KYP T-350

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T350

Manuscript:	M176
Sigla:	PCM 1 1 PCM I 1 P. Kell. Copt. 35 P. Kellis V 35 Excavation no. P88 + P77B + P79 + P92.49
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	351 – 390

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-22
Type of text:	Separation spell (curse, magical, formulary)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Separation spell

Language:	Greek Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Lycopolitan (L*)
Script:	Coptic Greek
Image:

Text:

Translation:

→
1. Ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε τὸν̣ ἐπὶ ἀρχῆς
2. ὄντα τὸν καθήμενον ἐπάνω
3. χερουβὶν καὶ σαρουφὶν ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩⲁⲣⲉⲧϥ
4. ⲁϫ̣ⲛ̅ ⲙ̅ⲙⲓϣⲉ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲛ̅ϯⲧⲱⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩⲱ-
5. ϫ[ⲡ] ⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲧⲏⲟⲩ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧϥⲛⲁϭ ⲛ̅ⲉⲝⲟⲩⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̅-
6. ⲑ[ⲉ ⲉ]ⲧ̣ⲁⲕⲣ̅ ⲡⲕⲁϩ̣ ⲛ̅ⲕⲏⲙⲉ ⲛ̣ϫⲁⲓ̈ⲥ ⲁⲕⲛⲟⲩ-
7. [ϫⲉ] ⲛ̅ϩⲛϯⲧⲱⲛ ⲁϫⲛ̅ ⲛ̅ⲭⲁⲗⲇⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲱ-
8. [ⲧⲛ] ⲡ̣ⲉϯⲧⲉⲟⲩⲟ ⲛ̅ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲛ ⲁϫⲱⲧⲛ̅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲟ-
9. . . ⲓ̣̈ⲣ ⲉⲧϫⲡⲟ ⲉⲧⲕⲏⲙ ‧ ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲛⲓⲙ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ
10. ⲣⲉ ⲛ̣ⲛⲓⲙ ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲟⲩϩⲏⲧ ⲕⲙⲁⲙ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲛⲟⲩ-
11. ⲉⲣⲏ̣ⲟⲩ ‧̇ ⲡϩⲁⲥⲃ̣̅ ⲛ̣̅ⲡⲓⲛⲉ̣ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲣⲁⲃⲓⲁ ⲛ̅-
12. ⲑⲉ ⲉⲧⲕ̅ⲛⲁⲓ̈ⲱⲉ ⲛ̅ϩⲛⲟ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲁⲃⲁⲗ ⲉⲕⲁ-
13. ⲓ̈ⲱⲉ ⲙ̅ⲡⲟⲩⲱϣⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲧⲱⲟⲩ ϣⲁ ⲛⲟⲩ-
14. ⲉⲣⲏⲟⲩ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲡϫⲱϥ ⲙ̅ⲡϣⲗⲧⲉⲙ
15. ⲉⲕⲁϯ ⲡϫⲱϥ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲡⲣⲱⲭ̣ϩ ⲁⲡⲟⲩϩⲏⲧ
16. ϣⲁ ⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲟⲩ ⲡⲏⲓ̈ ⲉϯⲛⲁⲕⲁⲕ ⲛ̅ϩⲏ-
17. ⲧϥ ⲙ̅ⲡⲣ̅ⲉⲓ ⲁⲃⲁⲗ ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧϥ ⲉⲙⲡⲕ̅-
18. ⲧⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲛⲟⲩⲥ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲙⲓϣⲉ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲟⲩϯ-
19. ⲧⲱⲛ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲟⲩϭⲉⲣⲁⲩⲛⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲇͅ
20. ἣ̣ν̣ ⲇͅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥ ⲇͅ ὃν ⲇͅ ⲉⲕⲁ̣ⲧⲉⲟⲩ-
21. ⲟ ⲛⲓϣⲉϫⲉ ⲁϫⲱ̣ⲟⲩ
22. ⲁϥϫⲱⲕ

[1] “I invoke you, who have existed from the beginning, [2] who sit over [3] cherubim and seraphim, who stand [4] over the conflicts and the strifes, who shut up [5] the winds through your great authority; [6] just as you made the land of Egypt lord, and you cast [7] strifes upon the Chaldaeans. It is you (pl.) [8] upon whom I pronounce these names, O [9] … that give birth (?), that are black, may NN son [10] of NN, may their heart become black with one [11] another! O natron in the likeness (?) of Arabia, [12] just as you will wash away all things, may you [13] wash ⟨away⟩ their desire that they have for one [14] another! And you (s.), O scorching of the mustard, [15] may you put scorching and burning in their hearts [16] towards one another! The house in which I shall place you, [17] do not leave it before you have [18] awoken a conflict and a [19] strife and a thunderbolt with NN, [20] daughter of NN, she ⟨and⟩ NN, son of NN!”
You should pronounce [21] these words over them. [22] It is finished.

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

2. ὄντα : ο ντα Pap : + ὄντα Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock : ὄντα Gardner/Alcock/Funk
3. ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩⲁⲣⲉⲧϥ : ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩ⟨ⲉ⟩ ⲁⲣⲉⲧϥ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock
4-5. ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩⲱ|ϫ[ⲡ] i.e. Sahidic ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϩⲱϫⲡ : ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩⲱ|ϫ[ⲛ] Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock and Gardner/Alcock/Funk
5. ⲧϥⲛⲁϭ i.e. Sahidic ⲧⲉϥⲛⲟϭ | ⲉⲝⲟⲩⲥⲓⲁ i.e. Greek ἐξουσία
7. ⲭⲁⲗⲇⲁⲓⲟⲥ i.e. Greek Χαλδαῖος
8. ⲡ̣ⲉϯⲧⲉⲟⲩⲟ i.e. Sahidic ⲡ(ⲉ)-ⲉⲧ-ϯ-ⲧⲁⲟⲩⲟ
10. ⲣⲉ ⲛ̣ⲛⲓⲙ : [ⲣⲉ ⲛ]ⲛⲓⲙ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock
11. ⲡϩⲁⲥⲃ i.e. Sahidic ϩⲟⲥⲙ | ⲛ̣̅ⲡⲓⲛⲟ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ-ⲡ-ⲉⲓⲛⲉ (?) : i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̄-ⲡⲉⲓ-ⲛⲁⲩ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock and Shisha-Halevy : i.e. Greek πίνος, πιναρός, less likely πίνη/πινάριον or πίνινος (λίθος) “dirt”, “dirty”, “pearl”, less likely “pearl” or “mother of pearl” Gardner/Alcock/Funk
13. ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲧⲱⲟⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲉⲧ-ⲟⲩ-ⲧⲱ (?) : ⲉⲧⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲧⲱⲟⲩ or ⲉⲧⲁ̣ⲣ̣ⲧⲱⲟⲩ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock
14. ⲇⲉ i.e. Greek δέ | ϣⲗⲧⲉⲙ i.e Sahidic ϣⲗϭⲟⲙ
15. ⲡⲣⲱⲭ̣ϩ : ⲡⲣⲱⲕ̣ϩ Mirecki/Gardner/Aclock and Gardner/Alcock/Funk
17. ⲙ̅ⲡⲣ̅ⲉⲓ corrected from ⲙ̅ⲡϥ̣̅ⲉⲓ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock | ⲙⲡⲕ̅- i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅ⲡⲁⲧⲉⲕ-
19. ⲟⲩϭⲉⲣⲁⲩⲛⲟⲥ i.e. Greek κεραυνός | ⲇͅ l. δ(ε)ῖ(να) cf. van der Vliet : ⲇ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock, Gardner/Alcock/Funk
20. ἣ̣ν̣ ⲇͅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥ ⲇͅ ὃν ⲇͅ l. ἣν (ἔτεκεν ἡ) δ(ε)ῖ(να) ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥ δ(ε)ῖ(να) ὃν (ἔτεκεν ἡ) δ(ε)ῖ(να) cf. van der Vliet : ⲕⲉ ⲇ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥ ⲇ ⲟ̣ⲛ ⲇ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock and Gardner/Alcock/Funk
21. ⲁϫⲱ̣ⲟⲩ ⲱ corrected from unclear letter by overwriting : ⲁϫ⟦ⲱ⟧ ⲙⲟⲩ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock. : ⲁϫⲉⲱⲟⲩ corrected from ⲁϫ . . ⲟⲩ Gardner/Alcock/Funk

Notes:

1. τὸν̣ ἐπὶ ἀρχῆς Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock translate “the one who rules” (cf. LSJ s.v. ἐπί sense I.2; s.v. ἀρχή sense II); Gardner/Alcock/Funk translate “who has been from the beginning” (likewise van der Vliet); Zellmann-Rohrer/Love (p. 277) translate “the one who presides over rule”, comparing the aulic titles of officials of the Hellenistic monarchies which designate them as “the one responsible for” (ὁ ἐπί) various domains (Zellmann-Rohrer 2018b: 110; Zellmann-Rohrer 2020: 74); cf. e.g., Shepherd of Hermas 23.4–5 (II CE), in which the angel Thegri is “set over the beasts” (ἐπὶ τῶν θηρίων); GEMF 16/PDM (KYP M162) ll. 497–8: “the one who sits upon the mountain of Gabaon” (pꜣ nt ḥms⸗k ḥr pꜣ tw n Gꜣbꜣ.ꜥꜣ.n). The question hinges on the ambiguity of ἐπί (“upon” and various metaphorical extensions) and ἀρχή (“beginning” or “sovereignty”). Here we follow the translation of Gardner/Alcock/Funk, apparently the usual sense in the Septuagint (Ezekiel 16.25, 21.24; Lamentations 2.19, 4.1; cf. Epiphanius, Panarion 31.5.2 in Holl 1915: 390.10).
4-5. ⲡⲉⲧⲁϩⲱϫ[ⲡ] ⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲧⲏⲟⲩ Mirecki/Gardiner/Alcock compare Jesus’ miracle of Calming the Storm (Matthew 8.26; Mark 4.39; Luke 8.24). Cf. the references to the Jewish deity keeping the winds in storehouses in Psalm 134 (135) 7; Jeremiah 10.13, 51.16, perhaps more apposite here given the references elsewhere to the Hebrew Bible rather than the New Testament.
6. [ⲉ]ⲧ̣ⲁⲕⲣ̅ ⲡⲕⲁϩ̣ ⲛ̅ⲕⲏⲙⲉ ⲛ̣ϫⲁⲓ̈ⲉ Mirecki/Gardiner/Alcock compare the image of Egypt as the liberator of Israel from Chaldaea in Jeremiah 41 (37) 1–21; perhaps also consider the enslavement Israel by Egypt described in the book of Exodus (we thank Michael Zellmann-Rohrer for this suggestion).
6-7. ⲁⲕⲛⲟⲩ[ϫⲉ] ⲛ̅ϩⲛϯⲧⲱⲛ ⲁϫⲛ̅ ⲛ̅ⲭⲁⲗⲇⲁⲓⲟⲥ cf. the prophecy of the destruction of Chaldaea in Jeremiah 27 (50) 1–46. Mirecki/Gardiner/Alcock compare Jeremiah 44 (37) 5.
8-9. ⲛ̅ⲧⲟ. . . ⲓ̣̈ⲣ ⲉⲧϫⲡⲟ ⲉⲧⲕⲏⲙ Mirecki/Gardner/Alcock translate “what is generated black (?)”, Gardner/Alcock/Funk translate “by (?) … who generates (?), who is black”; van der Vliet translates “you, O dung (?) (i.e. Sahidic ⲧ-ϩⲟⲉⲓⲣⲉ) of the black …”.
9-10. ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲛⲓⲙ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲣⲉ ⲛ̣ⲛⲓⲙ As noted in Mirecki/Gardiner/Alcock and Gardiner/Alcock/Funk, something has almost certainly dropped out here, since we would expect two names; perhaps restore “NN, son ⟨of NN, and NN, daughter⟩ of NN” (ⲛⲓⲙ ⟨ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛ̅ⲛⲓⲙ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲧϣⲉⲉ⟩ⲣⲉ ⲛ̅ⲛⲓⲙ); Oualēs probably inadvertently skipped a line while copying.
19-20. ⲙⲛ̅ ⲇͅ ἣ̣ν̣ ⲇͅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥ ⲇͅ ὃν ⲇͅ Mirecki/Gardiner/Alcock and Gardiner/Alcock/Funk understand the ⲇͅ sign, standing for “NN”, as the Greek numeral δ (“4”), interpreting this as a series of commands to speak the name of the male victim, then the female victim, the full text, and then another sequence of words four times each over the ingredients.

Bibliography:

Holl, Karl. 1915. Epiphanius 1: Ancoratus and Panarion Haer. 1–33. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrischs’che Buchhandlung.

Mirecki, Paul, Iain Gardner, and Anthony Alcock. “Magical Spell, Manichaean Letter.” In Emerging from Darkness: Studies in the Recovery of Manichaean Sources, edited by Paul Mirecki and Jason Beduhn. Leiden: Brill, 1997, p. 1-32.

Gardner, Iain, Anthony Alcock, and Wolf-Peter Funk. Coptic Documentary Texts from Kellis: Vol.1 (P.Kell. V). Oxford: Oxbow Books, 1999, p. 224-228.

Shisha-Halevy, Ariel. “An Emerging New Dialect of Coptic.” Orientalia 71.3 (2002): 305.

van der Vliet, Jacques. “Christian Spells and Manuals from Egypt.” In Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic, edited by David Frankfurter. Leiden : Brill, 2019, p. 332-334.

Zellmann-Rohrer, Michael W.2018b. “Two Greek Amulets.” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 207: 105–114.

Zellmann-Rohrer, Michael W.2020. “Lawsuits with Headless Foes: A Greek Incantation Motif.” Archiv für Religionsgeschichte 21–22, no. 1: 51–83.

Zellmann-Rohrer, Michael W., and Edward O. D. Love. Traditions in Transmission. The Medical and Magical Texts of a Fourth-Century Greek and Coptic Codex (Michigan Ms. 136) in Context. Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete – Beihefte 47. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2022, p. 277.

Editor:

EL (21/3/2019); text checked and new translation (KD 21/4/2020); KD (23/4/2020); checked by EL, with updates to apparatus (8/9/2020), edits by KD and MPS (22/9/2020); minor edits KD (30/10/2020); harmonised with PCM by SG, approved by KD (13/3/2025)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo, Edward O.D. Love & Markéta Preininger (chief editors). "KYP T350: Separation spell," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-350. Accessed on 26/04/2025

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