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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