Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (17.2005(2007))

SHEIKH ABD EL-GURNA

EGYPT

APPENDIX
ENKOMION OF ST. PISENTHIOS
FROM SHEIKH ABD EL-GURNA
Wincenty Myszor

The following is a transcription and pro-
visional translation of the beginning of an
enkomion, a laudatory text1 praising the life ol
TRANSCRIPTION
I [2€]N KOYi N(±)AXe NGN
2TA<lXOOY NO? ]T€N7T€T[OYAAB]
3 [njeioDT a tt a NiCoycHC neni
4ckottoc enMAKAPi&TATOc atta
SneiCHNeioc rremcK.onoc n
6 TTTOAIC KBT eA4a)tO?Te A€ €4
7 CYMcJXJDNei NMMAM 6TTTGBK.Q)
8 M!ON NOi ICD2ANNHC T7G4MAGH
9thc neToyMO'/Te epoq xe
10 MATCH €NTA<?Xe NAI A€ AN
II 200C eSCMING NOYBIOC A8
12KO)AY TAP Mn€l2£hB XIN €<*ZH
13 TCAP3 6TB€ ’TACpAI MTT€<?0BBiO
14 G8TTHT GBOA MTTeOOY €TO)OY
15eiT AAAA GNTAYXe NA!
l6€YTAeio NNeqzice

cmoy epoi

Pisenthios, Bishop ol Koptos, found at
Sheikh Abd el-Gurna in 2005. It is similar to
the opening part of the Vie de St. Pesuntbius,
TRANSLATION
1. Some words, which
2. were said by our saintly
3. father, apa Moses,
4. bishop, about the most venerated apa
5. Pisenthios, bishop
6. of the town of Keft, and
7. in agreement with him as to the praise
(enkomion)
8. was John, his follower
9. who is called
10. "soldier" (?), who did not tell me
11. that he was composing a life. He refrained
12. in this matter, as long as he (bishop) was
13. in body, because his humility was great
14. and far from vain glory,
15. but he told me
16. about compensation for his suffering.

Bless me!

1 On enkomia in general, P. van Cauwenbergh, Etude sur les moines d'Egypte depuis le concile de Chalcedoine (451)
jusqu'a 1'mvasion arabe (640) (Paris 1914), 29-39.

273