ⲁⲧⲣⲓⲡⲉ

Coptic in the cloud


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Shenoute of Atripe
Shenoute of Atripe, 7th century. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Atripe is the town Shenoute is named after; not much of it is left. He ran the White Monastery there for most of the fifth century and is the most prolific author in Coptic. The tagline is only half a joke about hosting: he was literally in the cloud.

ϩⲟⲥⲟⲛ ⲉϥⲙⲟⲕⲙⲉⲕ ⲙ̀ⲙⲟϥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲓⲥ ⲟⲩϭⲏⲡⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ ⲁⲥⲓ̀ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲧⲫⲉ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲁⲥⲧⲁⲗⲟϥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲁⲥϩⲟⲗⲙⲉϥ ⲉⲡϭⲓⲥⲓ ⲁⲥϩⲱⲗ ⲛⲉⲙⲁϥ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲩⲫⲟϩ ⲇⲉ ⲉ̀ⲡⲓⲡⲉⲗⲁⲅⲟⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲁϥϫⲟⲩϣⲧ ⲉⲡϣⲱⲓ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏⲉ̀ⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲉ̀ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ ⲁ̀ⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲉϥϧⲉⲛ ⲑⲙⲏϯ ⲛ̀ϯϭⲏⲡⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲁϥⲱϣ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲉ̀ϥϫⲱ ⲙ̀ⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉ̀ⲣⲟⲛ ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲏ̀ⲗⲓⲁⲥ ⲛ̀ⲃⲉⲣⲓ ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ ⲁ̀ⲡⲁ ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲛⲁϥϫⲉ ⲁ̀ⲣⲓ ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲩⲓ̀ ⲱ̀ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ ⲁ̀ϯϭⲏⲡⲓ ϩⲱⲗ ⲛⲉⲙⲁϥ ⲁⲥⲉⲛϥ ⲉ̀ⲡⲉϥⲙⲟⲛⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ

‘While he pondered this, suddenly a radiant cloud descended from the heavens. It lifted both him and his disciple into the sky and carried them away. As the bishop’s ship reached the open sea, Abba Cyril looked up and saw Apa Shenoute and his disciple being borne aloft in the midst of the cloud. He exclaimed, “Bless us, holy father, you are the new Elijah!” Apa Shenoute answered, “Do not forget me, O my holy father.” And with that, the cloud continued on its way and brought him safely home to his monastery.’ (Life of Shenoute)