E00141: Coptic Life of *Pisenthios (ascetic and bishop of Koptos, ob. 632, S00057), from Edfu (Upper Egypt), attributed to his disciple, John the Presbyter, and presented on his feast day (7 July), mentioning his exceptional humility as a monk and bishop, his ability to perform miracles in life, his healing power, as well as his ability to converse with and intercede on behalf of the dead; 7th c. or later.
Creators: name: Gschenke
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2014
Subjects: History

description: Brit. Mus. Ms. Oriental 7026:<br><br>The text is presented on the feast day of the saint and introduced as follows:<br><br>ⲡⲃⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲧⲡⲟⲗⲩϯⲁ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲓⲏⲩ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲉⲥⲉⲛⲑⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ · ⲙⲡⲧⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲥⲉⲛϯ <br>ⲉⲁϥϩⲓⲥⲧⲟⲣⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛϭⲓ ⲓⲱⲥ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲉⲥⲃⲩⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲣⲡⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲙⲛⲧϣⲟⲙⲧⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲙⲡⲉⲃⲟⲧ ⲉⲡⲏⲫ ϩⲛ <br>ⲟⲩⲉⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲁⲙⲏⲛ<br><br>‘The life and conduct of our holy honourable father, Apa Pisenthios, the bishop and anchorite at the mountain of Tsenti, as related by John the presbyter on the day of his holy commemoration which is day 13 of the month Epiph [7 July]. In God's peace. Amen.'<br><br>The text recounts the saint's numerous miracles performed as an ascetic, living in the desert. He is described as being luminous and full of sweet odour by day and night. <br><br>The speaker addresses both saint and audience and explains that he had sworn an oath not to speak of the miracles that occurred through the saint until long after his death, due to the saint’s humility. <br><br>The account begins with the monk Pisenthios, who had the habit of praying exceedingly, reciting numerous holy books by heart.<br><br>The first miracle occurred to the saint himself, when he fell ill and stayed in his cell unattended and without provisions for over a week. He received a divine visit from the prophet Elijah the Tishbite who sat with him. One of the other ascetics who eventually arrived to look for Pisenthios found him with the prophet whom he described as an utterly hairy being, yet graceful and full of light. When he was told that this was the prophet Elijah, he was sworn to secrecy about the miraculous visit paid to Pisenthios at least for the duration of the saint’s lifetime (Fol. 25b–28b).<br><br>Pisenthios is referred to as the thirteenth apostle (Fol. 27b, line 9–10: ⲡⲙⲉϩ ⲙⲛⲧϣⲟⲙⲧⲉ ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲉⲥⲩⲛⲑⲓⲟⲥ), and after he was made bishop of Koptos by the archbishop Apa Damianos, it is claimed that he acted as protector, not just of the district of Koptos, but of the entire country of orthodox Christians.<br><br>Fol. 29a, lines 5–9:<br><br>ⲁⲩⲱ ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲛⲉϩⲣⲏⲧⲱⲛ ⲛⲧⲁⲛϫⲟⲟⲩ · ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲉⲛϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲛⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲡⲉⲥⲩⲛⲑⲓⲟⲥ · ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁ ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛϩ⟨ϥ⟩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ <br>ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲛⲕⲁⲓⲣⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲟ ⲛⲛⲁϣⲧⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲛⲧⲟϣ ⲙⲙⲁⲧⲉ ⲁⲛ · ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲉⲧⲉⲭⲱⲣⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲥ · ⲛⲛⲉⲭⲣⲓⲥϯⲁⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ ·<br><br>‘… and according to the things we have said concerning our fatherly lord bishop Apa Pisenthios, whom God revealed in our lifetime, as protector not for our district alone, but for the whole country of orthodox Christians.’<br><br>Pisenthios, pasturing sheep in his early youth, has a vision of a pillar of fire just like Moses. He asks God to let his companions have the vision too, a wish God grants him (Fol. 32b–33a). <br><br>The fish miracle:<br>When one of the brothers at the mountain of Tsente was very ill and desired to eat a bit of fish, Pisenthios, on his way to fill his bucket with water from the river, prayed to God to have mercy on this very ill brother and not to deny him his wish. When Pisenthios reached the riverbank, the flood water was so high that it had transported a large fish onto the bank. Pisenthios thanked the Lord, collected the fish and gave it to his ailing brother. This account of events, it is claimed, was given to John, the encomiast presenting the saint’s life, by Pisenthios himself (Fol. 33b–34b). <br><br>The miracle at the well:<br>Another time, when Pisenthios had forgotten to bring a rope and bucket to the well where he intended to draw drinking water to fill his container, he said a prayer, whereupon the water rose to the rim of the well from where the saint could easily fill his container, before he ordered it to go down again (Fol. 35b–36a).<br><br>When Pisenthios prayed with his hands stretched up to heaven, his ten fingers shone like torches so that it was mistaken for a fire lit by the saint, as one eyewitness claimed (Fol. 39b).<br><br>Other eyewitnesses claimed that they found the famous monk hiding on the mountain of Jeme not wishing to become a bishop, but rather to remain a simple ascetic (Fol. 40a–42a).<br><br>The encomion presented seems to make use of material from sermons by Pisenthios himself, arguing that the encomiast would otherwise not be able to do the saint justice:<br><br>Fol. 45b, lines 1–5:<br><br>ⲛⲛⲁϭⲙϭⲟⲙ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲕⲟⲥⲙⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲕⲱⲙⲓⲟⲛ ⲙⲡⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲓⲙⲏⲧⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲧϥⲧⲁⲡⲣⲟ ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ⲙⲙⲟϥ · ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲛ <br>ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕⲁⲗⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲛϥⲭⲱⲣⲏⲅⲉⲓ ⲛⲁⲛ · <br><br>‘Yet how will we be able to adorn the encomion on the saint, if not by means of his own mouth? But let us invoke him, and let him lead us …’<br><br>The water miracle in the desert:<br>During the time of the Persian invasion, John, the author of the encomion, fled together with the saint into the desert seeking refuge in a cave on the mountain of Jeme. They had brought water jugs with them, but soon ran out of water. John nearly died of thirst, but the saint went out in good spirits. Returning a long time later, the saint announced joyfully that John should go and drink some water, if he was as thirsty as he seemed to be. John swears as an eyewitness that all the water jugs had miraculously filled up with water again (Fol. 46a–49b).<br><br>The saint is claimed to have been a trained scribe, a skilled reader of omens, as well as a master-physician healing everyone seeking his help (Fol. 52b–53a).<br><br>Illustrating the saint’s clairvoyance, John, the encomiast, offers a selection of miracles from the many miraculous events that occurred when Pisenthios was bishop of Koptos, claiming that to relate all of them would take far too long. These miracles concern typical worries of a bishop’s flock, danger on the roads, human relationships, financial problems, fraud and murder.<br><br>Punishing a rapist:<br>When bishop Pisenthios was hosting visitors from Alexandria, a shepherd who had raped a local woman that morning, approached the bishop to receive a blessing from him. The saint, enraged at the man’s sin, rejected him and threw him out. The puzzled shepherd, seemingly starting to feel guilty, confessed to John, the encomiast, what he had done and assumed that the saint must somehow have found out about it. <br><br>In the hope of making up for his sin, the shepherd brings a selection of cheeses as a donation for his soul and begs John to hand them over to the saint. When the saint later asks for some cheese to offer to his visitors, John hands over all the cheese donations received that day, including those of the shepherd. But Pisenthios picks out and rejects the cheese donated by the rapist shepherd, scolding John and instructing him to return them to the sinner right away. (Fol. 57b–61b).<br><br>Staying safe from wild animals on dark desert roads:<br>Once when John was sent by the saint on an errand to the region of Jeme, he returned late and was caught in the dark on a desert route. Two hyenas chased him riding on his donkey ready to attack him. In his despair, John prayed to the saint and immediately upon hearing the saint’s name, the wild animals fled in terror. Next, John was attacked by a pack of wolves and separated from his donkey. He prayed to the saint again, and immediately, when the wolves heard his name, they ran off. When John reached his home on the mountain of Tsente, he found the donkey had already returned. Pisenthios scolded John, claiming that he had told him before not to travel on those paths in the dark, and warning that the wild animals would have killed him, if it were not for the mercy of God. (Fol. 61b–63a).<br><br>Pregnancy out of wedlock:<br>When Pisenthios was visited by a man and his grown up son, he informed the father of his son’s secret affair with a local girl who became pregnant as a result. To lessen the surprised father’s disbelief, Pisenthios gave her address and pointed to the expected offspring as proof of his errant son’s misconduct: <br><br>ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱϣⲃ ⲛϭⲓ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ϫⲉ ⲉⲕϣⲁⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲡⲉⲕϯⲙⲉ ⲕⲛⲁⲁⲡⲁⲛⲧⲁ ⲉⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ϩⲙ ⲡϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩⲧⲛ ⲙⲡⲉⲕϯⲙⲉ · ⲉⲧϣⲉⲉⲣⲉ ⲧⲉ ⲛⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲧⲉ · ⲡⲉⲧⲛϩⲏⲧⲥ ⲛⲁⲣ ⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ ϫⲉ ⲡⲉⲕϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥ ⲛⲕⲟⲧⲕ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲥ <br><br>'The holy prophet (Pisenthios) answered: "When you go back to your village, you will come upon a woman on the first street of your village, being the daughter of such and such a one. That which is inside her will bear witness for you that it was your son who has been sleeping with her."'<br><br>Pisenthios insists that the boy must take responsibility and marry the girl. Otherwise, he threatens, he will be excluded from church (ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲁⲙⲉ ⲙⲉⲓⲁⲛⲉⲭⲉ ⲉⲕⲁⲁϥ ⲉⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲉ ϣⲁⲛⲧⲉϥϫⲓⲧⲥ “And certainly I am unable to let him come to church, until he marries her.”) (Fol. 63b–65b). <br><br>The sign of the cross on a pregnant ewe appears on her lamb:<br>When bishop Pisenthios was asked to bless a ewe belonging to a local man, he made the sign of the cross on her with his fingers. That sign was so powerful that the lamb born afterwards displayed a white cross on the spot where the saint had touched the ewe. (Fol. 65b–66a).<br><br>In the same way, the saint healed whoever needed healing by making the sign of the cross over them.<br><br>Casting out a demon:<br>When approached to cast out a powerful demon from a young man who had suffered for seven years, the saint asked John to bring him some water from the monastery. John went and received water from the altar of the shrine and delivered it to the saint. The saint then dipped his finger into the holy water and made the sign of the cross on the youth. He then gave some water to the father of the patient and instructed him to administer it to his son. If he would drink of it, God would heal him. The encomiast explains at this point that the saint did not want to drive out the demon by himself, so as to avoid praise. <br><br>Soon afterwards, the father returned to thank the saint, reporting that as soon as he had given his son to drink from the water the saint provided, the demon left the son and he was healed (Fol. 67a–69a). The saint then an