KYP T-2795

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T2795

Manuscript:	M18
Sigla:	P. Mich. Inv. 602
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	6
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	501 – 700

Text position:	Ro ll. 37-42
Type of text:	Healing pain (magical, formulary)

Original title:	ⲛⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩⲁ ⲉ̅ϥ̅ⲕⲟⲗ̅ϩ ⲛ̅ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲓ̅ⲙ̅
Original title (translated):	For one who has throbbing pain all the time
Conventional title:	For healing throbbing pain

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic (non-standard)
Script:	Coptic
Image:	http://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/apis/x-4638/602r_neg.tif

Text:

Translation:

↓
37. [preceding text] ⲛⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩⲁ
38. ⲉ̅ϥ̅ⲕⲟⲗ̅ϩ ⲛ̅ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲓ̅ⲙ̅ ϫ̣ⲓ ⲛϩⲉ̅ⲛ̅ⲕⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲣⲁⲕⲱ̅ⲧ̅ⲉ̅ ⲙⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲥⲧⲣⲟⲃⲟⲗⲟ̣ⲥ ⲙⲛ̅ ϩⲉ̣ⲛ̅ⲡⲓⲡⲓ-
39. ⲣ̅ⲓ̅ ⲧⲣⲓⲃⲉ ⲙⲙⲟ̅ⲩ̅ ⲙⲛ ⲛ̅ⲉ̣ⲩⲏⲣⲏ̣ⲟ̣ⲩ̣ ⲧⲁⲩ̣ⲉ ⲡ̣ⲓⲗ̣ⲟⲅⲟⲥ ⲁϫⲱⲟ̅ⲩ̣̅ ⲙⲙ̣̅ⲏ̣̅ⲧ̣ ⲛ-
40. ⲥⲟ̅ⲡ̅ ϯ ⲛⲁϥ̅ ⲉϥ̅ⲟ ⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲏⲥⲧⲓⲕⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ϥⲛⲁ̅ⲗⲟ ⲁⲣⲙ̅ⲁ̅ ⲣⲱⲏ̅ⲗ ⲃ̅ⲱ̅ⲭⲥⲟ̣ⲣ̣ⲟⲭⲭ̣ⲭ̣ⲟⲭ̣ⲭ
41. ⲃⲁⲛ̅ⲁⲑⲱⲣ̅ⲥⲱⲏ̅ⲗ ⲙⲁⲣⲉ̅ⲡⲕⲱ̅ⲗϩ ⲙⲫⲏ̅ⲧ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲫⲏⲡⲁ̅ⲣ̅ ⲇ̣ⲇ̣ ⲕⲁ̅ⲧⲁⲥⲧⲓⲗⲉ
42. ⲕⲉⲭⲝⲝ [following text]

[37] For one [38] who has throbbing pain all the time. Take some Alexandrian figs and some pinecones and some pepper. [39] Grind them with one another. Recite the formula over them ten [40] times. Give to him while he is fasting and he will heal.

“Arma Rōēl Bōkhsorokhkhkhokhkh [41] Banathōrsōēl, may the throbbing pain in the heart and the liver of NN stop, Kekhxx!”

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

38. ⲕⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲕⲛⲧⲉ | ⲥⲧⲣⲟⲃⲟⲗⲟ̣ⲥ i.e. Greek στρόβιλος
38-39. ⲡⲓⲡⲓⲣⲓ i.e. Greek πέπερι
39. ⲧⲣⲓⲃⲉ i.e. Greek τρίβειν | ⲗ̣ⲟⲅⲟⲥ i.e. Greek λόγος
40. ⲛ̅ⲏⲥⲧⲓⲕⲟⲥ i.e. Greek νηστικῶς
41. ⲙⲁⲣⲉ ⲁ corrected from ⲙ by overwriting | ⲫⲏ̅ⲡ̅ⲁⲣ i.e. Greek ἧπαρ | ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲥⲧⲓⲗⲉ i.e. Greek καταστέλλειν

Notes:

Parallel text: P. Mich. inv. 597 vo ll. 9-15, P. Mich. inv. 595 ro ll. 1-2 (KYP M15, T2803)

38. ⲕⲱⲗϩ The literal meaning of ⲕⲱⲗϩ is “to knock” (Crum CD 106b), often used in the context of someone “knocking at a door”. For a discussion of the sense of the word in a medical context, see Grons 2025, p. 62. It seems to refer to a pain which may be recurrent, and can be felt either in an individual body part, or in the whole body; the use of “knock” suggests a recurrent, throbbing pain, comparable to the sense of “ache” in English.
38. ⲕⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲣⲁⲕⲱ̅ⲧ̅ⲉ̅ Both sycamore and common figs (Ficus sycomorus and Ficus carica) were cultivated in Egypt (cf. Malleson 2020: p. 141). As there is a more specific word for the fruit of the sycamore-tree (ⲉⲗⲕⲱ; cf. CD 54b), ⲕⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲉ here may be the common fig. In the Demotic magical papyrus of London and Leiden, a recipe for gout uses Alexandrian figs (PDM XIV/GEMF 16 990: qntꜣe Rꜥ-qt), and another for a foot (probably again for gout) uses sycamore figs (PDM XIV/GEMF 16 1024: ꜣlqw), suggesting these to be two different fruits.

Bibliography:

Grons, Anne. Medizinische Rezepttexte in koptischer Sprache (C.Pharm.Copt.). Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete – Beiheft 56. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2025.

Malleson, Claire. 2020. “Flora of Ancient Egypt”, in The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology, edited by I. Shaw and E. Bloxam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 125-150.

Editor:

KD, MPS, RBS, SVS (23/7/2026)

How to cite:

[Editor names]. "KYP T2795: For healing throbbing pain," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, Korshi Dosoo, Markéta Preininger, & Roxanne Bélanger Sarrazin (principal editors), www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-2795. Accessed on 08/10/2026
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