Coptica v. 16 2017

60 Ramez Mikhail

the patriarchal office. While the legitimate Patriarch Mennas I was imprisoned, Peter entered the patriarchal church to celebrate the liturgy in the Patriarch’s place, “wearing on his head the cap [Arabic: qulunsūah ] on which the name of the prince was written.” 22 The final stage in the vesting rite is nothing but a reiteration of the foregoing:

[1]Ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲉϥϫⲓⲛⲉⲣⲫⲟⲣⲓⲛ ·ⲛϯⲥⲧⲟⲗⲏ ⲧⲏⲣⲥ ⲛⲁⲣⲭⲏ·ⲉⲣⲁⲧⲓⲕⲏ

[1] And when he has put on all the high priestly vestments, [2] the morphotakion [3] and the phelonion [4] and the phakialion , which is upon his head hanging down, which is the morphorin of the vestment, [5] and the epicheri which is upon his head.

[1] وعند لباسه الحله التى لرياسه الكهنوت [2] الثوب [3] والغفاره [4] والعرضى الذى على رأسه النازل الى اسفل الذى هو لباس الحله [5] والبلاريه التى على كتفه

[2]ϯⲙⲟⲣⲫⲟⲧⲁⲕⲓⲟⲛ [3]ⲛⲉⲙ ϯⲫⲉⲗⲟⲛⲓⲟⲛ [4]ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲫⲁⲕⲓⲁⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲉⲛ ⲧⲉϥ·ⲁⲫⲉ ⲉϥⲛⲏⲟⲩ ·ⲉϧⲣⲏⲓ ·ⲉⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲣⲫⲟⲣⲓⲛ ⲡⲉ ·ⲛϯⲥⲧⲟⲗⲏ [5]ⲛⲉⲙ ϯⲡⲓⲭⲉⲣⲓ ⲉⲧϩⲓϫⲉⲛ ⲧⲉϥ·ⲫⲉ. 23

In this case again it is better to present a new translation of the Coptic text, rather than relying on Burmester, who chose to render the last word as shoulder based on Ṭūkhī instead of the more accurate, head. Taking this last rubric as a re-iteration of the previous information, as Innemée did, the following vestments can be matched with their previous instances. 24 The morphotakion [2] most likely refers to the sticharion , which agrees with the Arabic translation of the text ,الثوب al-thawb [2], which usually means robe or dress. The phelonion [3] is clear enough, and is clear evidence that these rubrics repeat what preceded, unless one is ready to accept a patriarch dressed in two phelonia ! At this point, Innemée notes that the absence of the epitrachelion can be explained on the grounds that the epitrachelion seems to have been worn only by priests at some point in its history, rather than by bishops as well. For example, epitrachelia worn by bishops appear in Byzantine art only ca. 11 th century, and similar portraits of bishops without epitrachelia appear in the ancient monastery of Apollo in Bawit among other locations. 25 This is 22 B. Evetts, History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria: IV Mennas I to Joseph (767-849) (PO 10) (Paris, 1915), 371. 23 Coptic Museum 253 Lit. (AD 1364), fol. 60v.; cf. Burmester, The Rite of Consecration , 38 (Coptic), 77 (English). 24 Innemée, Ecclesiastical Dress , 27. 25 Ibid ., Plate 44, 45.