Main ideas
this article give you examples for Coptic manuscripts &parchment
Psalmody
Psalm
Book of 66 pages
On the last page, the date is given as 16 Toba 1405, Martyrs Calendar (AD 1689). It is 346 pages.
Psalmody
Vegetable paper
Unknown provenance
From 1743 A.D.
Vegetable paper
Unknown provenance
From 1743 A.D.
A manuscript book, written in two columns, contains the prayers, the religious songs, and poems of the Psalmody, which is used in all days of the year in the Coptic Orthodox liturgy, except in the Coptic month of Kiahk and the Passion week. The Coptic language column is written using the Arabic letters and is decorated with colored and golden drawings.
One of the most important drawings inside the book is the picture of Prophet Moses standing beside a bush; this drawing embodies what prophet Moses had seen on Mount Sinai. This story records one of the incarnation symbols. As Moses saw the bush burning with fire but not being consumed, so was the union of the Godhead and Mankind. In this story, the bush symbolizes the Virgin Mary.
These manuscripts were written in the Coptic language using Arabic letters because most of the Coptic people can no longer read Coptic.
One of the most important drawings inside the book is the picture of Prophet Moses standing beside a bush; this drawing embodies what prophet Moses had seen on Mount Sinai. This story records one of the incarnation symbols. As Moses saw the bush burning with fire but not being consumed, so was the union of the Godhead and Mankind. In this story, the bush symbolizes the Virgin Mary.
These manuscripts were written in the Coptic language using Arabic letters because most of the Coptic people can no longer read Coptic.
Psalter( Psalm)
Made of parchment, leather, and bone
Discovered in Al- Mudil ( near Beni Suef)
From the 4th- 5th century
This priceless manuscript represents the earliest complete Coptic psalter. Its 2 original polished covers, remnants of the leather spine, thongs and small bony peg, shaped like the key of life are all preserved.
While all Coptic biblical manuscripts in museums, libraries, and private collections were acquired through antiquities dealers without any information on the circumstances of their discovery, this book of Psalms was discovered by archeologists, and all the details of the find are known.
The only biblical text discovered in an Egyptian tomb, it was found in the large, poor cemetery of Al-Mudil, 40 km north-east of Al-Bahnasa, in a shallow grave under a young girl’s head. Her parents must have been relatively rich to have owned such a valuable volume. The practice of burying religious texts with the dead dates back to Ancient Egyptian burial customs.
The parchment leaves are arranged into groups known as quires, each quire consists of 4 double sheets folded to make 16 pages. The manuscript, made up of 31 quires stitched together, is one of the largest and the oldest book using this method of binding and thus it may well represent one of the most important discoveries of books.
This manuscript of the psalms is written in the Coptic language, the Bahnasi dialect of Middle Egypt. It contains the 151 psalms written on parchment.
It consists of a number of booklets that are sewn together with thread; the cover is of thick leather. On the back cover there is a bolt and on the front a pin in order to fasten the book shut.
It consists of a number of booklets that are sewn together with thread; the cover is of thick leather. On the back cover there is a bolt and on the front a pin in order to fasten the book shut.
The small peg used to lock the book is shaped like the ancient Egyptian symbol of life, it’s decorated with tiny circles with interior dots.
Book of 66 pages from the Holy Bible ( The New Testament)
Discovered in AkhmimParchment
From the 5th- 6th century
Preserved now in the Antiquity museum of the Biblioteca
Here we have a fragment of the Bible containing 66 pages of the New Testament written on parchment. On one page we’ve a decoration of a Latin cross between the
2 letters of the Greek alphabet ( Alpha & Omega).
Papyrus Recording the Report of the Monasteries From the 6th centuryUnknown provenance
Made of: fiber ( from plants-animals), papyrus
Preserved in the antiquity museum of the Biblioteca
This papyrus includes important information about the precise system of inspecting monasteries. It is a report in the form of a letter written by Anba Andreas after visiting and inspecting a monastery located in a town called Aphrodite.
The report was addressed to the Bishop of Metanoia in the town of Canopy. The Bishop was the head of a group of monasteries that were located in the Delta.
Manuscript of the Four Gospels in Arabic
The Book of the Holy Pascha
A manuscript written in both Arabic and Coptic; it bears a picture of two figures, perhaps angels, who are carrying two birds.
Underneath the figures, there are eight interlaced circles, containing floral designs. They are intersected by four additional circles containing crosses, and there is a central circle. Below them, there are two birds perched on a branch and looking outwards.
Sinaxarion (First Part)Style: Abbasid
Materials: Linen and other fiber
Created: 14th century
Preserved in The national museum of Alexandria
Manuscript of the Four Gospels Style: Ottoman
Artisan:
Rofael Ibn Al-Sheikh Al-Moalem Moftah
Materials:Flax
From the 17th century
Manuscript of the Four Gospels in Arabic style: Ottoman
Materials: Flax
From the 17th century
Coptic Museum
Circular seal with a picture of Jesus Christ
The report was addressed to the Bishop of Metanoia in the town of Canopy. The Bishop was the head of a group of monasteries that were located in the Delta.
Main ideas
Book of Lections of the Jonah Fast and Lent
The Book of the Holy Pascha
Sinaxarion (First Part)
Manuscript of the Four Gospels
The term Gospel
Manuscript of the Four Gospels in Arabic
Book of Lections of the Jonah Fast and Lent
Style: Ottoman
Materials: Flax
Created: 17th century
Style: Ottoman
Materials: Flax
Created: 17th century
This Katamarus, or Dallal, contains the lections of the Jonah Fast and Lent. The Jonah Fast is only three days long and precedes Lent by 15 days.
The Book of Jonah in the Old Testament is usually read on these days. The lections of Lent continue throughout the days of the fast but do not extend into Passion Week. This week has its own special Katamarus.
Throughout this manuscript, the headings are in red. Some of the initial letters are inscribed in Coptic and Arabic. The book is written in Arabic and contains 145 papers and each page has 14 lines.
It has a modern red cover of hard paper added in the Patriarchate of Cyril the Fifth in 1625 of the Martyrs era (AD 1909).
The Book of Jonah in the Old Testament is usually read on these days. The lections of Lent continue throughout the days of the fast but do not extend into Passion Week. This week has its own special Katamarus.
Throughout this manuscript, the headings are in red. Some of the initial letters are inscribed in Coptic and Arabic. The book is written in Arabic and contains 145 papers and each page has 14 lines.
It has a modern red cover of hard paper added in the Patriarchate of Cyril the Fifth in 1625 of the Martyrs era (AD 1909).
Book of the Holy Pascha
Style: Ottoman
Artisan:
Abd El-Qodous Son of John Ghobeir El-Abnouby
Materials:Flax
Created: 18th- 19th century
Style: Ottoman
Artisan:
Abd El-Qodous Son of John Ghobeir El-Abnouby
Materials:Flax
Created: 18th- 19th century
In the Book of the Holy Pascha, the word Pascha means Passover. It contains the readings for the last week of Lent, which is also called Passion Week. It starts with the readings for Palm Sunday and ends with the readings for the Saturday of Light.
These readings are only for this period. The book is adorned with various plants, animals, and geometrical shapes. It also bears the decoration of the initial letters and a colophon that names the scribe and the date of inscription.
The book contains 379 papers and each page has 32 lines written in Coptic with Arabic translation on the right margin. The book was restored in 1624 of the Martyrs era, in the Patriarchate of Cyril the Fifth (AD 1909).
These readings are only for this period. The book is adorned with various plants, animals, and geometrical shapes. It also bears the decoration of the initial letters and a colophon that names the scribe and the date of inscription.
The book contains 379 papers and each page has 32 lines written in Coptic with Arabic translation on the right margin. The book was restored in 1624 of the Martyrs era, in the Patriarchate of Cyril the Fifth (AD 1909).
Manuscript Written in both Arabic and Coptic
Style: Circassian Mamluk
Materials: Parchment
Created: 16th century
Preserved in Tanta museum
Style: Circassian Mamluk
Materials: Parchment
Created: 16th century
Preserved in Tanta museum
Underneath the figures, there are eight interlaced circles, containing floral designs. They are intersected by four additional circles containing crosses, and there is a central circle. Below them, there are two birds perched on a branch and looking outwards.
Sinaxarion (First Part)Style: AbbasidMaterials: Linen and other fiber
Created: 14th century
Preserved in The national museum of Alexandria
This linen book contains the biographies of the saints written in Arabic. These synaxaria were intended to be read throughout the first six months of the Coptic year from Thout to Ameshir.
All the biographies are written in Arabic script in black ink; the days and months are written in red ink and each date is surrounded by four small dots that form a cross.
All the biographies are written in Arabic script in black ink; the days and months are written in red ink and each date is surrounded by four small dots that form a cross.
The Synaxarion
Synaxarion is the coptic and Greek term for the latin “ Synaxarium”, and is formal compilation of the lives of the martyrs, saints and religious heroes of the Coptic church.
A book that includes short accounts on the lives of the saints or feasts and fastings arranged according to the Coptic calendar.
The sinaxarion is usually read after readings the “Acts” during the morning service.
The sinaxarion is not be read during the 50 days following the resurrection of Jesus Christ, for during this period we should be only concerned with the Lord’s resurrection.
Manuscript of the Four Gospels Style: OttomanArtisan:
Rofael Ibn Al-Sheikh Al-Moalem Moftah
Materials:Flax
From the 17th century
The term Gospel
The term “Gospel” is an interesting derivative from the old English word “ Godspel” meaning “ good news” which is equivalent of the Greek Evangelion.
The four Gospels who was written by the four evangelists: Saint Mathiew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John.
The manuscript contains the Four Gospels in Arabic, with an introduction, the Ten Commandments, and testimonies of the truth. The cover has a tongue and is polished, engraved, and decorated with a golden line.
On the first page is a golden circle with a frame above it and a frame below it. Inside the frames, the text is gilded and written in white ink. At the beginning of each Gospel, a colored rectangle with gold leaf contains the title. Each Gospel starts with an introduction and the mention of its chapters and contents. It is plaited and decorated in gold and other colors.
At the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, two pages are gilded and adorned with colorful ornaments. The ornaments used to separate chapters are in red or golden ink. The number of the chapter and the name of the witnesses are written in the margins. The last two pages are gilded and bear inscriptions in green ink. Floral elements intertwine with the writing.
The date on page 207 is the 30 Barmahat AM 1329, corresponding to the 15 Safar AH 1022 and 5 April AD 1613. The manuscript was written by the priest Barsam Al-Arkhan Rophael, the son of Sheikh Al-Moallem Moftah.
On the first page is a golden circle with a frame above it and a frame below it. Inside the frames, the text is gilded and written in white ink. At the beginning of each Gospel, a colored rectangle with gold leaf contains the title. Each Gospel starts with an introduction and the mention of its chapters and contents. It is plaited and decorated in gold and other colors.
At the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, two pages are gilded and adorned with colorful ornaments. The ornaments used to separate chapters are in red or golden ink. The number of the chapter and the name of the witnesses are written in the margins. The last two pages are gilded and bear inscriptions in green ink. Floral elements intertwine with the writing.
The date on page 207 is the 30 Barmahat AM 1329, corresponding to the 15 Safar AH 1022 and 5 April AD 1613. The manuscript was written by the priest Barsam Al-Arkhan Rophael, the son of Sheikh Al-Moallem Moftah.
Manuscript of the Four Gospels in Arabic style: OttomanMaterials: Flax
From the 17th century
This manuscript contains the Four Gospels in Arabic. At the beginning of each Gospel there is a table of contents listing the chapters and the subjects. A new list is added and is adorned with red. The titles are red, between two roses and amid plants, coated with gold and colors.
Each Gospel has a picture of the Evangelist at the beginning, as well as pictures of the nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Magi, Christ teaching in the boat, Christ standing in the boat, the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ's entry into Jerusalem, Christ and the Samaritan woman, Christ healing the blind man, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Christ washing the feet of the disciples, and the cross.
Each Gospel has a picture of the Evangelist at the beginning, as well as pictures of the nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Magi, Christ teaching in the boat, Christ standing in the boat, the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ's entry into Jerusalem, Christ and the Samaritan woman, Christ healing the blind man, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Christ washing the feet of the disciples, and the cross.
Main ideas
Byzantine or Islamic period
The Greeks and Romans writing
Islamic,picture of Jesus Christ,
The Katamarus,
Manuscript of a Psalm ,
Coptic language,Sahidic ,Bohairic
The art of binding
The Greeks and Romans writing
Islamic,picture of Jesus Christ,
The Katamarus,
Manuscript of a Psalm ,
Coptic language,Sahidic ,Bohairic
The art of binding
These manuscripts were covered with leather bindings for their protection so that the art of binding also flourished in the monasteries and attained a splendid standard.
Among the monk of each monastery, there was a group trained in this profession, and they ornamented the outside coverings with fine designs or with the figures of apostles or saints by embossing them with special carved seals. Many of these seals and various tools for binding have been found in the monasteries.
A seal in high relief
Made of pottery
Coptic Museum
Byzantine or Islamic period ( from the 7th century)
A circular clay seal with a foliage motif. The motif consists of five petals joined together at the stem.
The work is executed in both high and low relief and the artist has meticulously designed the details of the petals enclosed in a border.
The seal may have been used to embellish objects with this beautiful floral designs.
Circular seal engraved with Coptic text
Made of stucco
Preserved now in the Greco Roman museum
Discovered in the site of Pompey’s pillar
From the 5th century A.D.
The circular seal was used to stamp a container to protect its contents. The seal is decorated with a low-relief in the Coptic language.
In the center, Coptic letters are surrounded by an incised circle. This circle is surrounded by another engraving in the Coptic language and a final etched circle.
Circular seal with a picture of Jesus Christ
Made of limestone
Preserved now in the Coptic Museum
From the 7th- 8th century A.D.
A round stone seal bearing a picture of Christ, with a halo of light around his head formed of double rings. The face is shown in detail with the eyes, nose, hair and beard. The clothing is clearly shown.
There are two vine leaves around. . " (John: 15:5)
the figure of Christ, to symbolize the grapevine. For Christ had given himself the title: "I am the vine, you are the branches:
the figure of Christ, to symbolize the grapevine. For Christ had given himself the title: "I am the vine, you are the branches:
The seal was used in the church to stamp objects to bless them.
Development of the Codex
( a manuscript volume)
The Greeks and Romans, as well as others who wrote on papyrus or ordinary leather, considered the scroll the most suitable format for writing on. This may seem surprising today as the scroll is less convenient for writing, reading, or stacking on shelves than a codex, a set of individual sheets bound together in the manner of a modern book.
The codex format might have appeared under the Hittites as early as the second millennium BC, but this theory has been disputed. The more accepted theory is that the codex format came from the practice of writing on a number of flexible wooden or metallic sheets that could be bound together. A codex was made by binding together a number of square pieces of parchment all folded along the middle. It was then protected by a cover of a durable material such as parchment, thick leather, wood, or metal.
Another advantage of the codex was that it was easier to decorate the text with drawings, which is called illumination. It was possible to draw on papyrus scrolls using water-based colors, but the artist could not use other techniques and materials such as gold leaf. Artists found it easier to illuminate a square page with a theme linked to the text on the page itself or on the page opposite.
The monks used, as it happens now in convents, to stick the pamphlets of the manuscripts with a mixture of powdered fenugreek and salt after they were boiled together, in order to avoid all the harmful insects and worms that usually seduce the manuscripts and expose them to rapid destruction.
The spread of books and manuscripts dealing with many branches of knowledge and in this way, culture flourished through all the world by Coptic monks and their scribes being the former pioneers in this favorable and distinguished role.
The Katamarus
Made of parchment
From Abbasid time ( 8th- 9th century)
Preserved in the Coptic Museum
The Katamarus
Katamarus, a Greek word that means "according to the day" or in Arabic Dallal, "that which defines the day." It is a lectionary of the days.
In the Coptic Church, there are various kinds of Katamarus. There is the yearly Katamarus, the book that contains the readings for the whole year; the Passion Week Katamarus, which contains the readings for the last week of Lent; and the Lenten Katamarus, the book containing the readings for the whole of Lent.
The readings in each Katamarus are divided into days according to the Coptic months. The readings for each day include part of a psalm, part of the Gospel, part of the Pauline Epistles, part of the Catholic Epistles, and part of the Acts of the Apostles.
Manuscript of a Psalm in the Coptic Sahidic Dialect
A flax manuscript
From the Ottoman period
This manuscript bears traces of a psalm written in the Coptic Sahidic dialect. The Psalms of the Old Testament are attributed to David the Prophet and King of Israel.
The Book of Psalms consists of 151 psalms, the majority of which were believed to be written by David the Prophet. There is an alleged similarity between the Song of Akhenaten and Psalm 104.
The Coptic language has several dialects including Faiyumic, Menfi, Sahidic, Akhmimic, and
Bohairic, the dialect of the Delta.
This piece is written in the Sahidic dialect, that of the South or Upper Egypt. The psalms are often sung in church to various tunes or settings.
Sahidic : Coptic dialect that was spoken in Upper Egypt from the fourth century BC and was looked upon as Classic Coptic.
Bohairic: Coptic dialect that was spoken in the Nile delta and is considered the dialect of the Coptic Church
Parchment with Orange-Colored Cross
From Abbasid time ( 8th century)
Discovered in Akhmim
Preserved in the Coptic Museum
This parchment has a decoration in the form of an orange-colored cross. Inside the cross, there are plaited decorations. Within each of the four segments of the cross, there are simple tree branches. Each of the hanging branches ends in a peacock drawn freely
The peacock symbolizes eternity and immortality and the cross is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. The piece symbolically represents Christ the Eternal.
Main ideas
Use of parchment for written records
Discovered in Zawit el - Iriyan
The peacock symbolizes eternity and immortality and the cross is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. The piece symbolically represents Christ the Eternal.
Main ideas
Use of parchment for written records
The process of manufacturing parchment
The ink ( The pigment)
The writing tools on parchment& papyrus
Use of parchment for written records
Parchment was, along with papyrus, one of the most important materials used as a writing surface in ancient times. Middle Eastern civilizations first wrote on ordinary leather before parchment was invented. The oldest existing text on leather found in Egypt dates from the 15th century BC.
Leather and, later, parchment was used specifically by the Jews to write their sacred texts. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Greeks of Asia Minor wrote on leather before switching to papyrus.
The process of manufacturing parchment
Although older books did not contain a detailed description of how parchment was made, the method of making parchment did not change over the course of several centuries. In fact, it was still practiced in Europe in the Middle Ages. Most probably the hides of small animals, such as sheep or goats.
What is the process of making parchment?
They were first soaked in water and lime for three days. This was to melt the fat and any remaining meat from the hide. Then the wool was sheared and the skin was stretched until it dried completely. It was then treated, polished, and cut into regular square shapes, ready for use. Both sides of the parchment were inscribed.
The Copts acquired exquisite skill in the manufacture of parchment from the skins of gazelles prepared in very slices, which were then salted and dried until fit for writing upon. At the same time, old parchment was frequently re-used after erasing the old texts. Many valuable literary and historical works have thus been lost. The use of parchment continued until the 13th century.
Although Egypt produced ample quantities of papyrus, which was relatively inexpensive, parchment was preferable because parchment could be made wherever small animals were reared. Its production, however, was more expensive than papyrus and the amount produced did not fulfill the needs of the market.
Christianity played a role in this development as both Christians and Jews preferred to write their sacred texts on more durable material. They believed their sacred books, the Bible in the case of Christians and the Torah in the case of Jews, were as important as places of worship and should not be written on material that would disappear with time.
It is noteworthy that very large and complete manuscripts on parchment have been found, especially the wonderful collection excavated in one of the monasteries of the Fayum and bought by the rich Americain Pierpont Morgan.
The latest parchment manuscript is preserved in the library of Deir El Sourian in Wadi El Natrun.
What people used after parchment?
They Used the linen paper for written records
Soon after the 13th century, a revolution took place with the appearance of linen paper instead of 00. Its manufacture flourished in the Islamic periods, and the Arab historian Makrizi states that there was a special street for paper factories in Cairo. The city of Fayum and the town of Bebory near Damietta were also renowned for this industry.
Parchment &papyrus made a great development at this time, however; the ink has a great role in this time so let’s know more about the ink at this time.
The ink ( The pigment)
During the Ancient Egyptian time, The equipment of the scribe who writes hieroglyphs consists of a rectangular case of pigment and reeds, a pot of water for wetting the pigment, and the reeds themselves.
The most common pigment was carbon black. Red of ochre, an earthy mineral oxide of iron, was used to highlight the subject heading and dates.
Ink with lead was not used until the Ptolemaic period. It seems to have been used only by scribes writing Greek. The demotic part, even in the same document, would still be written with the traditional carbon.
Ink- making of various sorts and colors was in the charge of a skillful group of monks in the monasteries. The ink used in writing was made of special materials to which gum arabic was generally added.
Among the ruins of Deir-el Gazaz, near the foot of the hills lying west of Naqada, some ink pots have been found at the bottom of which were traces of various sorts of dry which the monks employed in copying.
Among the references recorded on a page of a liturgical manuscript testifying to the exquisite skill of the monks in the art of making the various kinds of ink, is the statement that one of the monks in the monastery of St. Anthony, named Peter the Dronkian, was the most famous copyist of this time.
For the colors:
Red was employed for writing the titles and the beginning of the chapters, and black for texts. The other colors were used for ornamenting the pages of manuscripts by painting crosses or martyrs, saints, apostles, angels, and other biblical scenes. Sometimes they were decorated with pictures of birds or tame animals, or with floral and geometrical patterns.
The writing tools on parchment& papyrus
For the writing tools, the copyist employed reeds, and the museum possesses many of them together with wooden or leather pen cases. Such reeds are still used in writing in small village schools.
The manuscripts are on papyrus or parchment or paper are divided into 5 principal groups:
1- Liturgical manuscripts were written in Greek. These are the oldest.
2- Bilingual manuscripts were written in Greek and Coptic. These were common use before the Arab conquest.
3- Pure Coptic manuscripts of different periods.
4- Bilingual manuscripts were written in Coptic and Arabic. They were used when Arabic had supplanted Coptic as the language of Egypt.
During the Caliphate El-Walid ibn Abdul-Malik, it was ordered that Arabic should replace Coptic. The Copts then began to translate the Coptic books into Arabic.
In 1140, the Patriarch Gabriel II ordered the bishops to explain the prayers and the faith in Arabic, but Coptic was still used in the churches for prayers.
However, the 1st translations of the Bible which were officially sanctioned by the church date to the 13th century.
5- Arabic manuscripts, used in abundance after the spread of the Arabic language in the country.
The first person who might have written originally in Coptic was Saint Anthony, a hermit in the desert in the 2nd century. We have a collection of his 7 letters, existing in Latin, in Georgian and in Coptic.
Another person who might have written in Coptic is Hieracas of Leontoplois.
Coptic Manuscripts
Paper, ink and the pen are indispensable materials for the scribe.
In the Ancient Egyptian time, the most common surfaces for writing, especially in hieratic, were pottery, boards, papyrus, and leather.
The Coptic literary papyri are written, depending on their age, on papyrus, parchment, or paper.
The state of preservation of Coptic manuscripts is varied. The dry climate of Egypt is favorable to their preservation, so far as the Coptic manuscripts were found in the dry desert soil, whether in the ruins of Coptic monasteries or in graves.
Many Coptic manuscripts were destroyed in the persecutions, or in the attacks by nomads on the Coptic monasteries situated on the edge desert( in Wadi Al Natrun) .
The Egyptian state church attempted to destroy
The Coptic manuscripts of Christian sects or non-Christian religious communities, or those of Christian authors whose orthodoxy came under suspicion.
No other country has yielded more ancient written material than Egypt. The sources for Coptic Egypt are in Greek, Coptic, Arabic and Latin.
Coptic Manuscripts materials
Use of Ostraca for written records for the Coptic Manuscripts
Commercial documents such as receipts and contracts, as well as personal and business letters, were written on papyrus, parchment, and Ostraca ( a limestone flakes or pieces of broken pottery ).
The Coptic Manuscripts like Ostraca were used for any temporary or short records, from informal letters to legal records to literary texts, such as the story of Sinuhe.
Beginning in the early 9th century, the paper became increasingly important during the10th century, it supplanted papyrus, the most important ancient Egyptian writing material which had been in continuous use for nearly 4 millennia.
Where& are Coptic Manuscripts Preserved?
The Coptic Manuscripts are in the Coptic Museum
Ostracon of human figures
From the 4th- 5th century
The irregularly shaped piece of stone has a figure of a man on both sides. It is an educational model used to train individuals in the art of depicting human figures. On one side, a man lifts up his hands in a pose of worship.
On the other side, another man carries a stick in one hand and an unidentified instrument in the other hand. A child and some Coptic letters, pronounced "Te, teio," are also present.
Ostracon with running horse
Another piece for Coptic Manuscripts Preserved in the Coptic Museum
From the 5th- 6th century
The piece of stone, irregular in shape, has a drawing of a running horse on one side. On the other side is inscription and some geometric figures. There is also the shape of a flower with ornaments above it in the form of braids in black ink and some Coptic letters.
The ostracon is an educational model used to train individuals in the art of drawing a horse decorated with a collection of crosses formed by braiding.
The development for Manuscripts in Egypt
Use of pottery for written records
Pottery shards were used as a writing surface extensively in Egypt during the Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, and Roman eras. These pottery pieces contained various texts, whether poetry, short stories, or medical recipes, both in the Ancient Egyptian language and in the other languages used through the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
When Manuscripts were used also?
The In the third century BC, it was common to inscribe pottery with official documents, special calculations, prayers, letters, and even commercial agreements. Children practiced writing on pottery pieces at school, as it was easy to wipe off the writing and start again.
Coptic Manuscripts In Egypt,
pottery was believed to be the preferred writing medium for the poorer social classes who could not afford to buy papyrus, despite its relative affordability. The Copts of Egypt continued to write on pottery until the advent of the Arabs, who wrote on papyrus or ordinary leather.
Using pottery for Coptic Manuscripts
The Copts wrote prayers, verses from the Bible, and some poetry verses on pottery, as well as decorative patterns. Pottery vessels were not suitable for longer texts due to limited space, but they were practically free, as they were available in every house in every street and preferred by the poor.
These Coptic Manuscripts like pottery pieces are one of the major sources of information on political life, popular beliefs, customs, and the many aspects of the life of the poor of Ancient Egypt.
What was the role of papyrus for Manuscripts?
Use of papyrus for written records
Papyrus was used as a writing surface very early in history. The oldest examples date back to the end of the fourth millennium BC, but many believe that writing on papyrus dates back to the middle of the fourth millennium BC.
So, in antiquity, Egypt stood supreme for its papyrus industry, the best writing material is known before the paper came from China. Pliny describes the method of manufacture and states that its industry was restricted to the Egyptians till the Roman period.
While it is still not known exactly when the Greeks started writing on papyrus, it is estimated to have been in the sixth or end of the seventh century BC. During this time, the Greeks managed to rid themselves of the Phoenicians as trading middle-men and started to acquire papyrus directly from Egypt.
A relatively large number of texts from the Greco-Roman period written on papyrus have survived. Most of these were found in Egypt, where the dry weather helps preserve this material that is prone to damage from water and dampness.
Writing on papyrus was usually in the form of columns inscribed along the length of the sheet, connected from right to left. The reader would hold the scroll in one hand and use the other hand to open the text and read it from beginning to end. This column was called a "pagina" and the same term was used to denote the pages of the book when the scroll evolved into a codex, a set of individual sheets bound together in the manner of a modern book. If one scroll was not long enough for the text, two or three scrolls would be used.
A small piece of parchment or papyrus on which the title of the text was written was then inserted, especially if it was to be held in a library. The scroll might be wrapped in a leather cover or placed in a special box for protection.
The use of papyrus lasted nearly to the 10th century A.D. after which it was replaced by parchment, a more durable material.
Not only was it manufactured to satisfy the needs of the country, but it was among the leading goods exported.
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