Business spell for merchant (magical, formulary)

For a merchant ⟨so that he⟩ makes a profit

Egyptian (Coptic)

Coptic

Parallel text: P. Mich. inv. 593, p. 9 ll. 7-10 (KYP M9, T886)

6. ⲟⲩⲁⲡⲁⲣⲭⲏ ⲛ̅ⲛⲉϩ “oil of the first fruits” The first fruits are the first products of the harvest. According to canonical collections, first fruits offerings (typically of oil, grain, and wine) were to be taken to the church and blessed by the bishop and were used for the production of the communion bread and wine, as well as for the care of the sick; cf. PCM I, p. 476-77. For oil of the first fruits in the Coptic magical corpus, see e.g., P.Heid.inv.Kopt. 686 (PCM I 26; KYP M166) p. 16 ll. 7, 13; Leiden F 1964/4.14 (PCM I 37; KYP M21) back l. 12; P. Mich. inv. 593 (KYP M9) p. 6 ll. 15-16 (KYP T870), p. 6 l. 17 – p. 7 l. 1 (KYP T871); P. Mich. inv. 594 (KYP M15) ro l. 9 (KYP T912), ro l. 15 (KYP T913), vo l. 6 (KYP T928).
6-7. ⲉϩⲉ̣ⲛⲥⲕⲉⲩ̅ⲏ Despite the resemblance to the Greek σκευή (“equipment”), this is probably rather σκεῦος, via the plural σκεύη “vessel or implement of any kind; inanimate object, thing” (cf. LSJ, Förster WBGW s.v.). As Förster notes (sense 2), the word can refer to jars for holding liquids such as wine. Mirecki translates as “merchandise”, but here the specification that the ⲥⲕⲉⲩⲏ be new implies that they have a ritual rather than practical function – a merchant might want or need to sell old or new merchandise, and specifications that materials (frequently vessels into which liquids are put) be new is common in magical texts; see, e.g. Cairo JdE 42573 (KYP M44) p. 3 l. 14: ⲩⲉⲓⲧⲱⲥ ⲛⲃⲣⲣⲉ (“a new vessel”); Hay 1 (KYP M302) vo l. 89: ⲩⲗⲓⲕ̣ ⲛⲃⲣⲣⲉ (“a new jar”); Hay 3 (KYP M287) vo l. 19: ⲧⲕⲁⲗⲁϩⲧ ⲛⲃⲣⲣⲉ (“the new pot”); Mich. Ms. 136 (KYP M128) p. 12 ll. 9-10: ⲟⲩ̣ⲗ̣ⲟⲟⲕⲉ ⲛ̅ⲃⲣ̅ⲣⲉ ⲉⲥϫⲏⲣ (“a new black vessel”); Naqlun N. 78/93 (KYP M1135) ll. 26-27: ⲟⲩⲉⲧⲓⲟⲥ ⲛϥⲏ[ⲣⲉ .?] ⲛ̣ϥⲁⲣⲱⲧ (“a new bronze bowl”); PCM I 25 (KYP M186) p. 9 l. 4: ⲟⲩϭⲁⲗⲉϩ ⲃⲏⲣⲓ (“a new pot”), p. 15 ⲃⲏⲗϫⲓ ⲛⲕⲗⲱⲗ · ⲃⲏⲣⲓ (“new pottery ostraca”), likewise in PCM I 26 (KYP M166) p. 15 l. 30; P. Köln Kopt. 3 vo ll. 9-10 ⲟⲩⲧⲙⲏ ⲛ̅ⲃⲉⲣⲉ (“a new reed mat”); P. Macq. I 1 p. 13 l. 20 ⲟⲩⲃⲗϫⲉ · ⲃⲉⲣⲉ (“a new ostracon”). For ⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ used of pouring liquids into containers, compare Mark 2.22: ⲙⲉⲣⲉⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲉϫ ⲏⲣⲡ ⲛⲃⲣⲣⲉ ⲉϩⲱⲧ ⲛⲁⲥ (“no one puts new wine into an old skin”). It seems likely that the merchant is to carry the oil in the jar(s) with him as he voyages as an amulet, in the same way that holy water or oil, such as that from the shrines of saints such as Apa Mena, might be carried in flasks; for these see Vikan 1982, 10-17, 22-27, who notes that these were often specifically believed to protect those travelling by sea.
7. ⲉⲡϣⲙⲙⲟ For the translation “abroad”, see Crum CD 566a.

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