DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47598#0165
separate the pages to allow of copying by hand or by photography. However, as the only photograph
possible at the time shows, it can be expected that after proper treatment a fair amount of text
will be readable. This MS, together with all the MSS found on Ibrim in 1966, is now in the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The extensive fragments of Coptic MSS, as might be expected, are either biblical10 or homiletical
in content. With the exception of one group of fragments they are all written on parchment,
usually large in size. The style of the hands used suggests that they cover a period from the 9th
to the 11th centuries. In several instances there are sequences of folio pages up to eight in number.
The dialect is invariably Sahidic. Bohairic has not been found, at least not so far. Its only
appearance on Ibrim is in the Coptic Scroll of Bishop Timotheos in the second half of the 14th
century.
The exception to the general usage for parchment for Coptic literary works is provided by a find
of fragments, some of considerable size, written on papyrus. Among these are parts of the Martyrdom
of St Kyriakos and his mother Julitta (Fig. 3). Versions of this work exist in Syriac and in Arabic, and
a Latin version existed in MSS form until recently but has now apparently been lost. This
Martyrdom was banned in the West by Pope Gelasius on the grounds that it contained heretical
elements. A few fragments of a version in Coptic, otherwise unknown, were published by Dr. Elinor
Μ. Husselman in Volume IV of the Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt. The
handwriting of the MSS suggests a late 8th century date.
The other fragments associated with this find have not yet been identified. The style of handwriting
is similar to that of the Martyrdom already mentioned, and it is probable that they are of the same
date. A few fragments of Coptic written on papyrus have turned up on other areas of the site, but
these are all non-literary in content. The discovery of papyrus being used for literary works at so
late a date is interesting. One can only speculate if its use was dictated by economic reasons or if it
was brought to Nubia by a visitor from Egypt.
The finding of so much Coptic both on papyrus and on parchment suggests that at one period
in the history of Ibrim there must have been a considerable number of Coptic speaking persons
on the site. Indeed it is probable that after the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs Nubia become
increasingly a place of refuge for the Copts, both clerical and lay. More especially the unsuccessful
revolts by the Copts against their Muslim overlords in the 8th and 9th centuries probably resulted
in many seeking sanctuary in the Christian Kingdoms of Nubia.
The Old Nubian MSS are of special interest. Ibrim has provided these in considerable quantity,
and in both literary and non-literary form. A convenient division of the Old Nubian MSS can be
made for the purpose of this paper by reference to the material upon which they were written:
parchment, paper, and leather.
The Old Nubian texts written on parchment are ecclesiastical in content. So far it has been possible
to identify one complete folio page from the Gospel of St John, two almost complete folio pages
from the Apocalypse of St John, and one folio page from an Epistolary containing passages from
St Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians11. A welcome addition to Old Nubian lexicography may
be expected from this material. Others of the Old Nubian MSS on parchment would appear to be
liturgical, and some, to judge from names re-occurring in the text, would seem to be parts
of homilies (Fig. 4).
Those texts written in Old Nubian on paper can be stated to be non-literary in content. Many are
undoubtedly letters written to the Eparch of Ibrim or to one or other of the Bishops of Ibrim12.
Some are accounts of payments or lists of articles. Unfortunately none of these interesting documents
seem to bear dates, or if they do, they are in a form which I have not so far recognized.
Leather as a writting material seems to have been used almost exclusively for official documents or
10 Among the Biblical fragments are passages from all the four Gospels and one fragment containing verses from the
Psalter.
11 Identified to date are John, Ch. 11, 21-41; Revelation, Ch. 7, 16-18; 8, 1-8; 14, 6-14; I Corintians 2, 6-10; 14, 35-40.
12 Cf. note 8.
104
possible at the time shows, it can be expected that after proper treatment a fair amount of text
will be readable. This MS, together with all the MSS found on Ibrim in 1966, is now in the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The extensive fragments of Coptic MSS, as might be expected, are either biblical10 or homiletical
in content. With the exception of one group of fragments they are all written on parchment,
usually large in size. The style of the hands used suggests that they cover a period from the 9th
to the 11th centuries. In several instances there are sequences of folio pages up to eight in number.
The dialect is invariably Sahidic. Bohairic has not been found, at least not so far. Its only
appearance on Ibrim is in the Coptic Scroll of Bishop Timotheos in the second half of the 14th
century.
The exception to the general usage for parchment for Coptic literary works is provided by a find
of fragments, some of considerable size, written on papyrus. Among these are parts of the Martyrdom
of St Kyriakos and his mother Julitta (Fig. 3). Versions of this work exist in Syriac and in Arabic, and
a Latin version existed in MSS form until recently but has now apparently been lost. This
Martyrdom was banned in the West by Pope Gelasius on the grounds that it contained heretical
elements. A few fragments of a version in Coptic, otherwise unknown, were published by Dr. Elinor
Μ. Husselman in Volume IV of the Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt. The
handwriting of the MSS suggests a late 8th century date.
The other fragments associated with this find have not yet been identified. The style of handwriting
is similar to that of the Martyrdom already mentioned, and it is probable that they are of the same
date. A few fragments of Coptic written on papyrus have turned up on other areas of the site, but
these are all non-literary in content. The discovery of papyrus being used for literary works at so
late a date is interesting. One can only speculate if its use was dictated by economic reasons or if it
was brought to Nubia by a visitor from Egypt.
The finding of so much Coptic both on papyrus and on parchment suggests that at one period
in the history of Ibrim there must have been a considerable number of Coptic speaking persons
on the site. Indeed it is probable that after the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs Nubia become
increasingly a place of refuge for the Copts, both clerical and lay. More especially the unsuccessful
revolts by the Copts against their Muslim overlords in the 8th and 9th centuries probably resulted
in many seeking sanctuary in the Christian Kingdoms of Nubia.
The Old Nubian MSS are of special interest. Ibrim has provided these in considerable quantity,
and in both literary and non-literary form. A convenient division of the Old Nubian MSS can be
made for the purpose of this paper by reference to the material upon which they were written:
parchment, paper, and leather.
The Old Nubian texts written on parchment are ecclesiastical in content. So far it has been possible
to identify one complete folio page from the Gospel of St John, two almost complete folio pages
from the Apocalypse of St John, and one folio page from an Epistolary containing passages from
St Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians11. A welcome addition to Old Nubian lexicography may
be expected from this material. Others of the Old Nubian MSS on parchment would appear to be
liturgical, and some, to judge from names re-occurring in the text, would seem to be parts
of homilies (Fig. 4).
Those texts written in Old Nubian on paper can be stated to be non-literary in content. Many are
undoubtedly letters written to the Eparch of Ibrim or to one or other of the Bishops of Ibrim12.
Some are accounts of payments or lists of articles. Unfortunately none of these interesting documents
seem to bear dates, or if they do, they are in a form which I have not so far recognized.
Leather as a writting material seems to have been used almost exclusively for official documents or
10 Among the Biblical fragments are passages from all the four Gospels and one fragment containing verses from the
Psalter.
11 Identified to date are John, Ch. 11, 21-41; Revelation, Ch. 7, 16-18; 8, 1-8; 14, 6-14; I Corintians 2, 6-10; 14, 35-40.
12 Cf. note 8.
104