St. John the Baptist relics found on Bulgarian island

St John the Baptist's bones 'found in Bulgarian monastery'
The remains of St John the Baptist have been found in an ancient reliquary in a 5th century monastery on Sveti Ivan Island in Bulgaria, archaeologists have claimed.


The remains – small fragments of a skull, bones from a jaw and an arm, and a tooth – were discovered embedded in an altar in the ruins of the ancient monastery, on the island in the Black Sea.

A Greek inscription on the stone casque contains a reference to June 24 – the date on which John the Baptist is believed to have been born.
"We found the relics of St John the Baptist - exactly what the archaeologists had expected," said Bozhidar Dimitrov, Bulgaria's minister without portfolio and a former director of the country's National History Museum, who was present when the stone urn was opened.

"It has been confirmed that these are parts of his skeleton."

Exactly how the relics ended up on the island is a mystery, but Mr Dimitrov said they may have been donated by the Christian Church in Constantinople when Bulgaria was part of the Byzantine Empire.

But other experts cast doubt on the claim, saying carbon dating tests were needed before the bones could be identified as belonging to Christ's baptiser.

Many countries around the Mediterranean claim to have remains of St John, including Turkey, Montenegro, Greece, Italy and Egypt.

Full article from the Daily Telegraph UK - link here;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/bulgaria/7926657/St-John-the-Baptists-bones-found-in-Bulgarian-monastery.html

Canadian Coptic symposium May 29th

THIRD ANNUAL COPTIC STUDIES SYMPOSIUM
Saturday May 29th 2010
Earth Sciences Centre
Reichman Family Lecture Hall (Room 1050)
5 Bancroft Ave., University of Toronto
Co-Sponsored by
The Canadian Society for Coptic Studies (CSCS)
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies (NMC),
University of Toronto
Saint Mark's Coptic Museum, Scarborough

Registration fee:
CSCS member: $20.- CSCS Student member: $10.-
Non-member: $25.- Non-member student: $15.-
(lunch included)

8.30 - 9.45 Registration

9.45 - 10.00 Welcome
President: Canadian Society for Coptic Studies.

First Session
Chair Prof. Jitse H.F. Dijkstra, Associate Professor and Head of Classics,
Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa.

10.00 - 10.45 Prof. Stephen Davis: Professor and Director of
Undergraduate Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Yale University.
"The Excavation of the Monastery of Saint Shenute of Atripe".

10.45 - 11.00 (Discussion)

11.00 - 11.45 Prof. Anne Moore, Associate Professor, Department
of Religious Studies, University of Calgary.
"Shenoute, Prophet for the People"

11.45 - 12.00 (Discussion)

12.00 - 1.30 Lunch Break

Second Session
Chair Prof. Stephen Davis.
1.30 - 2.00 Dr. Ramez Boutros, Instructor, NMC.
"The Cave Church of Gabal al-Tayr: a pilgrimage site from the
Early Mediaeval Period in Middle Egypt"

2.00 - 2.30 Prof. Jitse H.F Dijkstra, Associate Professor
and head of Classics, department of Classics and Religious
Studies, University of Ottawa.
"The Isis Temple Graffiti Project: Preliminary Results".

2.30 - 3.00 Coffee Break

Third Session
Chair Prof. Sheila Campbell: Emeritus Fellow, Pontifical Institute
of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS), U of T.

3.00 - 3.30 Dr. Emile Tadros: Researcher at the Higher Institute
of Coptic Studies in Cairo, Department of Coptic Liturgical Music.
" 'Cosmic Music' in Early Christian Literature in Egypt".

3.30 - 4.00 Dr. Helene Moussa: Volunteer Curator, St. Mark's
Coptic Museum, Scarborough.
"Icon of St. Mina, St. Mark's Coptic Museum, Akhmim Style?"

4.00 - 4.30 Stretch break

Fourth session
Chair Prof. Anne Moore.

4.30 - 5.00 Bishoy Dawood: Ph.D. Candidate in Systematic
Theology, University of St. Michael's College in the University
of Toronto.
"The Coptic Calendar".

5.00 - 5.30 Joseph Youssef: M.A. Student, York University.
"Ritualization Processes in Coptic Monastic Rituals and Initiation
Practices".

5.30 Closure

Deir al Surian monastery Library project

The Levantine Foundation http://www.thelevantinefoundation.org/ is working with the monastery of Deir al Surian in Wadi al-Natrun to build a modern library and to conserve and record the manuscript collection. The collection is of historic significance to the worlds of scholarship, the Christian Church and the heritage of Egypt.

Please take a look at the project on their website and if you are able to assist in anyway contact the Foundation.

Reading Coptic texts day symposium April 24 London

Birkbeck College in London is hosting the following day symposium on April 24th


Literature, Language and Life in Late Antique Egypt, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean'
FFEY054N0 – Reading Coptic Texts
Saturday 24th April 2010

Welcome and Introductions 9.45am – 10:00am
Session I - 10.00am - 11.00am
A brief introduction to the history of the Late Antique period in the area, with its literary, documentary and historical sources. The spread of Christianity and its impact, particularly during the periods of persecution, leading to the growth of the monastic movement in Egypt. The spirit and influence of the desert fathers. The contribution of Egyptian Christianity to the great Ecumenical councils, and the influence of its monasticism on the rest of the Byzantine world. (Dr. Graham Gould, formerly of King's College, London and author of The Desert Fathers on Monastic Community, Oxford 1993)

Coffee Break - 11.00am - 11.30am
Session 2 - 11.30am - 12.30pm
The particular contribution of Egypt to Literature in Late Antiquity (with selected readings in translation, some of them by actress and Shakespearean scholar, Kay Senior).

Session 3 - 12.30pm - 1.30pm
Communication in Late Antique Egypt. The languages used in different spheres of activity, and the development of Coptic dialects especially in the Christian context. Depending on the experience of those who applied for the course, I would propose a two-tier language taster, with an explanation of the Greek and Coptic alphabets and principles of language for those who have done no Greek or Coptic, and a chance to read one or two easy texts for those who already do have some experience (with help from Basil Stein). (Dr. Carol Downer, Birkbeck)

Lunch Break – 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Session 5 - 2.30pm - 3.30pm
A practical demonstration of techniques of writing these languages - from the calligraphic expert, Paul Antonio. A chance to try one's hand at writing in the ancient style.

Tea Break - 3.30pm - 4.00pm
Session 5 – 4.00pm – 5.00pm
An introduction to Coptic music and chant (with recorded music and part of a DVD of Coptic liturgy), followed by a slide session on the artistic life of the Egyptians in the Coptic period.

call the central enrolment team on 020 7631 6651 to enrol, or online by going to this link:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce/archaeology/awards/XSCAR001.html

For any further information please contact Brett O’Shaughnessy on 020 7631 6627
Course title: 'Literature, Language and Life in Late Antique Egypt, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean'
Course code: FFEY054NO/ACB
Course venue: Birkbeck College, Malet Street, University of London
Fee: £42 (full) / £21 (Concession)
By phone:

A free 10 week course on Coptic Studies at Swansea UK

For those of you living in Wales, UK or on holiday From April 21st, Swansea University Adult Continuing Education Department is offering a free 10 week course - 2 hours each week on wednesday mornings 10am-12pm on Coptic Studies.
I will be 'Egypt - The rise of Christianity in the first 1000 years AD - the Art and Culture of the Coptic Period'

For details and how to register please contact me;
howardmj@yahoo.com

Review of the Aswan St Mark Coptic conference 2010

Jill Kamil has her review article published in al-ahram weekly of the St Mark Foundation Coptic Symposium held in Aswan February 1st - 4th.
You can read the article, titled 'Revisiting the Souhern Frontier'
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/988/he1.htm

The full articles is below;



Early Christianity and Monasticism in Aswan and Nubia" was the fifth symposium on Coptic Studies to take place at a monastic centre. Organised by Coptologist Gawdat Gabra, Fawzi Estafanous of the St Mark Foundation for Coptic History Studies, Hani Takla, president of the St Shenouda Society, and under the auspices of Pope Shenouda III and Anba Hedra, archbishop of Aswan, it was held in the new Monastery of St Hatre (still under construction), within walking distance of the ruins of the famous Monastery of St Hatre in the Western Desert -- known for some unknown reason by early archaeologists and travellers as the Monastery of St Simeon.

Situated due south-west of the southern tip of Elephantine, the monastery is named after an anchorite who was consecrated by Patriarch Theophilus, bishop of Syene (Aswan), at the beginning of the fifth century.

Before the opening ceremony the participants walked down the rocky incline from the new monastery to the old, where a mass was held. As we made our way back to the conference centre we were left wondering why this large and impressive monastery was in such a sorry state of repair. It was apparently examined and published by Peter Grossman in 1985, and in 1998 the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) removed some debris from the church, but little else appears to have been achieved.

"Anba Hedra, who presented a paper on the modern history of Christianity in Aswan, talked about the importance of the location. Aswan [ Suan in Coptic and derived from the Greek Syene] was a flourishing borderline market for thousands of years. Rich in natural resources including granite, quartz and iron, it was strategically important because the southern tip of the island of Elephantine commanded the First Cataract that formed a natural boundary with Nubia. The noblemen of Elephantine were known as Keepers of the Southern Gate, which was the starting point for the caravan routes for the earliest commercial and military expeditions.

From a distance, the past seems orderly, with clear-cut periods demarcated by battles, wars, church councils and conflicts, but "real history is different and far more confusing", said Jacques van der Vliet, a scholar more fascinated with inscriptions than by architectural remains and oral tradition. In "Contested Frontiers -- southern Egypt and northern Nubia, AD 500-1500", he pointed out that although Aswan traditionally represented Egypt's southern frontier "if not in reality at least symbolically", the notion of "frontier" was complex since, while political frontiers draw seemingly clear-cut boundary lines, "cultural, linguistic and religious boundaries are by definition less easy to grasp, even when they coincide with political boundaries."

Van der Vliet presented a chronological discussion of selected inscriptions covering 1,000 years of Christianity in the broader Aswan region -- which is to say around the Aswan, Elephantine and Philae regions; the monasteries of Hatre and Qubbet Al-Hawa on the west bank of the Nile; north as far as Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna (which were major Roman temple areas and later Christian sites); and south beyond Qasr Ibrim to the Nubian kingdoms of Nobatae, Makuria and Alwa.

The temple-church of Qasr Ibrim was the subject of a presentation by Joost Hagen. Ibrim is all that remains of an important frontier post in Roman times that commanded a view of the Nile valley and desert for miles around. Between 30 BC and 395 AD it was the official border between Egypt and Nubia, and its control by the Roman general Petronius is well documented. His task was to contain the Blemmys (Beja) and the Nobodai tributes of the Eastern and Western deserts. Later, when Christianity spread throughout Nubia at the beginning of the sixth century, a Pharaonic temple on the site (built by the 25th-dynasty Nubian ruler Pharaoh Taharqa) was converted into a church, and the great cathedral on the summit was built in the 12th century. Threatened as it was with total inundation by Lake Nasser, excavations started in the 1960s when an important discovery was made. A body clad in episcopal robes was unearthed, and within its folds were long scrolls written in Arabic and Coptic. This was only a beginning. This site has proved vital for historical research. Among the most important discoveries made so far is a horde of ancient documents written in a host of languages -- Old Nubian, Arabic, Coptic, and Greek. They are private and official letters, legal documents and petitions, literary and documentary texts, dating from the end of the eighth to the 15th centuries.

Father Wadei Abul-Lif outlined the work of one of the first great scholars to write about Nubia, whose "great achievements" have not been given due credit. Monneret de Villard (1881-1954) was, Father Wadei said, worth more than the few lines devoted to him in the Coptic Encyclopaedia. He first outlined de Villard's credentials, and then went on to describe how his works on Christian Egypt and Nubia could be divided into three groups which together covered a vast range of studies on Egypt's monasteries and churches. De Villard carried out studies on Aswan and the Monastery of Saint Simeon, as it was then known, as well as various studies in Nubia where he worked from 1929 to 1934. This prolific scholar, who was neither a philologist nor an epigraphist, admitted to relying on earlier information in cases where all traces of antiquity had disappeared, but he nevertheless provided original descriptions, especially in those cities where there was more than one church. On the island of Philae, site of the Graeco- Roman Temple of Isis, no fewer than six churches were described by de Villard, and he gave the names of nine bishops. He wrote about "many churches" in Faras, some of which he could not enter because they had been converted in mosques or were used as houses. The number of churches and monasteries he described was enormous, Father Wadei said.

Modern scholars all too frequently overlook studies made by individuals with scholarly limitations, yet we can learn a great deal from their work. From de Villard we know that, in the third century, there were Egyptian Christians in Nubia, even before the evangelisation of the sixth century when Egypt was under Byzantine rule, and the last pagan temple on Egyptian soil, the Temple of Isis in Philae, was officially closed by Justinian. Wadei pointed out that although de Villard's work was incomplete (he died in 1954 before the construction of the High Dam) his works should be resuscitated as they are "indispensable to the knowledge of Nubian history, of which," Father Wadei concluded, "there are few books, "and also because of still differing theories regarding the first missionaries to Nubia."

S.G. Richter's paper entitled "Beginnings of Christianity in Nubia" (read in his absence by Gawdat Gabra) outlined the discoveries made in Egypt and Nubia from Napoleon's expedition to Egypt towards the end of the 18th century through to the UNESCO- sponsored salvage operations carried out at the request of the Egyptian and Sudanese governments. "The results definitely changed our knowledge about the Christian heritage of Nubia," Richter wrote, "not only in the amount of ecclesiastical remains but also the quality of objects, like the famous wall-paintings of Faras which brought Nubia in line with countries with highly developed Christian cultures. Sources are limited, but the paper mentioned that "the Christian faith was known and accepted in Nubia in the fourth and fifth centuries" and Richter made reference to personalities like Moses the Black, a Nubian who lived in Wadi Al-Natrun who was witness to Christian influences in Nubia; also to Nubians mentioned as among the congregation in Sohag in one of St Shenoute's homilies. "It is possible that [Egyptian] monks and hermits of Upper Egypt taught Nubians about their faith at Egypt's southern border" Richter wrote. And, on sixth-century literary sources that describe an official mission that succeeded in converting the three kingdoms of Nubia to Christianity, he admitted to "gaps in our knowledge..." which left the door open "for misinterpretation and consequences which have lasted for decades."

Prior to a tour of the Monastery of Qubbet Al-Hawa, Renate Dekker gave a paper on this unique, octagon-domed structure, its location and documentation by early archaeologists. "The monastery seems to have been developed out of a hermitage in Late Antiquity," Dekker said (which, in more familiar local jargon, refers to the Byzantine era of Egypt's history from the fourth to the seventh centuries). She described that it was cut in the east side of the cliff, and that the tombs provided a solid and cool place, and a shelter from the sun and wind. She outlined the work by Peter Grossmann in 1985, in which he described its architectural features, and by the SCA in 1998. She described its various features, which enabled documentation of its progressive growth on two levels connected by means of rock- cut staircases, and added that there remained many imponderables. She admitted that the structure remained "an architectural puzzle".

It certainly is a challenge. On the trip to the monastery we had an opportunity to see beautiful wall paintings which, as in the Monastery of St Hedra, are in urgent need of conservation. On the west wall of the church is an apse adorned with a two-zoned composition, a popular style in monastic painting. The upper section of the composition depicts Christ in glory, his right hand raised in a posture of blessing, while in his left hand he holds a book; the mandorla is supported by six angels in full flight. Below this scene, on the lower part of the apse, the Holy Virgin stands among the 12 Apostles. To the north of the apse is a long, barrel vaulted room, where six figures are depicted on its west wall. Among the Coptic texts on the wall is one significant entry written on a layer of plaster which was applied over the paintings. It bears the date AM 896 (1180 AD), which clearly indicates that the wall paintings were executed prior to that date.

Recalling these paintings, and similar ones in the monastery of St Hedra, I am reminded of the paper given by Mary Kupelian, "A Comparative Study of the Ascension Scene in the Apse of the Monastery at Qubbat Al-Hawa", in which she demonstrates that New Testament themes, which are to be found in monasteries all over the country, provide an iconic view of sacred a person or persons, they relate to the liturgy, and they serve to describe the biblical narrative. Kupelian observes that the themes in the apse are symbolic; that the ascension is the only narrative theme in the apse; and that it is common to churches all over the country including the church of the Holy Virgin in the Deir Al-Surian in Wadi Natrun, the church chapel of the Virgin in the Monastery of Abu Seifein in Old Cairo, and the two ancient monasteries in Aswan.

Sabri Shaker gave an excellent paper about the architectural restoration of the monastery of St Hedra. Demolition of the roofing of the church increased the speed of deterioration of the works which, within the last 70 years, have been badly damaged; those on the lower level have been better protected. The first phase of the conservation plan entails new roofing and consolidation of architectural features. This will be followed by an analytical study of the condition of the wall paintings with view to conservation.

Shaker is collaborating with Howard Middleton Jones with a view to developing a standard methodology towards the reconstruction, preservation and conservation of Coptic monuments in Egypt. Jones's paper outlined a proposed method that has been tested in the archaeological world over the past decade, and which, he suggests, could be integrated with ongoing projects in Egypt. He opined that "organising a 'universal' method would assist not only in recording, analysing and preserving Coptic wall paintings and inscriptions, but also monastic sites as a whole, thus preserving the important and unique Coptic heritage"

Ancient history encapsulated

THE OPENING ceremony of the seminar was enhanced by a colourful panorama put on by the children of Aswan who enacted the various eras of Egypt's history. They ranged in age from first graders through to teenagers, and put on a wonderful show. Along the aisle of the great tent where the opening ceremony took place came tiny representatives of the earliest Pharaohs wearing the Red Crown of Upper Egypt, the White Crown of Lower Egypt, and the Double Crown representing the unification of the "Two Lands". The proud pyramid-builders carried pyramids, the mighty conquerors of peak periods in Egyptian history marched up the aisle. Ancient history, legendary history, through to the Ptolemaic were all present. Then came the arrival of St Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria, and the biblical story of the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. There were furry animals and an awe-inspiring lion. The children of Aswan are to be commended for their enthusiasm, talent, discipline, and (I must add) their fluency in English as their second language. Aswan Governor Mustafa El-Said could not fail to be proud

New UK Coptic Research centre

At last - after many months of trying to set up a Research Centre, it has finally 'gone live' - March 1st 2010
It will be a few weeks before I am able to set up a full listing etc - but you can go to the website for further details.
If anyone is interested in following the progress, contributing articles or letters and their research, please contact me via the website or email me at.. howardmj@yahoo.com with a header Coptic Research Centre
http://www.ambilacuk.com/copticresearchcentre

Many thanks

UK Coptic symposium 2010

The latest information I have is that the 2nd UK Coptic symposium will be held over the weekend of December 10/12th 2010 at the Coptic Centre Stevenage, England.
More news when I receive updates.

St. Mark Foundation Coptic History Studies - Symposium Aswan 2010

A reminder that the St Mark Foundation for Coptic History studies will be hosting the 2010 symposium at Aswan from January 31st - February 4th

For further information check the coptic research website at www.ambilacuk.com/coptic or email me at howardmj@yahoo.com

Workshop on Coptic documentation in Cairo (May 30-31

Supreme Council of Antiquities "Department of the Documentation and Registration of the Coptic Monuments"

Inauguration of a Department of the Documentation and Registration of the Coptic Monuments by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. You are kindly invited to either attend this workshop or to offer any kind of support, technical or else.

Ministry of Culture
Supreme Council of Antiquities
General Department of the Documentation
and Registration of Coptic Monuments
3 Al-aadel Abubakr st., Zamalek, Cairo
00202- 273-656-45, 273- 587- 49

Dear Colleague:
On behalf of Dr. Zahi Hawass, I would like to announce the inauguration of a newly established Department by the SCA titled "Department of the Documentation and Registration of the Coptic Monuments". This Department aims to:
1) Fully document and register all Coptic monuments in: museums, different archaeological sights (related to either Islamic and Coptic or Pharaonic sectors' sights), excavations outcome, stores and magazines and every Coptic monument in Egypt.
2) Preparation for publications of these documentations.
3) Initiation of the Coptic monuments cultural awareness through: Lectures, training courses, periodicals etc.
4) Arrangement and gathering of efforts of all whom are interested and experts in Coptology in and outside Egypt.
The Department is about to hold a preliminary workshop at 30, 31 May 2009 entitled "Documentation and registration of Coptic monuments, challenges and solutions" in 3 Al-aadel Abubakr st., Zamalek, Cairo.
This workshop will include round table discussions in different fields: Survey and architectural documentation, GIS, icons, Coptic papyri, photography and new documentation techniques, wood, metals, textiles, and other fields of Coptic monuments Documentation.
These discussions aim to:
Allow a kind of brainstorming between experts to get different ideas which will help to figure out a detailed plan of action.
To recognize and arrange efforts between Coptologists and those who may be involved in this National project of the Documentation of the Coptic monuments. You are kindly invited to either attend this workshop or to offer any kind of support, technical or else.
If you have any ideas concerning this project, or any questions or suggestions, please contact me:

Louay1@gmail.com


This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


, 002105399455
Dr. Louay Mahmoud Saied
GM of the General Department of the Documentation and Registration of Coptic Monuments
SCA, Cairo, Egypt

Coptic lectures in London

A colleague, Joost Hagen in Leiden has just notified me of three lectures he is giving in London this coming week;
The information is below - I hope some of you are able to attend.

Some of you might know I hope to be in London and give three different lectures about my research next week.
Apart from the one during the Sudan Archaeological Research Society day in the British Museum on Monday, which in a way briefly summarizes the other two,

There is one on Tuesday at SOAS and one on Wednesday for the EES.

The details are the following: SOAS:

Tuesday the 12th of May, 5-7 PM, in room FG01 of the Faber Building of SOAS in Thornhaugh Street / Russell Square: Wine for the Bishop: Kings and Saints of medieval Christian Nubia: New evidence from Qasr Ibrim EES:

Wednesday the 13th of May, 6:30-7:30 PM, in the Committee Room of the Egypt Exploration Society, 3, Doughty Mews, London: A dossier of one Arabic and four Coptic letters found at Qasr Ibrim: Christian Nubia, Muslim Egypt and the Blemmyes / Beja in 758-60 AD

The SOAS lecture is free and accessible for all, but for the EES one, only some seven of the twenty(-five) places are still available; these can be obtained via the internet by filling out the form provided here: http://www.formspring.com/forms/?359156-hllHwq5JzD

(please copy and paste; also accessible via the EES website). I would be very happy if I could welcome you at one of these lectures!

Coptic culture - Ancient Egyptian Literature, Part IX

Ancient Egyptian Literature, Part IX
by Ed Rizkalla
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” Psalm 111.10
(رأس الحكمة مخافة اللة)
As the writer was a child growing up in Egypt, it was common to respectfully address a Muslim as (الشيخ) which means “Elder”, and a Copt as (المعلم), which means “Teacher”. Perhaps addressing a Copt as a “Teacher” shouldn’t come as a surprise, as some historians e.g. the Arab historian Al-Maqrizi (1) noted that the Copts were in fact (اهل علم) people of knowledge. Likewise, Coptic businessmen or employees were known to be (حقانين) which means people who conduct their business with diligence and strive for perfection and excellence. In prior articles of this series, the writer explored several examples from ancient Egyptian literature to help shed light on several Coptic cultural attributes, norms, and values. In this posting, the writer, with the grace of Christ the Lord, will present another example of ancient Egyptian literature, the “Satirical Letter of Papyrus Anastasi I“, to shed light on two Coptic cultural attributes 1) the respect for education, knowledge, and love of wisdom, and more specifically on their predisposition to strive for excellence, and 2) the joy of life.

See full article via U.S. Copts association - http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2009/01/21/coptic-culture-17/

New Coptic Newsletter on the horizon

Coming soon - to a home near you!

All being well - inshallah - in the coming weeks I hope to organise a new online version of a Coptic newsletter - bringing news, views from around the Coptic world - including;
Coptic culture - archaeology - history art and architecture.
I also hope to bring news from the monasteries - recent conservation work and news etc

All contributions in the form of news, articles and photographs are welcome.
Please email me direct to;
howardmj@yahoo.com

More information as and when this develops

Dr Gawdat Gabra interview

While you are waiting eagerly for Coptic news from around the world, don't forget I have two interviews for you to watch - one interview I had with the Archbishop of Canterbury on the Desert Fathers, and a more recent interview with myself and the reknowned Coptologist Dr Gawdat Gabra.
Go to our website and click on the releative photographs for each interview
http://www.ambilacuk.com/coptic/

Enjoy..

Coptic Church to Nominate Pope Shenouda for Nobel Peace Prize

By Amr Bayoumi 13/ 1/ 2009
The Egyptian Orthodox Church welcomed a proposal by the expatriate Copts to nominate Pope Shenouda III for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yet the Secular Copts Front said it would be difficult due to the political inclinations that determine who would get the prize.Bishop of Helwan and Maasara Rev. Basenti said Pope Shenouda has contributed to peace in Egypt, the Middle East and the whole world, stressing that the Pope is quite qualified for the prize and that he received honorary doctorate degrees for peace from many universities around the world.�He said the Holy Synod did not discuss the proposal with the Pope, but all its members are for it.

Read full article here;
http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2009/01/13/coptic-church-to-nominate-pope-shenouda-for-nobel-peace-prize/

Happy Coptic Christmas

To all of you in Egypt and those following the Coptic tradition around the world, may I offer you all a Happy Coptic Christmas for January 7th - you may now prepare for having a good feed!

The midnight mass will be held at St. Mark's Cathedral Abyssia Cairo Wednesday 7th January
Enjoy!

Coptic Christmas

Just a reminder to all readers that the Coptic Christmas falls on January 7th - May you all have a peaceful and healthy one

TWO COPTS WRONGLY DETAINED, TORTURED
Government uses brothers as scapegoat in murder;
officials claim violence not sectarian.
December 1 (Compass Direct News) - Two Coptic Christians wrongfully arrested for killing a Muslim during the May 31 attack on Abu Fana monastery in Egypt have been tortured and sent to a detention camp so authorities could try to extract a false confession, their lawyer said.Egyptian authorities sent brothers Refaat and Ibrahim Fawzy Abdo to El Wadi El Gadid Detention Camp near the Egypt-Sudan border on Nov. 22. A week earlier they were bailed out pending their court case - but never released - and held in a Mallawi police station until their transfer to the camp.

http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2008/12/03/egypt-two-copts-wrongly-detained-tortured/#more-2594

The inauguration of the The Coptic Culture Centre and St Mark Public Library - Abyssia Cairo

Friday 14 November saw Pope Shenouda III inaugurate the first phase of the project of the Coptic Orthodox Culture Centre and the Saint Mark Public Library in Anba Rweiss grounds in Abbasiya, Cairo.The story of the centre began long before, though, with the pope issuing a decree on 14 November 2000-14 November is the anniversary of the seating of Pope Shenouda III-for the establishment of a Coptic cultural centre and library. Now the eight-storey building has been completed and the project is on to a fine start.
http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2008/11/25/the-coptic-culture-centre-and-st-mark-public-library/#more-2555

Church of St Mark of Alexandria

There is a very interesting article on the US Copts website on the Church of St Mark in Alexandria - go to the following link to read the full article-

http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2008/11/17/st-mark-of-alexandria/#more-2530

Friends of the Coptic Museum Cairo

For those of you out there who are unaware, the Cairo Coptic museum - recently re-opened after a long closure - has a 'Friends of' association. The second and most recent newsletter has just been produced, and you may access their site here:
http://www.coptic-cairo.com/museum/about/friends/friends.html

Pope Shenouda III now back in Cairo

Pope Shenouda Receives State VIPs and the US Ambassador
By Amr Bayoumi 23/ 10/ 2008
Orthodox Pope Shenouda III received on Tuesday evening some State officials, ministers, governors, political personalities and editors in chief.
They went to the Pope’s residence at the Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo to congratulate him on his return to Egypt after a 4-month treatment trip to the US.The delegation included, among others, the Speakers of the People’s Assembly and the Shoura Council, some ministers and the US Ambassador to Egypt.
The chairman of the Church’s media committee, Bishop Mark, denied rumors that the US ambassador talked to the Pope about some sectarian incidents which happened during his absence and about the imprisonment of a priest for five years on charges of forgery.
Bishop Mark stressed the visits only aimed to welcome the Pope back.
“Even the Holy Synod has not decided yet when it will hold its next session, as we are now focusing on the Pope’s health and celebrating his return” he said.
The Vice-Chairman of the Milli [Confessional] General Committee Tharwat Bassili confirmed the bishop’s words saying: “The Pope and the delegation just had some good time.”

http://www.copts.com/english/

Islamic extremists published a call for jihad against monasteries of Wadi-El-Natrun

I was in fact at Wadi natrun last saturday and saw no evidence of the below

Monday, September 15, 2008

Muslim Extremists Call for Violence against Christian Monasteries in Egypt
O people of Islam come to martyrdom in Ramadan…the month of repentance and forgiveness Groups of Islamic extremists have published a call for jihad against the monasteries of Wadi-El-Natrun on their websites.Their call comes soon after the rumor spread by the prominent Islamic figure Dr. Zaghloul El Naggar claiming that a Christian convert to Islam has been detained in a Wadi-El-Natrun monastery and subsequently murdered by the Coptic church after refusing to denounce Islam. It is worth noting that the woman in question had declared four years ago that she never converted to Islam and that she was “born a Christian and will die a Christian” El Naggar made his accusation in an interview with Egyptian newspaper “Al-Khamis” and failed to provide any evidence to support his claims. Unfortunately this isn’t the first instance where Dr. El Naggar makes unsubstantiated accusations against the church and Christian community of Egypt. Last year he claimed that the church is secretly proselytizing to Muslims and converting them to Christianity in large numbers. He also claimed that he knows of the hideouts where these christenings take place and that he has documentations to support his claims. To this date he has not provided any evidence to support either claim. It seems that there is no need for providing evidence to incite extremists to demand revenge especially during the month of Ramadan “the month of repentance and forgiveness” according to the extremist website. The emotive call to jihad is demanding of Muslims to wake up and strike the infidel Jews and Christians with a fist of iron. As well as blowing up the monasteries of the “murderous Christians” and reducing them to ashes, they are demanding Egyptian Muslims rise up and attack the Israeli embassy and also the building that houses the office of State Security



http://neferteeti.blogspot.com/2008/09/muslim-extremists-call-for-violence.html

Expatriate Copts Denounce Egypt to International Organizations because of Abou Fana Monastery

9/6/2008
20 expatriate Coptic organizations called on the international community to investigate immediately into Abou Fana incidents. A statement posted on the Internet and signed by many of these organizations says that this call is due to the threats that these incidents pose on international peace and security.
The statement also demands that Copts’ rights in general and Abou Fana monastery in particular not to be dealt with through informal meetings.According to the statement, the Holy Synod has made six claims, namely: releasing all Copts being detained unjustly; arresting the assaulters who have been reported and taking legal measures against them so that these people and others may be prevented from carrying out new assaults that jeopardize social peace in Egypt; providing the truth about the incident (regarding the assaulters’ agreement to commit the crime)
and all the details of the repeated assaults on the monastery monks and their possessions; building the entire wall of the monastery under State’s supervision and surveillance so that other assaults may be avoided in the future.
The Synod also calls for this wall to include the archaeological sanctuary, the farm, the graveyard and the isolated cells and demands compensation to the monastery for the damages and robbery it has suffered.
The statement calls on concerned parties to hold on to the law and its international criteria based on respect for human rights and not on informal meetings that do not suit a civilized State like Egypt.

Source:
http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2008/09/06/expatriate-copts-denounce-egypt-to-international-organizations-because-of-abou-fana-monastery/

Egypt Police Use Violence to Block Church Repair

By Ethan Cole
Christian Post Reporter
Mon, Aug. 25 2008 05:25 PM EDT

An Egyptian police reportedly struck three women while trying to stop them from repairing the only church in the area, a human rights group said.
The three Coptic Christian women were taking sand into the Archangel Michael Church in the village of Deshasha, south of Cairo, to fix the church’s cracked floor when the policeman assigned to guard the church hit them, reported the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) last week.
“The worrying rise in sectarian tension we've seen in Deshasha is a direct result of violations committed by the police,” said EIPR director Hossam Bahgat, in a statement. “This incident must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.”
According to the women (who requested to remain anonymous), the policeman refused to allow the women to take the sand into the church, telling them “You won’t bring one grain of sand into the church but over my dead body.”
After the Aug. 17 incident, rumors spread that the Copts had locked the policeman inside the church, beat him, and tore his clothes. As a result, several Copts – both men and women – said they were threatened by local Muslims and were afraid to leave their homes.
Moreover, six Coptic youths were arrested by police on Aug. 17 and 18 to be interrogated on charges of assaulting a public servant and using violence to prevent him from doing his duty. They were later released after questioning
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080825/egypt-police-use-violence-to-block-church-repair.htm

International Coptic conference Cairo - change of venue

For those of you who are interested and for those of you who are going, due to circumstances beyond the control of the organiser, there has beena sudden change of venue.

The information I paste below:

"The congress meet­ings –including the ceremonial opening on Sunday night (8:30–10:30 pm) – will not take place at the Sonesta Hotel as planned, but rather at the CopticPatriarchate (Anba Rueiss Deir, Ramses Avenue, in Abbas­siya). We re­gret any and all inconvenience. For those participants who will stay at the So­nesta Hotel, there will be bus transportation to and from thePatriar­chate throughout each day of the congress (although as a matterof fact it will be best to plan to spend the entirety of each day at thePatriarchate)..."

Further...

"Congress registration at the Sonesta Hotel will begin on Saturday 13September in the late af­ternoon, ca. 4:00 pm, as previously announced,but it will end at 8:00 pm. Look for a sign in the hotel lobby.Registration will recommence at the Patriarchate on Sunday 14 Sep­temberat about 5:00 pm and run until 8:00 pm, after which (8:30 to 10:30 pm)there will be the ceremonial opening of the congress at thePatriarchate. There will be bus transportation from the Sonesta Hotel tothe Patriarchate, returning to the hotel after the opening ceremony.Congress registration will reopen on Mon­day morning (15 Septe"mber) at7:00 am at the Patri­archate, and the first plenary session will beginthere at 9:00 am.

Settlement and Separation - Abu Fana Monasterly land dispute

Missing the mark

A settlement of the Abu Fana Monastery land dispute, based on the ruling of an ad-hoc committee, was reached this week. The Coptic Orthodox Church relinquished 95 feddans (25 of cultivated land within the grounds of the Abu Fana Monastery and 70 of fallow land in the vicinity of the monastery), grudgingly, according to some Coptic clergy and laity. Moreover, a separating wall surrounding the monastery has been erected.

The ad-hoc committee established by the authorities to resolve the dispute was headed by Minya Governor Ahmed Diaaeddin and included leading Muslims and Copts such as Minya MP Alaa Hassanein and Mallawi businessman Eid Labib, as well as representatives of the monastery and of the Bedouin Arabs involved in the land dispute.

"Everything is now settled and everyone is content," Hassanein told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Christians and Muslims live side by side in peace and harmony."Speaking from the site of the disputed land, Hassanein explained that with the erection of the separation wall the monks would feel more secure as they carried out their activities.

Whether that will satisfy the firebrand politicians, both Coptic and Muslims, at home and abroad, who aimed to make political capital out of the unfortunate incident, remains unclear. Certainly the spat over Abu Fana has left some Copts embittered.

See teh above page for the full story.

Photograph of Bagawat

PhotoPoints

An exceptional black and white photograph of Bagawat in Kharga. Here's the caption, but go to the above page to see the photograph:

The Necropolis of Bagawat is a reminder of one of the most central battles of early Christianity; the dispute over the nature of Jesus. The 5th century bishop Nestorius was exiled to Bagawat (as the village was called) for having claimed that only one of Jesus' natures had suffered on the cross; the earthly nature, not the divine.

The large extent of the Necropolis of Bagawat is the result of his and his supporters' exile. The tombs here are believed to indicate that worship of the dead was continued in a Christian style.

There are 263 mud-brick chapels climbing up a ridge, the oldest dating back two centuries before Nestorius, the last dating back to the 7th century.

20th Annual Egyptian Festival in Cleveland

St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church

The 20th Annual Egyptian Festival is opening at St Mark's in Cleveland (U.S.) is to take place between Friday 22nd August and Sunday 24th August 2008. A friend of mine attends this every year although she is not a Cleveland resident and not a member of the Coptic church - she says that it is a great experience, with a bazaar selling items that you'd find in a souk, excellent food and music and some special exhibits.

Pope Shenouda’s Recovery Photographs, Ohio

If you wish to view photographs of the recovery of Pope Shenouda's recent operation please visit
David Bebaway's weblog here http://dbebawy.wordpress.com/

The Coptic Conundrum

American Thinker (by Raymond Ibrahim)

Why are Egypt's Coptic Christians so apathetic about their persecution?

The other night flipping through Arabic satellite stations, I came across a Coptic man who was lividly discussing the "Coptic question." His name was George Sa'ad, and he was speaking on the famous Arabic show, Al-Bayt Baytak, which airs on Al-Masriya ("The Egyptian"). It quickly became apparent, however, that his objections were not directed at Egypt's radicals or even the government; no, he was upset with the "trouble-making" Copts of the diaspora, particularly those living in the West. Sa'ad, a member of the Itihad al-Misriyin in Canada, (the "Egyptian Union") was claiming that there is no real problem in Egypt, and that it is the Western Copts who are creating all this "propaganda."

When the (Muslim) host asked him point blank what he would like to see changed in Egypt, all Sa'ad could muster saying was, "Certainly, there are things that need to be fixed!" He kept repeating this without once explaining what those "things" could be. When further pushed to explain, he said he'd like to see Copts have more influence on the Egyptian media -- just a bit more.

No talk however of the recent attacks Copts in Egypt have been exposed to -- such as the Abu Fana monastery raid, where Muslims attacked and abducted monks, tortured them and tried forcing them to spit on the cross and embrace Islam; or the repeated phenomenon of Muslims abducting young Coptic girls, raping and forcing them into conversion; or the recent slayings of Coptic store clerks; or the day-in-day-out discrimination Copts encounter in all walks of life.

See the above page for the full story.

Exhibition: More re fake Coptic items at the Brooklyn museum

Yahoo! News

The Brooklyn Museum, which recently announced its prized collection of stone sculptures from ancient Egypt was cluttered with fakes, is planning an exhibit with these pieces to raise awareness of forgeries in the world's art collections.

"We really have to face the fact that mistakes are made in museums just as they are made anywhere else," Edna Russmann, curator of the museum's Egyptian, classical, and ancient Middle Eastern art, said this week. "Museums are in the habit of hiding these things away."

The exhibit, "Unearthing the Truth: Egypt's Pagan and Coptic Sculpture," is set to open next February.

Russmann says she was long suspicious about some of the museum's 4th to 6th century Coptic, or Christian Egyptian sculptures, acquired before she joined the museum. Some scholars had already raised doubts about their authenticity and several years ago she decided to put the question to rest.

Pope Shenouda Cancels Press Conference on Abu Fana

By Amr Bayoumi- Said Nafie and Teresa Kamal Washington- Soad Amin
Pope Shenouda III has cancelled a press conference that was scheduled to be held yesterday about the Abu-Fana Monastery crisis and the outcome of the efforts by the ad-hoc committee formed to settle the crisis.The Pope granted the committee three days to renegotiate and reach a final solution, noting that the conference will be held in Cairo in case the committee failed.
The Malawi Diocese in Menya had earlier announced a press conference entitled ‘Revealing Truths’, during which a documentary about kidnapping and torturing monks at the hands of Bedouins would be shown.
Spokesman for the diocese Paula Anwar said the Pope’s decision came after reaching an agreement with official bodies regarding settlement of the dispute over land, provided that the criminals in the monastery incidents should be brought to justice.

Full article here:
http://copts.com/english1/index.php/2008/08/15/pope-shenouda-cancels-press-conference-on-abu-fana-incidents/#more-2212

The dispute surrounding Abu Fana Monastery

Al Ahram Weekly by Reem Leila

The ad-hoc committee formed on 30 July to seek an end to the conflict that erupted between Bedouin Arab tribesmen and monks at the historic Abu Fana Monastery in Mallawi has ruled that the construction of a wall surrounding the monastery be resumed amid tightened security measures.

The committee, which was headed by Minya Governor Ahmed Diaaeddin and included Minya MP Alaa Hassanein, Mallawi businessman Eid Labib, representatives of the monastery and of the Bedouin Arabs involved in the dispute, decided the monks should control the northwestern areas of the monastery while the Arabs will have rights to the eastern and northern areas. Both parties are now obliged to put the agreement into action, says Hassanein. The committee has also stipulated that anyone failing to abide by its findings be fined an amount that has yet to be decided. Diaaeddin added that the committee recommended that any wall surrounding the monastery include only the original archaeological site, while a second wall will be built around Christian tombs close to the monastery. "A gate will be built, to be supervised by the monastery," he said. The committee's decisions, says Diaaeddin, carry the force of law.

The committee also stipulated that "Pope Shenouda III should work on convincing expatriate Copts to halt demonstrations under the claim Copts are being persecuted, which harms Egyptians, both Muslims and Copts," according to Diaaeddin. "They do not know our social and political climate, and their actions foment internal sedition," he said, adding that it was unacceptable to stage anti-Egyptian demonstrations
abroad.

The Coptic Church is unhappy with the proposed settlement.

See the above page for the full story.

International Congress of Coptic studies Cairo

A reminder that the ninth International Congress of Coptic studies is being hosted at the Sonesta Hotel, Nasr City Cairo, from September 14th to 21st

More information from the Association's website here:
http://rmcisadu.let.uniroma1.it/~iacs/

Egyptian Demotic

Egyptian Demotic

The chronologically penultimate variety of the Egyptian language is known as Demotic. Demotic is the most cursive script developed by the Egyptians. This stage of the language has, in many ways, connections to the preceding stage, Late Egyptian, and its successor, Coptic. Despite these affinities, demotic is a complete separated stage of ancient Egyptian language.

The Practical Guide to the Grammar of Egyptian Demotic is a learning tool for those who wants to start the study of the late stage ancient Egyptian language in a highly cursive script known as Demotic. In use from ca. 650 B.C. until the middle of the fifth
century A.D., Demotic served as the medium for a wide variety of text types. These include texts such as business and legal documents, private letters and administrative inscriptions, and literary texts, including not only narrative texts and pieces of wisdom literature, but also religious and magical texts and scientific texts dealing with topics such as astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. Demotic texts thus not only provide important witnesses for the development of ancient Egyptian linguistic and paleographical traditions but also constitute an indispensable source for reconstructing the social, political, and cultural life of ancient Egypt during a fascinating period of its history. Once you finish the entire book, you will have a great
foundation to read, translate and understand, with the help of a dictionairy and much effort, all those texts and get into the life and culture of late Ancient Egyptians.

This publication in an online version is offered as a series of PDF files in the Grammar page.

Egypt Churches Reject Potential US Intervention

Assyrian International News Agency

The split in Coptic opinion over foreign interference in Egypt's internal affairs once more reared its head Monday, as international Coptic organizations called for American action to protect Christians living in Egypt.

Senator Frank Wolf, Virginian Republican, introduced resolution 1303 on July 24, 2008. The resolution, as stated in a press release from the Coptic Assembly of America, "calls on the Egyptian government to respect human rights and religious freedoms" and urges the American government to put pressure on the Egyptian government with regards to this.

The demands include the release of political prisoners such as Ayman Nour, but it is the call to cease "harassment of religious minorities" that forms the backbone of the resolution.

After rallying for two months, it was announced Monday that the resolution has gained the required support from Congressmen to deliver it to Congress. Mandarins within Egypt's Christian Church, however, have expressed strong opposition to what many see as unnecessary and damaging interference in Coptic affairs. "It is true that Christians suffer many problems in Egypt, but this does not warrant a plea for foreign interference, as the necessary channels exist here in Egypt," Akram Alamie, media spokesperson for the Protestant Church, told Daily News Egypt."It is true that legally, Christian religious channels do not have permission to broadcast on state Egyptian networks [namely Nilesat], but problems can be aired through appearing on opposition channels.

See the above page for the full story.

Coptic Research website updated

ambilacuk

Howard Middleton-Jones has updated his Coptic Research pages. The Coptic Research project is ongoing research area with many useful links and articles on Coptic archaeology, art and history. There is a new Coptic forum for all matters of Coptic interest, and Howard has just spent many months checking the GPS locations of around 180 monastic sites. If you go direct to http://www.ambilacuk.com/coptic/gpslist.html you will find a few examples and a link for the whole list which is in a word document.

Fake Coptic art in the Brooklyn Museum

ARTINFO

Edna Russmann, a curator at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, has said that about one third of the museum's Coptic art — early Christian Egyptian art — collection is fake, the Independent reports. Although chemical testing on the works has not yet been completed, Russmann said she is fairly certain that 10 to 30 of the pieces are fake and that about half of the remaining objects have likely been recarved or retouched.

Russmann says she began to have doubts about the collection four years ago. According to the Art Newspaper, which first reported the story, Baltimore-based Byzantine specialist Gary Vikan first noted the possibility of fakes in the collection in the early 1970s but never went public with the concern.

The Independent, UK

Although some chemical testing on the works has yet to be completed, Dr Russmann
considers that 10 of the 30 examples of Coptic art – Christian imagery in limestone from Egypt dating between the late fourth century and AD641 – held by the museum are phoney. Moreover, about half the other pieces have probably been extensively recarved and retouched.

Part of the purpose of the exhibition will be to alert other US institutions to the possibility that they too have fake pieces in their collections. "There are lot of museums in this country that have maybe two or three or four pieces," she said.

New York Sun

Doubts about the Brooklyn Museum's sculptures date back at least to 1977, when a Byzantine art scholar who is now the director of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Gary Vikan, argued that they were forgeries in a lecture he delivered at Columbia.But if the existence of the fakes is old news, where and by whom they were made remain mysterious.

According to a 2001 article by a former curator at the Brooklyn Museum, Donald Spanel, a large number of fakes appeared on the market beginning in the late 1950s, offered by dealers mostly in Switzerland and in New York. One New York dealer, Jerome Eisenberg, acknowledged in a phone interview that he had sold the museum one piece now considered to be fake, a roundel with a border of palm fronds and a central bust. The museum acquired the piece in 1960.

Asked where he bought the roundel, Mr. Eisenberg said that he purchased it from a "very reliable, very ethical" dealer in Cairo, a Copt named Kamel Hammouda. Asked if he knew where Mr. Hammouda got the sculpture, Mr. Eisenberg said that it was against the rules of the trade at the time to ask such questions.

See the above links for the full stories

The Intellectual Consequences of Collecting Coptic Art

Looting Matters (David Gill)

Following on from recent reports about fact Coptic art held in museum collections, David Gill has made the brief point that he and Christopher Chippindale have been making for many years - which is that "Collecting recently-surfaced antiquities (ancient or of modern creation) has intellectual consequences for the study of the ancient world," a point which they initially made with regard to Cycladic figures in an article entitled Material and Intellectual Consequences of Esteem for Cycladic Figures (American Journal of Archaeology 97, 1993).

Anyone who has looked at Predynastic rchaeology in Egypt is well aware of the problem too - the number of unprovenanced palettes, labels, figurines and ceramics is quite staggering and with many of them it is unknown whether they are genuine or not. I was told recently that a set of "Predynastic" figurines in the British Museum are now considered to be fakes - which was more than a shame for the researcher friend who was planning to use them in part of his work! And the Harrogate Vase is a good case in point.

Fake Coptic art in the Brooklyn Museum?

ARTINFO

Edna Russmann, a curator at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, has said that about one third of the museum's Coptic art — early Christian Egyptian art — collection is fake, the Independent reports. Although chemical testing on the works has not yet been completed, Russmann said she is fairly certain that 10 to 30 of the pieces are fake and that about half of the remaining objects have likely been recarved or retouched.Russmann says she began to have doubts about the collection four years ago. According to the Art Newspaper, which first reported the story, Baltimore-based Byzantine specialist Gary Vikan first noted the possibility of fakes in the collection in the early 1970s but never went public with the concern.

The Independent, UK

Although some chemical testing on the works has yet to be completed, Dr Russmann
considers that 10 of the 30 examples of Coptic art – Christian imagery in limestone from Egypt dating between the late fourth century and AD641 – held by the museum are phoney. Moreover, about half the other pieces have probably been extensively recarved and retouched.

Part of the purpose of the exhibition will be to alert other US institutions to the possibility that they too have fake pieces in their collections. "There are lot of museums in this country that have maybe two or three or four pieces," she said.

Exhibition: Coptic fabrics on display in Florida, U.S.

Creative Loafing (Megan Voeller)

There's also a press release in PDF format on the gallery's website.

Unlike any other gallery or museum in the area, Ybor's Brad Cooper Gallery takes a foray into the fiber arts of the ancient world with an exhibit of Coptic textiles curated by Egyptologist Dr. Robert Bianchi. The roughly 20 woven fragments on display, which date to 400-800 A.D., offer a deep historical context for the mostly contemporary weavings on view in other local exhibitions. To be sure, the ancient Egyptians were proficient weavers of plain flax long before the cotton and wool weavings of the Coptic period were produced, but these cryptic relics -- characterized by intricate patterns, color and human and animal figures -- mark an evolutionary jump in the complexity of the craft.

The Copts, early Christians native to Egypt, were a multicultural group, steeped in classical Greek culture -- not only its mythology but the Greek practice of dyeing, spinning and weaving with wool and cotton fiber -- as well as emerging Christian iconography.

Modernity meets monasticism in Egypt's desert

Yahoo! News (Will Rasmussen)

I (Andie) met Ruwais St Anthony in 2006 - and as well as being a very good communciator he is certainly gregarious. The monastery is an amazing place. Tour guides are not permitted to explain the monastery and this is a job that the designated monks carry out very effectively. If you are visiting St Anthony's Monastery you should make sure to visit The Monastery of St Paul at the same time - it is quite near and it has a very different feel to it. Here's what Will Rasmussen has to say:

A speck of green in a sea of sand, St. Anthony's Monastery in Egypt welcomes those seeking God in silence broken only by the whisper of the wind. Monks at what is considered by many to be the world's oldest active Christian monastery still rise before dawn to chant and pray just as their predecessors did for more than 1,500 years.

Now, they also carry mobile phones, send e-mails and maintain a website (http://www.stanthonymonastery.org), embracing modernity that has helped sustain the ancient monastery, nestled beside a spring where Egypt's eastern desert meets the craggy Red Sea mountains.

But the changes have sent some monks fleeing to a more austere existence in nearby mountain caves."There is nothing wrong with microwaves or mobile phones -- they save time," Egyptian monk Ruwais el-Anthony, who has lived at the monastery for more than 30 years, said through a bushy white beard. "But God will ask you what you have done with the time that was saved."

The monastery, which was founded in 356 AD, has survived Bedouin raids, the Islamic conquest of Egypt, and wars between Egypt and Israel that turned the area into a combat zone.Almost all the monks here are Egyptian Coptic Christians, a minority faith in the most populous Arab country, which is about 90 percent Muslim. Most Christians in Egypt belong to the Coptic Orthodox church, which gives allegiance to its own Pope in Egypt, Shenouda III.

Once closed off from marauding Bedouins behind towering white stone walls, the monks now open iron doors, engraved with Coptic writing, to busloads of tourists and
pilgrims.

The monks raise chickens, grow fruit, and lead tour groups through the compound's 15th century church, which is built above the oldest monk cells ever discovered, dating from the fourth century, the monks say.

Monks believe a recently discovered grave under the church is that of St. Anthony himself. "When I came here, it was very primitive and totally isolated," monk Athansious el-Anthony, 62, said.When he first arrived in the late 1960s, the only visitors were Egyptian soldiers demanding water during Egypt's war with Israel. The monastery was near the front-lines of fighting in the war, which began in 1967.

Now, a new road through the desert brings busloads of visitors, most from Europe and Russia. Only the most gregarious of the 120 monks at St. Anthony's deal with visitors. The others isolate themselves in their rooms or spend their days praying in the caves.

See the above page for the full story.

Coptic icon of Saint Mark's Church, Azbakya, Cairo

Al Ahram Weekly

The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrated the entry of the Holy Family into Egypt on 24 Bashans of the Coptic calendar -- which coincided with 1 June. The above-pictured ancient icon, dating back to the first century AD, was reproduced from an original icon that was illustrated by Saint Luke, The Physician. The original icon depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus, while John the Baptist was kissing Christ's feet, and beside him a lamp, which is a symbol of Christ himself.

The reproduced icon exists in the Church of the Virgin Mary known by the name Al- Ezbaweya), which is in the neighbourhood of Saint Mark Church in Azbakya district of Downtown Cairo.

According to tradition, the site where the church today stands, Ezba (or a farm) was owned by a benevolent man, who was sowing watermelon seeds, and kindly hosted the Holy Family and afforded them water from a well -- which still stands in the grounds of the church.

See the above page for the rest of the story.

Faiyum monastery a prey to time

Egypt Daily Star News (David Stanford)

We are on our bellies now, crawling through silky-fine sand, watching the shadows for vipers and scorpions. Inches above our heads is a huge rock, the roof of a collapsed chamber, supported by walls cut from soft, rather crumbly sandstone.

Ahead of me, my companion switches on his head torch and lights up the chamber, revealing the object of our search. Around the walls, just below the ceiling is a layer of plaster, and on it some painted images, the heads of religious figures, saints or apostles perhaps. One bears a striking resemblance to traditional images of Jesus.

We take photographs until the sand causes my camera to seize up, and then return to the fresh air above.

My companion is Amir Milad, a desert guide of many years experience, and he has brought me to Deir Abu Lifa, an abandoned Coptic monastery in the Western Desert north of Fayoum. Dating back to the early days of Coptic Christianity, the monastery is cut into an outcrop of the Qatrani mountain; a remote place in which monks could lead the contemplative life safe from persecution by the Byzantine Eastern Roman ulers. The name points to the saint assumed to have founded it, Abu Lifa, also known as Abu Banukhm or St. Panoukhius.

See the above page for the full story.

Coptic Graffiti and Early Christian Impressions of the Past

What's New in Papyrology?

The abstract of a forthcoming lecture by Jennifer Westerfeld, which highlights some important points itself, and is accompanied by a photograph that amply illustrates the point being made: Spray-painted across walls or scratched onto the windows of subway cars, graffiti is often seen as a modern, urban phenomenon. However, the practice of writing graffiti actually goes back many thousands of years, and graffiti from the ancient world can be a valuable source of information for modern historians, giving us greater insight into how the ancients interacted with local landscapes. This talk will draw on recent fieldwork at Abydos and sites in Egypt's Kharga Oasis to discuss how Christian graffiti from the late antique period (roughly 350-750 CE) reflect changing attitudes towards sacred space and can help us reconstruct early Egyptian Christians' impressions of the Pharaonic monuments that still dominated the landscape at that time.

It's nice to see the ways in which graffiti can be useful! Details of the lecture by Jennifer Westerfeld, in Chicago at the end of March, are on the above page. A short bio of Westerfeld is also shown on the above page.

Of Fayoum's mummies and churches

eTurboNews (Hazel Heyer)

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) announced last week a Russian-American archaeological mission has unearthed a number of well-preserved Graeco-Roman mummies covered in cartons. They made the discovery during a routine excavation work at the Deir el-Banat necropolis in Fayoum. . . .

Rather than the mummies, Fayoum may be known more for its religious history. Villages in Fayoum support previous findings about Roman persecution by Christians in Egypt. Archeological remains from this persecution are not well known but are on display. Coptic Christian crosses from this period can be found in caves in Fayoum, the same ones crosses visitors find in pharaonic tombs in Luxor, and the temple of Dendera near Qena. These locations probably served as hiding places for Christians during the Roman persecution.

The period between the year 200 and the council of Chalcedon (451) was a period of flourishing for the Coptic Orthodox Church. In spite of the Roman persecution of Christians the church continued to grow. The persecutions were most severe during the emperor Diocletian’s reign (284-311). The size of the Christian persecution in Egypt was probably larger than in other countries because of the size of the Christian community in Egypt.

See the above page for the full story.

Coptic Christmas

In the Coptic Orthodox religion Christmas takes place on the 29th of "Kiahk" (a Coptic month), which is equivalent to the 7th of January. Here's the Wikipedia explanation of the dissonance between the two dates:

Until the 16th century, 25 December coincided with 29 Koiak of the Coptic calendar. However, upon the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, December 25 shifted 10 days earlier in comparison with the Julian and Coptic calendars and a further day each time the Gregorian calendar drops a leap day. This is the reason why Old-Calendrists (using the Julian and Coptic calendars) presently celebrate Christmas on January 7, 13 days after the New-Calendrists (using the Gregorian calendar), who celebrate Christmas on December 25.

The day has been a holiday for all Egyptians for the last four years.

I put together a site with some photographs from my 2006 visit to St Antony's and St Paul's Monasteries, if of interest, at http://www.coptic.cd2.com/.

There are a couple of interesting articles on Al Ahram Weekly about Coptic Christmas. The photo was taken at St Antony's Monastery in the Eastern Desert, a once self-contained fortified village, which is now supplied from the outside world and receives visitors, but, like its neighbour, the Monastery of St Paul the Anchorite retains a very personal and intimate air.

From 2003:
For the first time ever, 7 January is expected to be a quiet, traffic- free day on the streets throughout Egypt. President Hosni Mubarak has announced that Coptic Christmas -- which falls at the end of the first week of the year -- will be a national holiday for all Egyptians -- not just Copts. Until the president issued his decree, Copts were entitled to take the day off, but otherwise it was business as usual.

From 2006:
Gamal Nkrumah assesses the coincidence of two Christmases, New Year's Eve and Eid Al-Adha, all occurring within the space of barely three weeks.

From 2006:
A Cairene family tells Hicham Safieddine why the New Year holiday season will never upstage the thrill of Coptic Christmas

From 2007:
On Coptic Christmas, Mohamed Wassim turned his lens to the Monastery of Saint Paul. Located in the Eastern Desert, Saint Paul Monastery remains one of the most popular in Egypt, attracting a regular horde of visitors tempted as much by the desert journey as by the architectural and spiritual experience. There is also an article on the Tour Egypt website which gives a good overview of Coptic Chrismas, and how it is celebrated.

Book Review: The Churches of Egypt

Al Ahram Weekly

The Churches of Egypt -- From the Journey of the Holy Family to the Present Day, by Gawdat Gabra and Gertrud J.M. van Loon, edited by Carolyn Ludwig with photographs by Sherif Sonbol. Review by Jill Kamil (herself the author of Christianity in the Land ofthe Pharaohs):

The Churches of Egypt is the brainchild of Carolyn Ludwig. Addressing the invited guests, Ludwig explained how the book came about. During her travels to Egypt over the last 25 years, she said, she had come to appreciate the rich Christian heritage that is woven through the country's history "along with the threads of its more famous Pharaonic past." She noted that the brief reference to the Flight of the Holy
family in the Gospel of Matthew "offers a glimpse into the three-and-a-half years they spent in Egypt", but that most of the stories about this important episode in Jesus's life "are recorded only in the various infancy narratives".

When, in 2000, the Coptic Orthodox Church defined the route of the Holy Family's journey, she said she was determined to follow in their footsteps. She did so, sand was deeply moved by the humanity of the stories "that are told, until this day, about the few years in the life of Christ spent in Egypt," as well as by the humble simplicity of Egypt's early churches which stand "in stark contrast to the granite and marble, the gold inlays and bronze statues of churches in Rome..."

Ludwig travelled in the company of photographer Sherif Sonbol, whose photographs, she wrote in the introduction to her book, "reveal the beauty of Egypt's ancient and modern churches and monasteries, all of which testify to the determination of the Coptic Church for nearly two millennia to keep the Christian faith alive in Egypt -- often in the face of adversity."

I can only describe the book as a hefty publication. It weighs all of two kilogrammes, and I use that adjective advisedly because it is not only large in size, but substantial in content. It covers churches of all denominations -- from the Delta and Sinai to Cairo and its suburbs; it includes Fayoum and Upper Egypt, and even the most remote of monasteries, some of which I have never visited.

See the above page for the full story.

Book Review: Monastic Bodies: Discipline and Salvation in Shenoute of Atripe

Bryn Mawr Classical Review (Review by Kevin Teo)

Caroline T. Schroeder, Monastic Bodies: Discipline and Salvation in Shenoute of Atripe. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007.

Caroline Schroeder's book is arguably more illuminating as a means of discovering how late antique monastic texts affirm the matrix of ideas contained in modern critical theorists such as Foucault than as a window into late antique Egypt in the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. via Shenoute of Atripe's writings. Interesting as the book is, its Achilles heel exists where it opens itself up to the potential charge of anachronism. Yet Schroeder's book is immensely promising for scholars in the areas of late antiquity, gender studies and early Christian studies. Another merit of the book lies in the copious translations of passages from the original Coptic manuscripts containing Shenoute of Atripe's sermons and treatises, which have not hitherto been translated into English.

See the above page for the complete review, which looks at each chapter in turn.