Coptica v. 16 2017

58 Ramez Mikhail

·ⲉⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲗⲉⲛⲧⲓⲟⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲉⲛ ⲧⲉϥ·ⲁⲫⲉ ⲉϥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ·ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ [3] ⲛⲉⲙ ϯ·ⲉⲡⲓⲭⲉⲣⲓ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲉⲛ ⲧⲉϥⲛⲁϩⲃⲓ. 11

handkerchief [ lention ] that is upon his head [3] and the epicheri upon his shoulder.

[3] و شىء أخر . على كتفه

Elsewhere, the point was made that Burmester’s translation leaves much to be desired. 12 Burmester translates morphorin [1] from the Coptic text as omophorion , relying on Ṭūkhī, who rendered it this way in his pontifical service book made for the use of the Coptic Catholic Church. 13 The Arabic text renders morphorin with the mysterious word ʿarḍī [2], which, though difficult to define precisely, likely refers to a wide band of cloth, since عرض ʿarḍ is itself the Arabic word for width . 14 If true, this would make the morphorin similar to the ballīn mentioned above for the bishop, and the description of it here as upon the patriarch’s head is consistent with the manner of wearing the ballīn , seen in some photographs of bishops and patriarchs in the modern era. 15 Are Ṭūkhī and Burmester correct in calling this an omophorion ? This would depend on a precise definition of an omophorion . Following the previous decision to use the term strictly for a band of cloth worn over the shoulders, it would be preferable to avoid this term in this particular case, since the morphorin mentioned here is worn over the head. As for Innemée, limiting himself to the requirement that a patriarch – in his capacity as bishop – would be expected to wear a phelonion/burnus with a hood or qaṣlah , and noticing that no mention of this hooded phelonion has appeared so far for the patriarch, he concluded that the morphorin must be that very hood. However, this is based on an assumption that the manuscript described contemporaneous vesting practices, and that therefore absolute consistency is to be expected. However, since the rite for the patriarchal consecration is used less frequently, it is likely that it would be updated less frequently as well, preserving older customs. It is thus conceivable that the custom of investing bishops with a hooded phelonion was somewhat of a recent innovation at the time, and that it developed from an earlier stage in which all phelonia were un-hooded and the episcopal head covering was, as seen here in the case of patriarchs, a simple ballīn over the head. 11 Coptic Museum 253 Lit. (AD 1364), fol. 60v.; cf. Burmester, The Rites of Consecration, 37 (Coptic), 76-77 (English). 12 Mikhail, “‘And they Shall Stand Bareheaded’,” forthcoming . 13 Rūfāʾīl al-Ṭūkhī, Ⲡⲓϫⲱⲙ ⲉϥⲉⲣⲁⲡⲁⲛⲧⲟⲕⲧⲓⲛ ⲉϫⲉⲛ ⲛⲓ ⲉⲩⲭⲏ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲡⲓⲙⲉⲣⲟⲥ ·ⲛϩⲟⲩⲓⲧ ⲉⲑⲃⲉ ⲛⲓϫⲓⲛⲫⲱϣ ·ⲛⲛⲏⲉⲧⲁⲩⲥⲱⲧⲡ ·ⲛⲛⲓⲧⲱⲧⲉⲣ ·ⲛⲕⲗⲏⲣⲓⲕⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲓⲟⲩⲏⲃ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓ ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ·ⲛⲧⲉ ⲛⲓ ϩⲃⲱⲥ ·ⲙⲙⲟⲛⲁⲭⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓ ⲉⲛⲓⲑⲣⲟⲛⲓⲥⲙⲟⲥ ·ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓ ⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓ ⲁⲅⲓⲁⲥⲙⲟⲥ ·ⲙⲙⲩⲣⲟⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ (Rome, 1761), 131. 14 Graf defines the term as a shoulder cloth or shawl, which he equates with the Latin amictus . See Graf, Verzeichnis , 78. 15 Mikhail, “‘And they Shall Stand Bareheaded’,” forthcoming , Pl. 2.