Historiography, hagiography, and the making of the Coptic “Church of the Martyrs” in early Islamic Egypt

Abstract

IN early twelfth century a manuscript was copied for famous White Monastery in vicinity of Akhm?m, ancient . Panopolis, by a certain Victor, who further identified himself in Coptic as the son of Shenoute, son of Menas, man from Christ-loving city of Pan. He dated his manuscript once by Egyptian month of Parmoute (March-April), in year ofthe Martyrs 828 and year ofthe Saracens 501 (1122 or 1123 ce), and once again, in Greek, by Roman month of April (18th), giving anno mundi, and again year ofthe Martyrs, year ofthe Saracens, as well as an unfortunately mutilated reference to moon, possibly an Islamic dating.1 The donors ofthe manuscript are presented as the pious, truly honored brother, honorable archon Wezir, son of Joseph, and his son deacon John.2 What colophon of this manuscript contains is a sort of stra tigraphy of country's past, revealing cultural layers that had settled in Nile Valley century after century. It has Greek and Arabic place names next to Egyptian, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic dating systems. The scribe uses two languages, Greek and Coptic, and men tions personal names that range from Bible through ancient Egypt to Rome. For himself, he gives a double patronymic, according to Arab usage, although he follows Byzantine simple patronymic for donor. One should remember that at time Church's flock was made up almost exclusively of Arabic-speakers, who no longer under stood either ofthe languages used in colophon. The conservation of these traditions at such a late date certainly has something to say about self-perception of medieval Egyptian Christians. Most ofthe practices and traditions involved here, however, date back to first two Islamic centuries, when Egyptian Church was struggling to find its place in new world order. It is on this formative period that

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