KYP T-419

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T419

Manuscript:	M213
Sigla:	PCM 1 5 PCM I 5 Berlin P. 11918 P. Berol. 11918
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	501 – 700

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-12, Vo ll. 1-3
Type of text:	Healing (magical, formulary)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Invocation

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic with Fayumic features
Script:	Coptic
Image:

Text:

Translation:

Recto
Flesh

1. ϯⲡⲁⲗⲁⲕⲁⲗⲓ ⲙⲙⲱⲧ̅ⲛ̅
2. ⲛⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅ⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲁⲛ’ ⲛϫⲱ-
3. ⲱⲣⲉ’ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲛⲉ ⸗
4. ⲁⲥⲃⲓⲏⲧ ⧸ⲁⲭⲓⲏⲗ ⧸
5. ⲁⲥ̣ⲫⲟⲩⲏⲗ ⸗ ⲕⲁⲙⲟⲩⲥ
6. ⲁⲙⲧⲁⲧⲑ ⸗ ⲁϥⲗⲓ-
7. ⲃⲏⲗⲓⲍⲉ ⸗ ⲙⲁⲣⲙⲁⲣⲓ̈ⲱ⧹ⲑ⧸
8. ϯⲱⲣⲕ’ ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲛ’ ⲛⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅-
9. ⲛⲟϭ ⲛⲣⲁⲛ’ ⲙ̅ⲛ̅ ⲛⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅-
10. ⲙⲁ ⲛϣⲱⲡⲉ’ ⲉⲧⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅-
11. ⲟⲩⲏϩ ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ / ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ
12. ⲉⲧⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅ⲱⲗ̣’ ⲙⲡ̣ⲙⲁϩⲧ

Verso
Hair

1. ⲇͅⲇͅ ⲙ̣ⲛ ⲛⲉϥϭⲗⲟⲧⲉ
2. ⲭⲁⲗⲃⲁⲛⲉⲓ ⸗ ⲃⲱⲧⲉ
3. ⲛⲁⲃ’ ⲛⲉⲃⲓⲱ ⸗̣ ⲕⲉⲛⲧⲁ⧹ⲣ̣⧸⧸

[recto, 1] I invoke you (pl.) [2] ⟨by⟩ your great, mighty names, [3] which are these: [4] Asbiēt, Akhiēl, [5] Asphouēl, Kamous, [6] Amtatth, [7] Aflibēlize, Marmariōth! [8] I adjure you ⟨by⟩ your [9] great names and your [10] dwelling places in which you [11] dwell, that [12] you contain the bowels [verso, 1] ⟨of⟩ NN, child of NN, and his innards!

[2] Galbanum, [3] sweat [3] of a honey-bee, centaury (?).

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

Recto

1. ⲡⲁⲗⲁⲕⲁⲗⲓ i.e. Greek παρακαλεῖν
2. ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲛⲟϭ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲛⲉ⸗ⲧⲛ̅-ⲛⲟϭ
5. ⲁⲥⲫⲟⲩⲏⲗ : ⲁⲫⲟⲩⲏⲗ Beltz
8-9. ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲛⲟϭ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲛⲉ⸗ⲧⲛ̅-ⲛⲟϭ
12. ⲉⲧⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅ⲱⲗ̣’ : ⲉⲧⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅ⲱⲭ Beltz | ⲙⲡ̣ⲙⲁ ϩⲧ Beltz

Verso

1. ⲇͅⲇͅ l. ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) i.e. Greek δεῖνα δεῖνα : . ⲙ̣ Beltz
2. ⲭⲁⲗⲃⲁⲛⲉⲓ ⸗ i.e. Greek χαλβάνη : . ⲭⲁⲗⲃ’ ⲁⲕⲓⲏ Beltz
3. ⲛⲁⲃ’ ⲛⲉⲃⲓⲱ : i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲁϥ ⲛ̅-ⲉⲃⲓⲱ : . . ⲁⲃ . ⲛⲉⲣⲁⲩ Beltz | ⲕⲉⲛⲧⲁ⧹ⲣ̣⧸ i.e. Greek κενταύριον ? : ⲕⲉⲥ . . . Beltz

Notes:

Recto

12. ⲉⲧⲉⲧ̅ⲛ̅ⲱⲗ̣’ “Contain” seems unexpected in reference to internal organs; it is usually used in the context of the prevention of bleeding by “gathering it in”, and so may refer to healing internal bleeding or diarrhoea (cf. PCM I 25 (KYP T245) p. 16 l. 24; P.Macq. I 1 (KYP M167) p. 16 l. 1). We might alternatively understand a metathesis of ⲗⲟ (“heal”).

Verso

2–3. ⲭⲁⲗⲃⲁⲛⲉⲓ ⸗ ⲃⲱⲧⲉ ⲛ̣ⲁⲃ̣⳿ ⲛⲉⲃ̣ⲓⲁ’ : Galbanum is the resin produced by the stem of the Galbanum plant (perhaps Ferula gummosa Boiss.). Dioscorides (De materia medica III.83) describes it as being used as a medicinal substance for various complaints, either inhaled, applied externally, or ingested, so that any of these may be the intended use here (cf. Lev/Amar 2008: 171–172; Macomber 2020: I 135 s.v. ⲭⲁⲗⲁⲃⲁⲛⲏ). The meaning of “sweat of a honey-bee” here is uncertain; presumably it refers to some kind of secretion from the insect, such as honey or wax (although this would not be the usual term for either of these), or else royal jelly or the pollen gathered on their legs.
3. ⲕⲉⲛⲧⲁⲣ : “centaury?” The spiny plant centaury (perhaps Centaurea centaurium L. or Erythraea centaurium L.; André 1985: 55) is mentioned by Dioscorides (De materia medica III.6–7), as well as mediaeval Arabic and Hebrew works, as suitable for various medical problems, including internal diseases (Lev/Amar 2008: 377–378). The plant seems to also be mentioned in a fragmentary recipe from the unpublished magico-medical handbook Collège de France Ms. 1 (KYP M572; XI CE?), where it appears as ⲕⲉⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ (p. 1 l. 3) and its juice is used to anoint the patient for an unclear complaint; in a recipe from the Cairo Genizah we find the drinking of centaury prescribed to provoke an abortion (MTKG I: T-S NS 322.10 p. 2b l. 13).

Bibliography:

André, Jacques. Les noms de plantes dans la Rome antique. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1985.

Beltz, Walter. “Die koptischen Zauberpergamente der Papyrus-Sammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin.” Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete 30 (1984): p. 100, no. III 26.

Dosoo, Korshi & Preininger, Markéta. Papyri Copticae Magicae. Coptic Magical Text, Volume 1. Formularies, Archiv für Papyrusforschung Beihefte, Berlin/Boston:De Gruyter, 2024, p. 77–79, no. 5.

Lev, Efraim, and Zohar Amar. Practical Materia Medica of the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean According to the Cairo Genizah. Sir Henry Wellcome Asian Series 7. Leiden: Brill, 2008.

Macomber, William F. The Scala Magna of Shams al-Riˀāsah Abū al-Barakāt. 2 vols. Corpus scriptorum Christianorum orientalium 684. Leuven: Peeters, 2020.

Schäfer, Peter and Shaul Shaked. Magische Texte aus der Kairoer Geniza. 3 vols. Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 42; 64; 72. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1994-1999.

Editor:

EL’s transcription from Beltz (1984: p. 100) (31/1/2020); MPS (19/6/2020) preliminary translation; checked with apparatus by EL (26/8/2020); MPS autopsy (11/3/2022); team (27/3/2022); updated to PCM version by SG + KD (22/7/2026); JS (9/1/2023)

How to cite:

[Editor names]. "KYP T419: Invocation," 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-419. Accessed on 01/08/2026
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