Coptic literature
Encyclopedia
Coptic literature is the body of writings in the Coptic language
of Egypt
, the last stage of the indigenous Egyptian language
. It comprises mostly Christian texts dating after the 2nd century AD, but also includes Old Coptic writings that predate the Christian era.
There have been only a few attempts to comprehensively present Coptic literature
, Pachomius
and Shenouda the Archimandrite are among the earliest examples of Egyptian Christian literature in Coptic
. Shenouda was a popular religious leader who made extensive use of his native Coptic tongue instead of Greek as was the custom during his time. This led to an increase in the use of Coptic and its standardization as a literary language. Most Coptic literature was written in the Sahidic dialect until about the 11th century AD.
The earliest original writings in Coptic language
were the letters by St. Anthony of Egypt, first of the “Desert Fathers.” During the 3rd and 4th centuries many ecclesiastics and monks wrote in Coptic. The first Pope of Alexandria to write in both Coptic
and Greek was Pope Athanasius.
Much Coptic literature is now lost, as the Copts began to use Arabic. Texts such as the Apocalypse of Samuel of Kalamoun
deplore the loss of Coptic; but are themselves now only extant in Arabic.
in Cairo
.
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the last stage of the indigenous Egyptian language
Egyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
. It comprises mostly Christian texts dating after the 2nd century AD, but also includes Old Coptic writings that predate the Christian era.
There have been only a few attempts to comprehensively present Coptic literature
Religious literature
The writings of Anthony the GreatAnthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
, Pachomius
Pachomius
Saint Pakhom , also known as Pachome and Pakhomius , is generally recognized as the founder of Christian cenobitic monasticism. In the Coptic churches his feast day is celebrated on May 9...
and Shenouda the Archimandrite are among the earliest examples of Egyptian Christian literature in Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
. Shenouda was a popular religious leader who made extensive use of his native Coptic tongue instead of Greek as was the custom during his time. This led to an increase in the use of Coptic and its standardization as a literary language. Most Coptic literature was written in the Sahidic dialect until about the 11th century AD.
The earliest original writings in Coptic language
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
were the letters by St. Anthony of Egypt, first of the “Desert Fathers.” During the 3rd and 4th centuries many ecclesiastics and monks wrote in Coptic. The first Pope of Alexandria to write in both Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
and Greek was Pope Athanasius.
Much Coptic literature is now lost, as the Copts began to use Arabic. Texts such as the Apocalypse of Samuel of Kalamoun
Apocalypse of Samuel of Kalamoun
The so-called Apocalypse of Samuel of Qalamun is a Coptic text of uncertain date and authorship now preserved only in its Arabic translation. It contains the strongest denunciation of the language shift in the Middle Ages of Egypt, by which Coptic was replaced by Arabic...
deplore the loss of Coptic; but are themselves now only extant in Arabic.
The Morgan Collection
The Morgan Collection comprises 58 volumes discovered in 1910 in the library of the Monastery of St. Michael in the Faiyum. The local library collection consists of some 5000 volumes, a few fragments of which were acquired by the Egyptian MuseumEgyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms....
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.