Coptica 15, 2016

62 Ramez Mikhail

representations, such as a 5 th -century mosaic from Soueida, Syria, 32 and perhaps also a portrait of St. Stephen in the Coptic manuscript Morgan M577 (10 th c.), and another from the ancient monastery of al-Shūhada’ in Isna from the 8 th century. 33 Finally, one may also notice here that one of the earliest witnesses to Coptic ordination rites already granted the subdeacon to wear the orarion, contrary to canon 23 of the Council of Laodicea. Similar to readers and subdeacons, candidates for the deaconate are brought to the altar without a vestment, according to our text. The text for the investiture of the deacon with the orarion reads, “The bishop turns and places the orarion [ ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛⲓⲟⲛ ]زناراً on his left arm [ ϫⲫⲟⲓ ].” 34 Once again, Burmester’s translation – which Innemée follows without scrutiny – chooses only one possible meaning for the Coptic, while ignoring the Arabic altogether. In this case, ϫⲫⲟⲓ can also mean shoulder. 35 This perhaps indicates that the deacon was to wear the orarion in a manner different from the subdeacon, more akin to the way it is worn by deacons draped on the left shoulder. Finally, one may notice that the sticharion has not been mentioned so far for any rank. However, given that the sticharion is the base garment for deacons – and even subdeacons – in all traditions, as well as its mention here in the beginning forbidding its wear before the ordination takes place, one may safely assume that it was granted later, during the prayers. Perhaps the silence of the prayers and rubrics regarding the sticharion shows that the garment was not given much symbolic or spiritual value at the time. 4.3 Deacons

4.4 Priests

A candidate for the priesthood was ordained up to the rank of deacon first, according to our text. Subsequently, he was brought into the church, “vested as a deacon, the orarion over his left arm [shoulder], before the altar.” 36 Later, the bishop vests the newly ordained priest, thus, “He makes

32 Innemée, Ecclesiastical Dress , Plate 56.2; Plate 44.1. Cf. Maria Cramer, Koptische Buchmalerei: Illuminationen in Manuskripten des christilich-koptischen Ägypten vom 4. bis 19. Jahrhundert , Beiträge zur Kunst des christlichen Ostens 2 (Recklinghausen, 1964), 70, fig. 78. 33 Jules Leroy, et al., Les Peintures des Couvents du Désert d’Esna , Mémoires publiés par les membres de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire 94/ Peinture murale chez les Coptes 1 (Cairo, 1975), Plate 22. 34 Coptic Museum 253 Lit. (AD 1364), fol. 13r. Cf. Burmester, Ordination Rites, 36 (Coptic), 87 (English). 35 Crum, A Coptic Dictionary , 805. 36 Coptic Museum 253 Lit. (AD 1364), fol. 14v. Cf. Burmester, Ordination Rites, 38 (Coptic), 88 (English).