K.H. Kuhn and W.J. Tait, Thirteen Coptic Acrostic Hymns, from Manuscript M574 of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.
162 pp. 24 x 16 cm; cloth 0 900416 66 1. (1996) £30.00

Edition of thirteen acrostic hymns from a manuscript in the Sahidic dialect of Coptic written for the Monastery of the Archangel St Michael at Hamouli in the Fayyum, and hitherto available only in the few distributed copies of the 1922 photographic edition.

The stanzas of each hymn begin with each letter of the Greek alphabet in turn. The hymns are in praise of the Virgin Mary, the apostles, and a number of saints particularly popular in the Coptic Church, and were no doubt used on the appropriate saint's day, while two hymns have for their subject the resurrection and the ascension, and baptism, and may have been appointed for the relevant seasons in the ecclesiastical year.

The edition comprises an Introduction, particularly discussing the contents, structure, and language of the hymns; Coptic text with facing English translation and succinct notes; palaeographic appendix; indexes; and two plates.

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