KYP T-896

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T896

Manuscript:	M9
Sigla:	P. Mich. Inv. 593
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	36
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	401 – 700

Text position:	p. 12 ll. 6-14
Type of text:	Prayer for grace and joy (magical, formulary)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Ciphered prayer for grace and joy

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic (non-standard)
Script:	Coptic
Image:	https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-APIS-X-2601%5D593_1R.TIF

Text:

Translation:

p. 12 (→)

⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩ —
6. ⳨⳨⳨⳨⳨⳨⳨ : ϥⲑⲡ · ϥⲑⲡ · ⲱⲑⲑⲥⲁ ·
7. ϯⲛⲟϥ · ⲙⲗ · ⲭϩⲝⲗⲯ · ⲙⲗ · ⲭⲉⲭ ·
8. ⲫⲣⲗⲱⲭⲛⲃ · ⲝⲕⲉⲝ · ⲯⲗⲉⲏⲗⲟ ·
9. ⲛⲩⲣⲥⲝⲉⲛϥⲝ · ϩⲛⲯϭⲗⲝⲝⲕⲉⲩ ·
10. ⲱⲕⲉⲯ · ⲉϩⲟ̣ⲥ̣ ϥⲕⲉⲕⲛⲗⲭ ·
11. ⲯⲉ̣ⲑⲭⲥ · ⲕϥ̣ⲑ̣ⲯ̣ⲛⲑ · ⲭⲉⲩⲣⲗ ·
12. ⲉϥⲕ . ⲕ ϣⲃⲩ̣ⲣⲉ · ⲱⲑⲟⲥⲁ ϩ̣-
13. ⲑⲝⲃⲛ · ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ · ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ ·
14. ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩
⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩⟩ — ⟩⟩

[6] ⳨⳨⳨⳨⳨⳨⳨ Iak Iak Sabaoth! [7] Give me grace and [8] joy before [9] every man, in the power of Christ, [10] the one who is above, God [11] and this invisible one, [12] … the son (of ?) Sabaoth. [13] Amen, amen, amen, [14] amen!

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

6-14. l. ϥⲑⲡ ϥⲑⲡ ⲱⲑⲏⲑⲥⲁ ϯ ⲛⲑϥ ⲛⲗⲭϩⲝⲗⲯ ⲝⲛ ⲗⲭⲉⲭⲫϡⲗⲱⲭⲛⲃ ⲝⲕⲉⲝⲯⲗ ⲉⲏⲗⲟ ⲛϡⲥⲝⲉ ⲛϥⲝ ϩⲛ ⲯϭⲗⲝ ⲝⲕⲉⲩⲱ ⲕⲉⲯⲉϩⲟⲑϥ ⲕⲉ ⲕⲛⲗⲭⲯⲉ ⲑⲭⲥ ⲕϥⲑⲯⲛⲑⲭ ⲉϡⲗⲓ ⲉϥⲕ . ⲕϣⲃϡⲉ ⲱⲑⲏⲑⲥⲁ ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ
i.e. ⲓⲁⲕ ⲓⲁⲕ ⲥⲁⲃⲁⲱⲑ ϯ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲟⲩϩⲙⲟⲧ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲩⲫⲣⲟⲥⲩⲛⲏ ⲙⲡⲉⲙⲧⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ϩⲛ ⲧϭⲟⲙ ⲙⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲡⲉⲧⲉϩⲗⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲓⲁⲧⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉⲓⲡ . ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲥⲁⲃⲁⲱⲑ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ
6. ϥⲑⲡ · ϥⲑⲡ : Worrell omits the second ϥⲑⲡ
7. ϯⲛⲟϥ : “Tinou” Mirecki 1994 & 1999 | first ⲙⲗ : ⲙⲁ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999
8. ⲫⲣⲗⲱⲭⲛⲃ : ⲯⲣⲗⲱⲭⲛⲃ Worrell | ⲯⲗⲉⲏⲗⲟ : ⲯⲗⲉⲏⲗⲉⲓ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999
9. Ϩⲛⲯϭⲗⲝⲝⲕⲉⲩ : ϩⲛⲯϭ · ⲝⲝⲕⲉⲩ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999
10. ϥ̣ⲕⲉⲕⲛⲗⲭ : ϥⲕⲉⲓⲥⲛⲩⲇⲭ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999
11. ⲯⲉ̣ⲑⲭⲥ : ⲯⲉⲟⲭⲥ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999 | ⲕϥ̣ⲑ̣ⲯ̣ⲛⲑ : ⲕϥⲱⲯⲛⲑ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999 | ⲭⲉⲩⲣⲗ : ⲭⲉⲩⲣⲁ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999
12. ⲉϥⲕ . ⲕ . perhaps ⲗ or ⲁ, likely corrected from unclear letter, second ⲕ corrected from ⲭ : ⲉϥⲕϩⲕ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999 | ϣⲃⲩⲣⲉ : ϣⲃⲣⲏⲥ Worrell : “Shb[?]rs” Mirecki 1994 & 1999| ⲱⲑⲟⲥⲁ : ⲱⲑⲟⲟⲁ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999 | ϩ̣ corrected from ⲗ by overwriting ? : ⲁ Worrell, Mirecki 1994 & 1999
13. ⲑⲝⲃⲛ · ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ · ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ : ⲑⲉⲃⲛ · ϩⲉⲝⲃⲛ · ϩ[ⲉ]ⲝⲃⲛ Worrell
14. Ϩⲑⲝⲃⲛ : ϩⲟⲝⲃⲛ Worrell

Notes:

Bibliography:

Dieleman, Jacco. “Cryptography at the Monastery of Deir el-Bachit.” In Honi soit qui mal y pense: Studien zum pharaonischen, griechisch-römischen und spätantiken Ägypten zu Ehren von Heinz-Josef Thissen, edited by Hermann Knuf, Christian Leitz, and Daniel von Recklinghausen. Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta 194. Leuven: Peeters, 2010, 511–517.

Doresse, Jean. “Cryptographie copte et cryptographie grecque.” Bulletin de l’Institut d’Égypte 33 (1952): 215–229.

Doresse, Jean. “Cryptography.” In The Coptic Encyclopedia vol. 8, edited by Aziz A. Atiya. New York: Macmillan, 1991, 65-69.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 304–310, no. 133.

Mirecki, Paul. “The Coptic Wizard’s Hoard.” The Harvard Theological Review vol. 87 no. 4 (1994): 435–460.

Worrell, W. H. “A Coptic Wizard’s Hoard.” The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 46 no. 4 (1930): 239–262.

Sieber, John H. (ed.) Nag Hammadi Codices VIII. Leiden: Brill, 1991.

Wisse, Frederik. “Language Mysticism in the Nag Hammadi Texts and in early Coptic Monasticism I: Cryptography.” Enchoria 9 (1979): 101-120.

Editor:

EL’s transcript from Worrell (29/1/20); KD, MPS, RBS (23/7/2026)

How to cite:

[Editor names]. "KYP T896: Ciphered prayer for grace and joy," 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-896. Accessed on 10/10/2026
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