KYP T-2803

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T2803

Manuscript:	M15
Sigla:	P. Mich. Inv. 599 + 594 + 603 + 596 + 598 + 597 + 595
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	43
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	501 – 700

Text position:	p. 14 (P. Mich. Inv. 597 vo) ll. 9–15, p. 15 (P. Mich. Inv. 595 ro) l. 1-2
Type of text:	Healing pain (magical, formulary)

Original title:	ⲧ̅ⲃ̅ⲉ ⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲁ̅ ⲉϥⲕⲱⲗϩ ⲛ̅ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲓ̅ⲙ̅
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-2616/599r.tif & http://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/apis/x-2616/599v.tif

Text:

Translation:

p. 14 (P. Mich. Inv. 597 vo)
↓
9. ⲧ̅ⲃ̅ⲉ ⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲁ̅ ⲉϥⲕⲱⲗϩ ⲛ̅ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲓ̅ⲙ̅ ϫ̅ⲓ ⲛϩ̅ⲉ̅ⲛⲕⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲛⲧⲉ ⲣ-
10. ⲁⲕⲟⲧⲉ ⲙⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲥⲧⲣⲟⲃⲓⲣⲁ ⲙ̅ⲛ ϩⲉⲛⲡⲉⲡⲉ̅ⲣ̅ⲓ̅
11. ⲧⲣⲓⲃⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲩⲉⲣⲏⲟⲩ ⲧⲁⲩⲉ ⲡⲓⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ ⲁϫⲱⲟ⧹ⲩ⧸
12. ⲙⲙⲏⲧ ⲛⲥ︦ⲟ︦ⲡ︦ ϯ ⲛⲁϥ ⲉϥⲟ ⲛⲛⲏⲥⲧ̅ⲓ̅ⲕ̅ⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ϥⲛⲁⲗⲟ
13. ⲁⲣⲙ̅ⲁ̅ ⲣⲱ̅ⲏⲗ ⲃⲱ̅ⲭ̅ • ⲥⲟⲣⲟⲭ̅ⲭ̅ⲟ̅ⲭ ⲃⲁⲛ̅ⲁ̣̅ⲑ̅ⲱ̅ⲣ̅ⲥ̅ⲱ̅ⲏ̅ⲗ̅
14. ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲕⲱϩⲗ̅ ϩⲙ ⲡ̅ϩ̅ⲏ̅ⲧ̅ ⲙⲛ ⲫⲏ̅ⲡ̅ⲁⲣ ⲇͅⲇͅ ⲕ-
15. ⲁⲧⲁⲥⲧ̅ⲓ̅ⲗ̅ⲉ ⲕ⟦.⟧ⲉⲭⲝ̅ⲝ̅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲃⲉ̅ ⲟ︦ⲩⲟⲩⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅ ⲙⲡⲟⲛⲏⲣ⧹ⲟⲛ⧸

p. 15 (P. Mich. Inv. 595 ro)

↓
ⲇ
1. ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲕⲱⲗϩ ⲙ︦ⲡϩⲏⲧ ⲙ̅ⲛ̅ ⲫⲏⲡⲁⲣ ⲇͅⲇͅ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲥⲧⲓⲗⲉ ⲕ̅ⲉ̅ⲭ̅-
2. ⲝ̅ⲝ̅ [following text]

[p. 14, l. 9] For one who has throbbing pain all the time. Take some Alexandrian figs [10] and some pinecones and some pepper. [11] Grind them with one another. Recite the formula over them [12] ten times. Give to him while he is fasting and he will heal.

“Arma Rōēl Bōkh Osorokhkhokhkh Banathōrsōēl, may the throbbing pain in the heart and the liver of NN [15] stop, Kekhxx!”

{For an evil spirit}

[p. 15, ll. 1-2] {may the throbbing pain in the heart and the liver of NN stop, Kekhxx!”}

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

9. ⲉϥⲕⲱⲗϩ ⲗ corrected from unfinished ϩ by overwriting | ⲕⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲛⲧⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲕⲛⲧⲉ
10. ⲥⲧⲣⲟⲃⲓⲣⲁ ⲣ corrected from ⲁ by overwriting i.e. Greek στρόβιλος | ⲡⲉⲡⲉ̅ⲣ̅ⲓ̅ i.e. Greek πέπερι
11. ⲧⲣⲓⲃⲉ i.e. Greek τρίβειν | ⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ i.e. Greek λόγος
12. ⲛⲏⲥⲧⲓ̅ⲕ̅ⲟ̅ⲥ i.e. Greek νηστικῶς
14. ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲕⲱϩⲗ̅ ⲡ corrected from ⲕ by overwriting | ⲫⲏ̅ⲡ̅ⲁⲣ i.e. Greek ἧπαρ | ⲇͅⲇͅ l. ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) i.e. Greek δεῖνα δεῖνa
14-15. ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲥⲧ̅ⲓ̅ⲗ̅ⲉ i.e. Greek καταστέλλειν
15. ⟦.⟧ erased by washing | ⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅ i.e. Greek πν(εῦμ)α | ⲡⲟⲛⲏⲣ⧹ⲟⲛ⧸ i.e. Greek πονηρόν

p. 15 (P. Mich. Inv. 595 ro)

1. ⲫⲏ̅ⲡ̅ⲁⲣ i.e. Greek ἧπαρ | ⲇͅⲇͅ l. ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) i.e. Greek δεῖνα δεῖνa | ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲥⲧⲓⲗⲉ i.e. Greek καταστέλλειν

Notes:

p. 14

9. ⲧ̅ⲃ̅ⲉ This spelling seems to arise from a correction in the previous text, where the scribe inverted ⲅ ⲛⲧⲃⲉ to ⲛⲅ ⲧ̅ⲃ̅ⲉ leaving only the ⲧ̅ⲃ̅ⲉ for ⲛⲧⲃⲉ (for Sahidic ⲉⲧⲃⲉ).
9. 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.
9-10. ⲕⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲛⲧⲉ ⲣⲁⲕⲟⲧⲉ 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.
15. ⲛ̅ⲧⲃⲉ̅ ⲟ︦ⲩⲟⲩⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅ ⲙⲡⲟⲛⲏⲣ⧹ⲟⲛ⧸ This is the beginning of the following text (KYP T2804), but since the scribe re-wrote part of this text on the next page as counter-catchwords (see note below), we include it here. The ⲟⲩ of ⲟⲩⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅ seems to be repeated because the scribe jumped over a break in the papyrus, implying that the damage was already there when he copied the text.

p. 15

1-2. ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲕⲱⲗϩ ⲙ︦ⲡϩⲏⲧ ⲙ̅ⲛ̅ ⲫⲏⲡⲁⲣ ⲇͅⲇͅ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲥⲧⲓⲗⲉ ⲕ̅ⲉ̅ⲭ̅ⲝ̅ⲝ̅ Here and elsewhere the scribe uses “counter-catchwords” at the beginning of new pages, repeating the last words of the previous page so that the reading order is clear. For a discussion of this practice in the context of earlier Greek magic, see Blanco Cesteros 2024.

Bibliography:

Blanco Cesteros, Miriam. “‘Counter-Catchwords’ in the Codices of the Theban Magical Library.” Symbolae Osloenses, 98.1 (2024): 189-215.

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 (23/7/2026)

How to cite:

[Editor names]. "KYP T2803: 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-2803. Accessed on 08/10/2026
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