SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

him; and we hope in God that through this grief the Lord may send joy to you and the lord your brother ... 5. Invitation to a Birthday Feast: P.Oxy. 1214, 5th century AD. Ref: SP vol.1 No. 175, pp. 402-3. Translation: To my lord Macarius from Gennadius, adjutant. Deign to gladden the birthday festival of my son Gennadius by dining with us on the 16th at the 7th hour. 6. Inventory of Church Property (Christian): P.Grenf. ii. 111, 5th or 6th century AD. Ref: SP vol.1 No. 192, pp. 432-35. Translation: Inventory of the holy treasures and other utensils of the holy church of Apa Psaius of the village of Ibion, entrusted to the most discreet John, presbyter and steward, Choiak 15 [Kiahk 15], 13th indiction, being as follows: 3 silver chalices; 1 silver paten; 2 hangings; 1 iron rod; 1 other, small; 1 marble slab; 1 bronze tripod for the slab; 23 linen cloths for the slab; 5 woolen cloths; 6 door-curtains; 1 other, old; 1 hanging woolen curtain; 1 hanging cover; 4 bronze lamp-stands; 2 iron lamp-stands; 1 bronze altar; 1 bronze basin; 1 bronze flagon; 2 bronze fonts; 6 hand-lamps with 6 nozzles; 4 boat- shaped lamps with 4 nozzles; 21 parchment books; 3 other of papyrus; 1 cup; 1 ladle; 1 knife; 1 bier; 1 wooden tray; 2 leather cushions; 1 mortar; 3 wooden chairs; 2 stools; 1 triply woven web; 1 cupboard; 1 bronze flask. (Endorsed) Made by me, Elias, archdeacon, on behalf of the holy Apa George. 7. Petition from a Deserted Village: P.Thead. 17, AD. 332. Ref: SP vol.2 No. 295, pp. 300-303. Translation: To his eminence Flavious Hyginus, Praefect of Egypt, from the community of the village of Theadelphia [a village in the Fayoum] in the 8th pagus of the Arsinoite nome, through us, Heron and Sakaon and Kanaoug. We the aforesaid, our lord praefect, are a group of three persons in the village who pay taxes on behalf of all the village for five hundred arurae which are not even being ploug ed up and for a roll of twenty-five individuals including the employees of the Treasury, so that from this state of things our village is reduced to great straits. Setting out in search of our fellow villagers in the Oxyrhynchite nome we discovered at the farmstead of Eulogius son of Nidas, of the hamlet of Serenus, five nominated (?) men, Dionysius, Hor, Ammon, Soucheidas, Apol, and Sabbaeus, with their families; and their landlord Eulogius, together with Arion, a vine-dresser, and Serapion, a cultivator, did not allow us even to approach the door of the farmstead, repulsing us with violence. We also found three migrants in the Cynopolite nome, Gerontius, Pathas, and Heron, holding between them a hundred arurae and more of Crown land. Therefore we, humble and solitary

men, beseech your excellency to give orders to the superintendent of public security to deliver up to us our fellow-villagers with their families, in order that we may be enabled by this measure of relief to remain in our village and may for ever feel grateful to your illustrious fortune. Farewell. (Signed) We, the Aurelii Sakaon and Heron and Kanaoug, wrote for them, as they are illiterate. 8. Letter from the Arab Governor of Egypt: P.Lond. 1380, AD. 710. Ref: SP vol.2 No. 434, pp. 596-601. Translation: In the name of God, Kurrah ibn Sharik, governor, to Basilius, administrator of the village of Aphrodito. We give thanks to God, and to proceed, we have manifestly written to you many times about the two-thirds part of the gold taxes in your district, and we supposed that you had already paid this. Now when we ordered the secretaries to look into the books of the treasury to learn what you had paid into it, we found that your performance is inadequate and of no account and that in this matter you are behaving badly. For we did not send you to pass your time in gormandizing, but we sent you rather to fear God and keep faith and fulfill the claims of the Amir al Muminin. And neither you nor those in your district have an excuse of any kind. For the produce of the fields have been abundant, and God has blessed it and increased it twofold more than it was before, and the wheat has fetched a g od price and it has been sold by the inhabitants. Now, as has been said, you have no excuse of any kind. Look therefore to the arrears of the two-thirds part of the gold taxes in your district and complete them with all expedition, not omitting a single farthing. For God knows that the way you have acted in the matter of these same taxes did not please us; indeed we had a mind to repay you for this. If therefore there is any good in you. complete with all haste, as we have said, your district's arrears of this same two-thirds part of the gold taxes and dispatch them. For it is to the interest of the inhabitants to deliver their dues promptly and not to be left in peace until they are saddled with an accumulation of claims and are hard put to it to pay. We know that the official whose conduct is inadequate and unprofitable seeks excuses for the shortcomings of his works. Do not therefore act in that way and give us cause to threaten your life. Behold, we solemnly warn you. Written on Pauni 7 of the 9th indiction. (Docketed) + ..., 9th indiction. Brought by Muslim, courier. Concerning the dispatch of the complement of the two-thirds part of the gold tax. Conclusion: It should be apparent to the reader that this field is a gold mine for the resources for understanding the Coptic History. However a great deal of effort on the part of the student is needed to pursue work in this field. I am confident that

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

-9-