Invocation (magical, formulary)

Egyptian (Coptic)

Coptic

Parallel text: P. Mich. inv. 593, pp. 13-20 (KYP M9, T897).
A second manuscript from this archive has a partial parallel to this text: P. Mich. inv. 600 (KYP M16; KYP T619).

p. 5

The meaning of this text, especially in the early lines, is quite difficult to make clear sense of; Worrell (p. 261 n. 7), suggests that “[f]or the most part this hymn is nonsense, and was nonsense to our magician”. The initial lines are somewhat parallel to P. Mich. inv. 600 (KYP M16) from this same archive, but with major differences, and it is possible that the current text is the result of a complex, and not entirely faithful or thoughtful, process of transmission.

13-14. ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲟⲩ … ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩ In the other copy of the text, we find instead ⲡⲉϥⲧ̣ⲟⲟ̣ⲩ̣… ⲡⲉϥⲧ̣ⲟⲟ̣ⲩ̣ (“the four… the four”; P. Mich. inv. 593 p. 13 ll. 1, 2; KYP M9, T897). This is unlikely to be a dialectal feature, since there are no dialects that tend to omit fai in such positions. The retention of the long form article is surprising, but not uncommon in the Coptic of the Theban region (cf. Crum and White 1926, p. 248). The first word is almost certainly the common Sahidic form of “mountain”, and while the second might alternatively be understood as the relative of the qualitative of ⲉⲓⲣⲉ (cf. Crum and White 1926, p. 241), it seems more likely, since it so closely follows the previous, similar, writing, that it is also to be understood as Sahidic ⲧⲟⲟⲩ; alternatively it could be understood as the pre-nominal form of ⲧⲏⲩ (“wind”, Crum CD 439b), “…the wind logkos”.
14. ⲏ The function of the Greek ἤ is uncertain here; Mirecki and Worrell translate “or”. In this understanding, we might see the scribe as providing two alternative readings which might have been found in different manuscripts: “come forth from the mountain (?) of ⟨the?⟩ winds of heaven” or “come forth from the the mountain (?) ⟨of the⟩ lamp”. However, ἤ can also have a non-restrictive disjunctive sense in Coptic, translatable in English as “and”, which we translate here, since the scribe does not otherwise note variants; cf. Layton 110 §145b, who gives the example of Matthew 5.17 ⲡⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲏ ⲛⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ (“the law and the prophets”).
14. ⲗⲟⲕⲅⲟⲥ ⲗⲟⲕⲅⲟⲥ Mirecki and Worrell follow the suggestion of Crum to correct to ⲛ̅ⲟⲕⲅⲟⲥ for ὄγκος, “angle” hence “corner”, but the normal meaning of this word is actually “bracket” (this is in fact the secondary meaning, from a primary meaning of “barb” of an arrow; see LSJ s.v.). For the “corners” we would rather expect the word γωνία; compare PGM VIII.8: ταῖ⟨ς⟩ δʹ γωνίας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (“in the four corners of heaven”). Here we understand λύχνος but the exact form is not attested, and the word seems primarily documentary in usage (see Förster WBGW p. 486). We might alternatively understand λόγος (“word, speech”), or λόγχη (“spear”), but neither would seem to make as much sense in context.
14-15.ⲛⲛⲉⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ ⲛϩⲁⲣⲙⲁ “the spirit chariots” In similar contexts discussing heavenly beings, the “chariot” most often referred to is the chariot of God, drawn by the Four Living Creatures (see Rochard 2021). If we understand this writing to be an error for ⲛ̅ϩⲁⲣⲙⲁ ⲙ̅ⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅ “spirit chariots”, compare with the Apocalypse of James (NH I, 2 p. 14 33-34) ⲁϩⲁⲟⲩϩⲁⲣⲙⲁ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙ̅ⲡⲛⲁ ϥⲓ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲉⲓ ⲁϩⲣⲏⲓ̈ (“for a spirit chariot lifted me up”; Robinson 2000, p. 50), but note that here we have the plural, so the sense is less clear. Perhaps we might understand these “chariot spirits” as a reference to the celestial bodies (the sun and moon) carried by chariots in older Greek cosmology? A similar idea is found in I Enoch 18, 72-75, where the winds lead the course of the sun, moon, and stars by driving their chariots across the heavens.
15. ⲡⲉⲧⲛ̅ⲓ⟦ⲙ̣⟧ϥⲉ ⲙⲡⲓⲛ̅ⲟϭ ⲙⲡ̅ⲛ̅⧹ⲁ⧸ The other copy of this manuscript reads ⲙ︦ⲡⲉⲛⲓϥⲉ ⲙ︦ⲡⲉⲓⲛ̣ⲟ̣ϭ ⲙ︦ⲡ︤ⲛ︦ⲁ︦ (“(the chariots) of this great spirit’s breath!”; P. Mich. Inv. 593, p. 13 ll. 3-4; KYP M9, T897). The scribe of this manuscript seems once again to have edited this deliberately to produce a text that was more meaningful, invoking a being who exhales a great πνεῦμα (“spirit, breath”) rather than describing the chariots as somehow belonging to the breath of a great spirit.
16-17. ⲱϣⲙ ⲡⲓⲭⲁⲱⲛ̅ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲓⲛⲟϭ ⲛ̅ⲇⲣⲁ̣ⲕⲱⲛ︦ “Chaos” is not a Biblical term, but rather seems to be drawn here from Greek religious and philosophical thought, filtered through Christian traditions. In its original Greek sense, it could refer to the “nether abyss”, the space below the earth linked to the underworld (LSJ s.v., sense 2), and this sense seems to have been adopted by Christians, who occasionally use as a near synonym of hell or the abyss to refer to demonic realms of punishment (CD s.v.; see Evans 2015, p. 146, 244-245 for the particularly abundant references in the Pistis Sophia, cc0687, 0692). The “great serpent” or “dragon” here is probably that mentioned in the book of Revelation 12.9, ⲡⲉⲇⲣⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲛⲟϭ ⲡϩⲟϥ ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲥⲁⲧⲁⲛⲁⲥ (“the great dragon, the old serpent whom they call the Devil and Satan”), who fought with Michael and was cast out of heaven and bound in the Abyss (ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲛ, Revelation 20.2), likely assimilated here to Chaos. The use of the word “quench, extinguish” (ⲱϣⲙ) is at first surprising, but can be elucidated through reference to further Biblical and extra-biblical passages. In Job 4.10 it is said of God that ⲡϣⲟⲩϣⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲇⲣⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲁϥⲱϣⲙ (“he quenched (i.e. silenced) the boasting of the serpents”). Still more pertinent here is Job 20.26, which describes the punishment which God inflicts on the impious: ⲉⲣⲉⲕⲁⲕⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲁϥ ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲕⲱϩⲧ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲙⲉϥ ⲉⲙⲉϥⲱϣⲙ (“everything will be darkness for him, and a fire which is never quenched will consume him”). This passage could easily be understood as a description of hell, and in the Dormition of John, the Apostle prays: ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥϩⲣⲟⲕ’ ⲛ̅ϭⲓ ⲡⲕⲱϩⲧ̅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲕⲁⲕⲉ’ ⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲉⲓ ⲛⲁϥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲉⲭⲁⲟⲥ’ ⲣ̅ ϭⲱⲃ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲉϩⲣⲱ’ ⲛ̅ⲥⲁⲧⲉ ϣⲱⲡⲉ’ ⲛⲁⲧϭⲟⲙ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲧⲅⲉϩⲉⲛⲛⲁ’ ⲱϣⲙ̅… ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲉϥϭⲱⲛⲧ̅ ⲱ̅ϣⲙ̅ (“may the fire of the darkness be still, and the darkness withdraw from him, and the chaos become weak, and the burning furnaces become powerless, and Gehenna be extinguished… may his (the Devil’s) wrath be extinguished”; Budge 1913, 57.13-22). Here, chaos thus seems to be conceived of as a burning hell-like abyss in which the Devil dwells, and which the speaker prays to be extinguished, along with the Devil’s power.
18 – p. 6 l. 1. This passage, and especially the references to the place of illumination and treasuries, are reminiscent of the Books of the Great Word According to Mystery (a.k.a, the Books of Ieou, cc0675) and the Pistis Sophia (cc0687, 0692), in which the “treasury of light” (ⲡⲑⲏⲥⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲙⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ) refers to a place in the heavenly realms, the ultimate destination of the soul in its ascension to God. In the Books of Ieou, this treasury of light is an emanation of God and contains a multitude of treasuries, or “storehouses”, all of which have doors (cf. Crégheur 2019). The passage also resonates with I Enoch 72-75, where there are several portals in heaven to allow for the rising and setting of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as windows through which the sun’s warmth can radiate.

p. 6

2-3. ⲙⲡⲓⲛ̅ⲟϭ ⲛ̅ⲗⲓⲧⲟⲩⲣⲅⲟⲥ ⲛ̅ⲕⲱϩ̅ⲧ̅ For the “great fiery servant”, cf. Psalm 103.4 and Hebrew 1.7, where God is said to make “his servants a flaming fire” (ⲛⲉϥⲗⲉⲓⲧⲟⲩⲣⲅⲟⲥ ⲛϣⲁϩ ⲛⲥⲁⲧⲉ). In Pseudo-Theodosius of Alexandria, On the Archangel Michael (cc0387) the Michael is described as “a servant of flaming fire” (ⲟⲩⲗⲉⲓⲧⲟⲩⲣⲅⲟⲥ ⲛϣⲁϩ ⲛⲥⲁⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ); cf. BL.Or 7021, p. 7 (Budge 1915: p. 325 and 897).
6-7. ⲡⲁⲓ̈ ⲉϣⲁ̅ⲣ̅ⲉⲧⲉϥⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲃⲱⲝ ⲛ̅ϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲉⲡ̅ⲓ̈̅ⲉ̅ⲣⲟ ⲡⲱⲕⲉⲁⲛ̅ⲟⲥ The “river Ocean” is understood in Late Antique Christian cosmology, and in particular in Coptic texts, as a great river which surrounds the world (Lanzillotta and van der Vliet 2022, 263-265). The being described here, whose light shines throughout the world is likely the sun or the angel whose power lies behind it; the reference to “burning trees” is perhaps a description of the great potential power of the sun, sufficient to burn every tree in the world. The word ἀρχή may mean either “beginning” or “rule, power, authority”, and its sense here is not immediately clear. Lanzillotta and van der Vliet (2022, 264) translate as “[whose] origin sprang prior to the River Ocean”, understanding this to be a claim that the solar power is older than the ocean, but this metaphorical extension (“to spring” in the sense of “to begin”) of ϥⲟϭⲥ is not attested in Crum (CD 627b). Rather, we understand this as a reference to the rising of the sun from the river Ocean; compare the Apocalypse of Paul 21.2: ⲁϥϫⲓⲧ ⲉⲙ̄ⲙⲁ ⲛ̄ϣⲁ ⲙ̄ⲡⲣⲏ… ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ϫⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲟⲩⲕⲉⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲉⲣⲟ (“he took me to the place of the rising of the sun… he said to me, “this is the river Ocean”; Lanzillotta and van der Vliet 2022, 174.4-7). It may be that there has been a confusion of prepositions here, since the text says that the sun leaps into (ⲉ̣-) rather than out of (ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ-) the Ocean. This Christian conception is part of a broader ancient , concept of solar deities emerging from the primaeval ocean in the morning, found in ancient Egyptian (cf. Smith 2002) and Greek traditions (e.g., Helios; cf. Homer, Odyssey 3.2 and Iliad 7.42). In the Greek magical papyri (e.g., PGM XXXVI/GEMF 68 218), the Agathodaimon is also described as “the one rising from the Primaeval Ocean” (ὁ ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου). The “burning of the trees” might be understood as a reference to the myth of Phaethon, son of Helios, who, wanting to prove his immortal lineage, asked to drive the sun’s chariot, but drove it too close to the earth and burned up the earth, notably including the trees; see Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.212.
12-20. Angelic orders: Here, and again at p. 7 l. 3, the descriptions of the invoked deity as the father of various types of being seems to draw upon popular Christian angelology, according to which angelic beings belonged to a series of distinct ‘orders’: we find here angels (ⲁⲛ̅ⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ; l. 12), archangels (ⲁⲣⲭⲏⲁⲛ̅ⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ; l. 13), powers (ll. 13-14 & p. 7, l. 3; ⲛⲇⲩⲛⲁⲩⲙⲓⲥ), thrones (ⲑⲣⲟⲛ̅ⲟⲥ; l. 17), lordships (ⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲧ̅ϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ; l. 18), and majesties (ll. 19-20; ⲙ̅ⲧⲛ̅ⲟϭ). Many of these orders are mentioned in other texts, including but not limited to magical texts; cf. Dosoo 2021, 407.
22. After ⲕⲁⲧⲏ̅ⲥ̅ , there is an unclear letter resembling a ⲯ whose purpose is inexplicable; it may have been deleted by scribbling. Compare the similar unexpected final sign at p. 5 l. 5 (KYP T937).
23-24. ⲉⲩⲁ ⲁⲡⲁⲓ̈ ⲙⲟⲟϩⲉ ⲥⲁ ⲡⲉⲓ̈ⲱⲧ ⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲇⲩⲕⲁⲥⲧⲏⲥ This seems to be a rare example of a scribal note in a Coptic magical text; for scribal notes in Greek magical formularies, which are much more common, see Dosoo 2024. The scribe seems to be referring to the text added in l. 1 of p. 7, not present in the copy in P. Mich. inv. 593 (KYP M9), although this may have been a mistake, as the line seems rather to have been copied from the beginning of the Prayer of Seth (see note below), and was subsequently deleted by the scribe. The language of the note demonstrates the use of hori for Sahidic shai in ⲙⲟⲟϩⲉ (Sahidic ⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ), indicating the existence in the scribe’s idiolect of a sound corresponding to the Akhmimic barred hori (ⳉ). For this feature in the Coptic of Upper Egypt, see Crum and White 1926, 244-245. The writing of ⲉ- for Sahidic ⲛ̅- is well-attested in non-literary Sahidic, even if it is somewhat surprising before a vowel (cf. Kahle 1954, I 113-110).

p. 7 col. 1

1. ⟦ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧ̣ⲉ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲡϫⲓ̈ⲟⲥ ⲡⲡⲁⲛ⟧ The scribe has here copied again the beginning of the Prayer of Seth (p. 1 (P. Mich. Inv. 599 recto) l. 1 (KYP T673)). The scribe then seems to have realised that this line was miscopied in its present position, and deleted it by scribbling over the letters.
p. 7 l. 10-p. 9 l. 18. Here we generally follow the word separation of P.Mich. Inv. 593 (M9), from which we believe this manuscript was largely copied. In some cases, where there is not an explicit mid-dot, supralineation on the final letters/syllable, or marked space, the copyist may have understood a single word.

p. 8 col. 2

8. ⲥⲉⲥⲏⲕⲏⲛ ⸗ ⲃⲁⲣⲫⲁⲕⲏⲥ this seems to be a form of the vox magica Σεσεγγεν Βαρφαραγες, common in Greek, and found in other Coptic texts. The name is originally of Semitic origin, and associated with a divine hero who combated the child-killing demoness, but in Greek and Coptic magic it seems to have become a more generic name of power without this original association. For the name in Greek, see Brashear 1995, 3598-3599; for the history of the name see Schwartz 1996, and for other occurrences of the name in Coptic, see, e.g., Cairo JdE 45060 (KYP M303) ro l. 9 (ⲥⲉⲥⲁⲛ ‧ ⲕⲉⲃⲁⲣ ‧ ⲫⲁⲣⲁⲕ ‧); P. Macq. I 1 (KYP M167) p. 10 ll. 18-19 (ⲥⲏⲥⲏⲛⲅⲏⲛⲃⲁⲣⲫⲁⲣⲁⲛⲕⲏⲥ); P. Lond. Copt. 524 (KYP M359) ll. 129–130 (ⲥⲩⲥⲩⲛⲕⲩⲥⲕⲉ ⲃⲁⲣⲫⲁⲣⲁⲛⲕⲩⲥ).
9. ⲁⲣⲃⲉⲗⲉⲱⲁ · ⲇⲱⲛⲁⲓ P. Mich. inv. 593 (KYP M9, T897), p. 19 l. 3 has ⲁⲣⲃⲉⲗⲉⲱ ⳇ ⲁⲇⲱⲛⲁⲓ̈, but the hand changes (from m3 to m1) between the two words, which seem to have caused confusion.
14-15. ⲡⲉⲃⲣⲏⲥⲧⲏⲣ ⸗ ⲛ︦ⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ Perhaps understand ⲡⲉ-ⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲏⲣⲟⲥ (i.e. Greek πρεσβύτερος) ⲛ︦-ⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ “the angelic priest” or “the elder angel”.

p. 9

1-2. ⲁ̣ⲃⲣⲁⲛⲁⲑⲁⲛ̣ ⸗ ⲁⲗⲃⲁ These two words are a variant of the popular palindromic vox magica αβλαναθαναλβα, common already in Greek magical texts; see Brashear 1995, 3577.
19-20. 19. ⟦⳨ ⲁⲙⲏⲉⲓ̈ⲧⲛ̣ ⲉⲃ̣ⲟ̣ⲗ̣ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉ . . . ⲟⲩ ⲛ̣ . . . . ⲧⲡ̣ⲉ̣ . . . . ⲗ̣ . . . . ⲥ̣ ϩ . . . . . ⟧ Here the scribe repeats the beginning of the invocation (p. 5 ll. 13-15). The scribe’s motivations for this are unclear, but the text was subsequently deleted by washing off, and the scribe seems to have added the following scribal note at p. 9 ll. 21-31 (KYP T2799) to try to clarify the decision.
4. ⲥⲉⲙⲉⲥⲓ̈ ⸗ ⲗⲁⲙ A form of the common Greek vox magica σεμεσιλαμ, a Semitic deity, “eternal sun” (see Brashear 1995, 3598).
12-13. ⲃⲱⲏⲁⲓ̈ⲉⲗ̅ ⧹ⲉⲗⲱ- ⟦ⲁⲉⲓ⟧ ⲥ̣ⲁ̣ⲙ̣⧸⟦ⲉⲁ⟧ⲁⲉⲓ̈ ⸗ ⲥⲁⲙⲁⲃⲣⲁⲭⲑⲏ P. Mich. inv. 593 (KYP M9, T897), p. 20 l. 13 has ⲃⲱⲏⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲗⲱⲁⲉⲓ̈ ⲥⲁⲙⲁⲃⲣⲁⲭⲑⲏ. Here the scribe made copying errors and tried to correct them with deletion and insertion, so that the original sequence is lost. The last two words (ⲉⲗⲱⲁⲉⲓ̈ ⲥⲁⲙⲁⲃⲣⲁⲭⲑⲏ) resemble the words of Jesus on the cross (Mark 15.34: Mark 15.34 (ελωι ελωι λεμα σαβαχθανι) common in Coptic magical texts (see Kropp 1930, vol. 3 p. 128 (§218)).

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