KYP T-478

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T478

Manuscript:	M278
Sigla:	Vienna, Nationalbibliothek K 00078 Pap formerly AN 195
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	301 – 500

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-29
Type of text:	Healing/protection (magical, applied)

Original title:	ⲡⲁⲛⲧⲓⲅⲣⲁⲫⲟⲛ̣ ⲓ̣̅ⲥ̣̅ ⲡⲭ̣̅ⲣ̣̅ⲥ̣̅ ⲡ̣ϣ̣ⲉ̣ ⲙ̣ⲫ̣̅ϯ̣̅ : ⲉⲧⲁⲛ̣ϩ · ⲉⲃⲥ̣ϩⲉⲓ ⲛⲁ̣ⲩ̣ⲅ̣ⲁ̣ⲣⲟ̣ⲥ ⲡⲣⲁ ⲛⲉⲇⲉⲥⲥⲁ
Original title (translated):	The copy ⟨of the letter of⟩ Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God writing to Abgar, the king of Edessa
Conventional title:	1st Letter of Jesus to Abgar

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Fayumic
Script:	Coptic
Image:	https://digital.onb.ac.at/RepViewer/viewer.faces?doc=DTL_8505130&order=1&view=SINGLE

Text:

Translation:

1. ⳨ ⲡⲁⲛⲧⲓⲅⲣⲁⲫⲟⲛ̣ ⲓ̣̅ⲥ̣̅ ⲡⲭ̣̅ⲣ̣̅ⲥ̣̅ ⲡ̣ϣ̣ⲉ̣ ⲙ̣ⲫ̣̅ϯ̣̅ : ⲉⲧⲁⲛ̣ϩ · ⲉⲃⲥ̣ϩⲉⲓ ⲛⲁ̣ⲩ̣ⲅ̣ⲁ̣ⲣⲟ̣ⲥ ⲡⲣⲁ
2. ⲛⲉⲇⲉⲥⲥⲁ ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲉ : ⲛⲁⲓⲉⲧⲕ ⲁ̣ⲩ̣ⲱ̣ ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲁⲛⲟ̣ⲩ̣ⲃ ⲛⲉϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲙⲁⲕ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛ̣ⲁ-
3. ⲓⲉⲧⲥ ⲉⲧⲉⲕⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲧⲉⲓ ⲉⲧⲉⲡⲉⲥ̣ⲗⲉⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲇⲉⲥⲥⲁ · ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ ⲙ̣ⲡⲉⲕⲛⲉⲩ
4. ⲉ̣ⲗ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣̅ ⲁⲕⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲓⲛ ⲕⲛ̣ⲁ̣ϫ̣ⲓ̣ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲧⲉⲕⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ : ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲧⲉⲕ-
5. [ⲡⲣⲟϩⲉⲣⲉⲥⲓⲥ] ⲉ̣[ⲧ]ⲛ̣ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ : ⲛⲉⲕϣⲱⲛⲓ ⲥⲉⲛⲉⲧⲉⲗϭⲁⲩ : ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲁⲕⲣ̣-
6. [ⲉⲗ ⲛⲁⲃⲓ ϩⲱⲥ ⲗⲱⲙⲓ ⲥ]ⲉ̣ⲛ̣ⲉⲕⲉⲩ ⲛⲉⲕ ⲉⲃⲁⲗ : ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲇⲉⲥⲥⲁ : ⲉⲥⲉϣⲱ̣ⲡⲓ
7. [ⲉⲥⲥⲙⲁⲙⲉⲧ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲉⲁⲩ ⲛ]ⲧ̣ⲉ ̣ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲓ ⲁϣⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲗⲁⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ
8. [ⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲉⲉⲗ ⲟⲩⲁⲉⲓⲛ ϩⲛ ⲛ]ⲉ̣ⲕⲡⲗⲁⲧⲓⲁ · ⲁⲛⲁⲕ ⲡⲉ · ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ :
9. [ⲁⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲧϩⲱⲛ ⲁⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲧⲥⲉϫⲓ ⲉⲃⲁⲗ ϫⲉ ⲁⲕⲙ]ⲉ̣ⲗ̣ⲓⲧ ⲉⲙⲁⲧⲉ · ϯ-
10. [ⲛⲉⲕⲱ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲗⲉⲛ ⲉⲩⲉⲗ ⲡⲙⲏⲟⲩⲓ ϣⲁ ⲉⲛⲉϩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲟⲩϯⲙⲏ] ⲙ̣ⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲙⲟ⧹ⲩ⧸

[1] ⳨ The copy ⟨of the letter of⟩ Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, writing to Abgar, the king [2] of Edessa. Greetings! You are blessed, and that which is good will happen to you, and [3] blessed is your city, whose name is Edessa, for you have not seen [4] me ⟨but⟩ you have believed, you shall receive according to your faith, ⟨and⟩ according to your [5] good [intention]. Your illnesses will be healed, and if [6] you have [sinned as ⟨a⟩ man, they] will be forgiven for you, and Edessa will be] [7] [blessed forever,] and the glory] of God will multiply for your people, and [8] [faith and favour will shine in] your streets. It is I, Jesus. [9] [It is I who commands, It is I who speaks. Because you have] loved greatly, I [10] [will preserve your name as an eternal memory and an honour] and a blessing […]

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

1. ⲁⲛⲧⲓⲅⲣⲁⲫⲟⲛ i.e. Greek ἀντίγραφον | ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ l. ⲓ(ⲏⲥⲟⲩ)ⲥ | ⲭ̅ⲣ̅ⲥ̅ l. ⲭⲣ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟ)ⲥ i.e. Greek χριστός | ⲫ̅ϯ̅ l. ⲫ-ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲓ i.e. Sahidic ⲡ-ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ | ⲣⲁ i.e. Sahidic ⲣ̅ⲣⲟ
2. ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲉ i.e. Greek χαίρειν | ⲛⲁⲓⲉⲧⲕ i.e. Sahidic ⲛⲁⲓⲁⲧ⸗κ | ⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩⲃ i.e. Sahidic ⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩ⸗ϥ | ⲙⲁⲕ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅ⲙⲟ⸗ⲕ
3. ⲛⲁⲓⲉⲧⲥ i.e. Sahidic ⲛⲁⲓⲁⲧ⸗ⲥ | ⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ i.e. Greek πολίς | ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ i.e. Greek ἐπειδή
4. ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲉⲩⲓⲛ i.e. Greek πιστεύειν | ⲕⲁⲧⲁ i.e. Greek κατά | ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ i.e. Greek πίστις | ⲕⲁⲧⲁ {ⲕⲁⲧⲁ} (dittography) i.e. Greek κατά
5. ⲡⲣⲟϩⲉⲣⲉⲥⲓⲥ i.e. Greek προαίρεσις cf. AMS 9 (M171/T1606) p. 24 ll. 15-16: ⲧⲉⲕⲡⲣⲟϩⲉⲣⲏⲥⲓ̈ⲥ | ⲧⲉⲗϭⲁⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲧⲁⲗϭⲟ⸗(ⲟ)ⲩ
6. [ⲥ]ⲉ̣ⲛ̣ⲉⲕⲉⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲥⲉ-ⲛⲁ-ⲕⲁⲁ⸗(ⲟ)ⲩ
7. ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲓ i.e. Sahidic ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ | ⲗⲁⲟⲥ i.e. Greek λαός
8. ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ i.e. Greek πίστις | ⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ i.e. Greek ἀγάπηⲡⲗⲁⲧⲓⲁ i.e. Greek πλατεῖα | ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ l. ⲓ(ⲏⲥⲟⲩ)ⲥ
9. [ⲉⲧⲥⲉϫⲓ ⲉⲃⲁⲗ] : [ⲉⲧϣⲉϫⲓ ⲉⲃⲏⲗ] Stegemann | [ⲁⲕⲙ]ⲉ̣ⲗ̣ⲓⲧ : [ⲁⲕⲙⲉ]ⲗ̣ⲗ̣ⲓⲧ Stegemann

Notes:

5. ⲁⲕⲣ̣ There is a stroke at the end of this line which resembles a rho or iota. Here we transcribe rho, but the following line seems to have enough space for the expected Fayumic form ⲉⲗ (as opposed to the Sahidic ⲣ̅). This may be a copying error, or else the beginning of an epsilon which the scribe did not finish writing.

Bibliography:

Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Übersetzungen und Anmerkungen. Vol. 2. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931, no. 24, p. 77–78.

Stegemann, Viktor. Die koptischen Zaubertexte der Sammlung Papyrus Erzherzog Rainer in Wien. Sitzungsberichte der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften. Philosophisch-historische Klasse, 1933-34 n°1. Heidelberg: Carl Winters Universitätsbuchhandlung, 1934, no. L (113), p. 28, p. 45-46 and p. 79.

Till, Walter. “Zu den Wiener koptischen Zaubertexten.” Orientalia 4 (1935): 210-211; 219, no. 50.

Editor:

EL’s edition from Stegemann’s transcript (1934: 46); EL (23/1/19; 16/4/20)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo, Edward O.D. Love & Markéta Preininger (chief editors). "KYP T478: 1st Letter of Jesus to Abgar," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-478. Accessed on 30/04/2025

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