SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

The homily lists the twelve in the order given in the Gospel of St. Matthew (10:2-4). In most cases there are two elements. The first emphasizes the role of that individual disciple as a witness to the miracle in particular, or to Christ in general. The second element emphasizes that after witnessing, that disciple later went on to preach of what he saw (see 1 Jn 1:1). For instance, “Simon the Canaanite was invited in order that he may see the men filling water (jugs) to their brim. Afterwards, through the power of Christ, wine was drawn. And he went forth and preached of the miracles which he saw.” We can find a major exception to this pattern in the case of Judas, who is given a direct command. For while the Eleven are in the midst of the wedding, Judas is depicted as sitting on the side, braiding a rope;

hemci nak hwk w ioudac nem y/ etactamok e paico[ni ethwou ete yai te tekchimi n tekcob] nak n ounoh sa ouc/ou n tekojhk m mof n tekmou n tektako n tek'u,/ qen am/n] qen pima eteknahwl e rof.

Sit yourself down O Judas with she who gave (lit. told) you this evil advice, that is, your wife. And prepare for yourself a rope until the time you strangle yourself with it, and die, and your soul perish in Hades, in the place which you will go to.

The contrast between the mood of the wedding and Judas’ disposition is incredibly vivid. And in the beginning of a long sermon, this dichotomy acts as a great attention grabber.

A FORGOTTEN COPTIC MARTYRDOM FROM THE 13TH CENTURY ST. JOHN OF PHANIDJOIT (3) (by Hany N. Takla)

Historical Information as recorded in the Martyrdom: This martyrdom affords us a look at circumstances that the Copts lived in under the rule of the Ayyubite dynasty. This coincided with the early Crusades which brought enormous perils on the Copts in Egypt. As we read this text, we come face to face with a man, directly or indirectly, describing the Copts of his time and their rulers. Such information greatly enhances our knowledge of the History of the Copts. The following is a short list of such material: 1. Osman the son of Joseph, was one of the

allowed to live in peace after they decided to retain their Christian Faith again. 3. Conversion from Islam to any other faith, including Christianity, required a royal sanction or pardon. A sanction that rarely was granted, which explains the Martyr's readiness to die as a result of such appeal. 4. El-Kamel, the son of El-Adel the reigning Ayyubite king, was being referred to as a king even though his official reign started in AD 1218. This supports the fact that El- Adel appointed his sons, during his lifetime, to rule certain parts of his kingdom (apprentice kings!). 5. The author held Upper Egyptian in high esteem. He labeled them as "the faithful Christians". This is an indication of the solid Christian presence in Upper Egypt in comparison to that in Lower Egypt.

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter Ayyubite kings of Egypt (AD 1193-98). During his reign Christians such as our Martyr were coerced into Islam as a result of a seemingly illicit affair. 2. The existence of a refuge village in Upper

Egypt called Pepleu, governed by a Moslem with benevolent feelings toward the Christians. There, Christians who were probably coerced into conversion, were

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