Mittuniversitetet

This article offers a semi-diplomatic edition of CLM 1220, a papyrus codex in the 'classical' variety of Fayyūmic Coptic (dialect F5), discovered in 1987 in Madīnat Māḍī. Of the three extant leaves, two preserve a portion of an erotapokrisis that in another manuscript bears the title 'The questions of Faustus and Timothy, deacons of the church of Alexandria, before saint Horsiesius the archimandrite' (CPG 2371); these leaves were published in 1990 by Tito Orlandi and have now been reedited with numerous improvements. The article also includes the editio princeps of the third leaf, comprising an unidentified homily on fornication. The edition of the Coptic text is preceded by a thorough discussion of the codicology and paleography of CLM 1220, its linguistic features, contents, provenance, and date.

The Martyrdom of George is one of the most prominent early Christian hagiographies, the popularity of which endured far into the Middle Ages. Originally composed in Greek, it was translated into a multitude of ancient languages, including the three major literary dialects of Coptic - viz., Sahidic, Fayyumic, and Bohairic. Exactly one century ago, Giuseppe Balestri and Henri Hyvernat produced for this series an exemplary edition of two Bohairic manuscripts of the martyrdom. The present volume supplements the classic work of these two Coptologists by offering the reader an edition and translation of the other eight Coptic witnesses. The edition is preceded by a study which argues that, although scholars often speak of the Coptic version of the Martyrdom of George, there are, in fact, two distinct Coptic versions - viz., one attested by the extant Sahidic manuscripts and one attested in Bohairic and Fayyumic.

The present volume focuses on the Coptic parabiblical texts – those texts that do not belong to the Bible but fall in its orbit – which include not only the Apocrypha but also the works of the Apostolic Fathers. The contributions deal with a wide range of topics and literary genres, including apocryphal acts and the so-called apostolic memoirs. The volume is divided into two sections: editiones, which contains editions of several important texts in Sahidic Coptic, and studia, which comprises five articles on Coptic parabiblical literature. The literary works discussed in the volume are contextualized in the scope of Coptic literature, regardless of whether they were originally composed in Coptic or translated into Coptic from Greek. Some of the contributions also deal with the reception of Coptic literature in Arabic and Old Nubian literary traditions.

The Jesus of Luke often participates in banquets and talks about meals in his speeches. Luke 17,34, we suggest, is one such example of the latter, a link that becomes evident when compared to its parallel, Gos. Thom. 61.1, where Jesus speaks of two men reclining on one dining couch. Through this insight, we argue that Luke 17,34 refers to a Eucharistic banquet of an early Christian group, suggesting that the division into two at the eschatological judgment applies even to those who celebrate the Eucharist together.