ ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲙⲓⲟ ⲛⲧⲡⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲕⲁϩ). Alternatively, it might be possible to read here two (or even four) angel names, each of which originally ended in -(ⲓ)ⲏⲗ, here miscopied as -ⲏⲗ and -ⲓⲛ: ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏⲫⲱⲃⲏⲗ and ⲥⲓⲣⲓⲥⲛⲟⲣⲟⲙⲓⲛ, or ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲓⲏⲗ, ⲫⲱⲃⲓⲏⲗ, ⲥⲓⲣⲓⲥⲓⲏⲗ, and ⲟⲣⲟⲙⲓⲏⲗ. Petersen reads (only in Latin transliteration) as Arche, Phobel, (Osiris), Myr… Parássoglou divides the two lines, giving ⲧⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲫⲱⲃⲏⲗ, ⲥⲓⲣⲓⲥ ⲛⲟⲣⲟⲙⲓⲛ. Meyer/Smith follow Parássoglou, giving “Tarche” above “Siris”, and “Phobel” above “Noromin”. Brashear (1983, 297 n. 1) notes a number of similar names from magical texts, but notes that there are “no convincing parallels”.
8-12. ⲥⲁⲧⲱⲣ ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲱ ⲧⲏⲛⲏⲧ ⲱⲧⲏⲣⲁ ⲣⲱⲧⲁⲥ This is the Sator-sequence, a series of words which form a palindrome which can be read forwards, backwards, up and down when placed in a square; cf. Dosoo/Preininger (2023) 485-486.
13. ⲑ̣ϥ Perhaps understand a strange writing of ϥⲑ, which has the isopsephistic value of 99, and thus represents the word “amen” (ⲁⲙⲏⲛ), which has the same value; cf. Blumell (2012) 47.
14-16. ⲙⲉⲗ/ⲭⲓⲱⲣ ⲧ̣ⲑⲁⲧⲧⲁⲥⲓⲁ ϥⲁⲑⲓⲥⲱⲣⲁ These are the names of the three Magi (often called the “wise men” or “kings”) mentioned but not named Matthew 2.1-12, written phonetically as Melkhiōr, Tthattasia, and Fathisōra. For a discussion of the forms, see Brashear (1983). The name transcribed here as ⲑⲁⲧⲧⲁⲥⲓⲁ is uncertain; it is probably a form of the ⲑⲁⲇⲇⲁⲥⲓⲁ noted by Brashear (1983, p. 300) as being found in a tenth-century fresco of the Nativity from Khartoum. The horizontal crossbar of the initial theta seems to have been written twice, or given a decorative second stroke, giving the impression of an initial tau on a low-quality image.
17. ⲥⲟⲩϫⲟ̣ⲩⲧ ⲯⲓ̈ⲥ ⲛ̅ⲭⲁⲓ̈ⲁϩⲕ The 29th of Khoiak is the traditional date of the birth of Christ in the Egyptian church, that is, Christmas, corresponding to 25 December of the Julian calendar and 7 January of the now-predominant Gregorian calendar.
20-22. ⲡϩⲏⲃⲉⲥ ⲛⲁⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲉⲣⲏ̣ⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕϣⲁ̣ϫ̣ⲉ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓ̈ⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲁϩⲓ̈ⲏ Cf. Psalm LXX 118.105: “Your word is the light of my feet and the light of my paths” (ⲡϩⲏⲃⲥ ⲛⲛⲁⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲕϣⲁϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲛⲁϩⲓⲟⲟⲩⲉ).

Bibliography:

Bélanger Sarrazin, Roxanne. “Les appels au « Jésus guérisseur » dans les formules iatromagiques coptes”, in Études coptes XVI. Dix-huitième journée d’études (Bruxelles, 22-24 juin 2017) (Cahiers de la bibiothèque copte 23), edited by Anne Boud’hors, Esther Garel, Catherine Louis and Naïm Vanthieghem. Paris: Éditions de Boccard, 2020, p. 196.

Blumell, Lincoln. Lettered Christians. Christians, Letters, and Late Antique Oxyrhynchus. Leiden: Brill, 2012.

Brashear, William M. “The Coptic Three Wise Men.” Chronique d’Égypte 58 (1983): 297-310.

Chapa, Juan. “Su demoni e angeli: il Salmo 90 nel suo contesto.” In I papiri letterari cristiani: atti del convegno internazionale di studi in memoria di Mario Naldini, Firenze, 10-11 Giugno 2010, edited by Guido Bastianini and Angelo Casanova, 59-90. Florence: Instituto Papirologico “G. Vitelli,” 2011, p. 86, no. 20.

Dosoo, Korshi. “A Coptic Magical Christmas”, on the Coptic Magical Papyri: Vernacular Religion in Late Roman and Early Islamic Egypt blog, 17 January 2019, online at https://www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/2019/01/07/a-coptic-magical-christmas/

Dosoo, Korshi. “Suffering Doe and Sleeping Serpent: Animals in Christian Magical Texts from Late Roman and Early Islamic Egypt”, in Korshi Dosoo and Jean-Charles Coulon (eds.), Magikon Zōon: Animal et magie dans l’Antiquité et au Moyen Âge | Animal and Magic from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. Paris-Orléans: Institut de recherche et d’histoire des textes, 2022, 495-544, especially p. 508 n. 55.

Dosoo, Korshi, and Markéta Preininger. Papyri Copticae Magicae. Coptic Magical Texts, Volume 1: Formularies, Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete – Beihefte. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023.

Maccoull, Leslie S. B. “Coptic Papyri in the Beinecke Collection at Yale University.” In Proceedings of the XIV International Congress of Papyrologists, Oxford, 24-31 July 1974. Graeco-Roman Memoirs, vol. 61. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1975, p. 219.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 101-102, no. 55.

Parássoglou, George M. “A Christian Amulet against Snakebite.” Studia Papyrologica no. 13 (1974): 107–110 (transcription and translation).

Petersen, Theodore C. A Collection of Papyri. New York: H.P. Kraus, 1964, p. 40-42, no. 54.

Editor:

EL’s transcript from Parássoglou (1974: p. 109) (5/2/19); edited from photography by KD (14/6/2024); KD + SG (4/2/2025)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo, Edward O.D. Love & Markéta Preininger (chief editors). "KYP T127: Amulet against venomous serpents (?)," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-127. Accessed on 25/04/2025

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