Foy Scalf. “New Papyri from Bab el Gusus? The Prosopography and Provenience of Papyrus HM 84123.” Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale 125 (2025): 425–448.
foyscalf.com/portfolio/pa...

Do you need a Coptic refresher course? Or, did you start Coptic, but need to go further? Introduction to Coptic 2 starts next week!!!
Register here: eventbrite.com/e/introducti...
We pick up with Lesson 17 in Lambdin's Introduction to Sahidic Coptic.

The manuscript is one of the earliest and most complete Sahidic copies of the Book of Proverbs in the world, despite the damage suffered from bookworms. As such, it forms an important source for the Digital Edition of the Coptic Old Testament project:
coptot.manuscriptroom.com/manuscript-c...

This manuscript also appeared in Tasha Vorderstrasse's discussion of "Linguistic Diversity at Fustat" as part of the exhibition catalog A Cosmopolitan City.
Open access download:
isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/41b78d47-...

ISACM E10485
Book of Proverbs in Sahidic Coptic
Parchment, ink
8.3 x 11.3 cm
6th Century
isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/5c2f70f9-...
Originally published by Sabhy:
isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/2040fd39-...
Re-edited by Worrell (open access download):
isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/5c2f70f9-...

Students read this manuscript from the original in a previous Coptic class with the wonderful help of the ISAC Museum registrars. If you want to learn to read it, join Introduction to Coptic 1 (starts Feb 4): eventbrite.com/e/introducti...
Photo by Helen McDonald

The back contains the activation formula ⲁⲓⲱ ⲁⲓⲱ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ "Hey, hey! Hurry, hurry!"
For the original publication, see the short article by Elizabeth Stefanski, "A Coptic Magical Text," doi.org/10.1086/370549
and Kyrianos: hhttps://www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-134/

ⲙⲁⲣⲉ-ⲡⲙⲟⲩⲣ ⲉⲧⲛⲙⲁⲁⲩ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲓϫⲟ ⲡⲥⲟⲙⲁ ⲛϩⲟⲟⲩⲧ ⲛⲫⲁⲣⲁⲟⲩⲱ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲧⲉⲥⲁⲣⲝ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲙⲟⲥ ⲛ ⲑⲉ ⲛ ⲟⲩϣⲉ
"May that binding be upon the male member of Pharaouo and (his) flesh so that you dry it up like wood"

Binding spell to cause impotence written in Sahidic Coptic
Paper, ink
6 x 16 cm
9th–11th centuries
Moritz Collection, purchased 1929
isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/00e5fadc-...
See brief overview: www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/20...

Come learn Coptic with us!
Introduction to Sahidic Coptic Part 1 (8 weeks)
Starts: Feb 4, Tuesdays, 7–9 (Chicago Time)
Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/introducti...
Discount to register for parts 1 & 2 (16 weeks) together

Horner Sahidic: ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϥϯ ⲟⲩⲃⲉ ⲛ̅ϫⲁⲥⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧ. ϥⲛⲁϯ ⲇⲉ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩϩⲙⲟⲧ ⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲧⲑⲃ̅ⲃⲓⲏⲩ
“God opposes the proud, but he will give grace to those who are humble.”
archive.org/details/copt...

James 4:6 citing Prov 3:34
ISACM A12089: ⲫϯ ⲉϥϯ ⲉϦⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ̇ϩⲣⲉⲛ ⲛⲓϭⲁⲙϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲏ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧ ⲑⲉⲃⲓⲏⲟⲩⲧ ϥⲛⲁϯ ⲛⲱⲟⲩ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩϩⲙⲟⲧ
Horner Bohairic: ⲫϯ ϥϯ ⲉϦⲟⲩⲛ ⲉϦⲣⲉⲛ ⲛⲓϭⲁⲥⲓϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲏ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧ ⲑⲉⲃⲓⲏⲟⲩⲧ ϥⲛⲁϯ ⲛⲱⲟⲩ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩϩⲙⲟⲧ

ISACM A12089
Annual Lectionary Written in Bohairic Coptic
Paper, ink
18th–19th century
Abu Makar Monastery (Wadi Natrun)
20.5 x 26.1 cm
isac-idb.uchicago.edu/.../9cb79ec7....
See description in Tasha Vorderstrasse's A Cosmopolitan City, pages 140–141:
isac.uchicago.edu/.../oimp/oim...

Introduction to Sahidic Coptic starts in 2 weeks (Feb 4). Take 1&2 at discount for complete Coptic (16 weeks). Meet on Zoom. Recordings/materials are available on our Canvas course website to learn at your own pace. Register here: eventbrite.com/e/introducti...
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"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. ... Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance."