1 Methods and Methodology of Learning the Coptic Language (Linguistic - Cultural Study) Master Degree Thesis in Egyptology Muhammady Fathy Muhammed Faculty of Archaeology- Cairo University [email protected]Keywords: Education, Ways, Methodology, Coptic, Teacher (Schoolmaster), School, Student, School exercises, Syllabaries, Lists (Words, Names). The Research "Methods and Methodology of Learning the Coptic Language (linguistic - cultural study)" is divided into: An Introduction, Preface; layout of Education in Egypt before the Christianity (Ancient and Greco-Roman Egypt), and three main chapters. the first chapter "The Education in Coptic Egypt", in which different Coptic vocabulary function on the meaning of education or instructions ⲥⲃⲱ, learning ϯⲥⲃⲱ and teaching ϫⲓⲥⲃⲱ, and some Etymology from other scripts of the language of the ancient Egyptian, those from the Greek language. Discussing the history of Education and literacy in late antique Egypt, in which spread the Christian religion, from the second century AD to the formal end use of the Coptic language in the Egypt during the twelfth century. Education was not open to males only but was open to girls, who had access to primary schools, but males were vast majority. But elite females could attend, pursue and attend the advanced levels of education 1 . Together with the Education in the monasteries, because the Coptic monasteries was a center of Education and knowledge, both monasteries which were held in northern Egypt; such as the monasteries of Wadi El- Natron, which founded by Saint Macarius (dayr anba Maqar), or the monasteries which were held in Upper Egypt; such as the Monastery of St. Phoibamon in Deir el-Bahari, and the monastery of St. Epiphanius in the 1 - Cribiore R.,"Education in the Papyri", In: The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, (Oxford 2009), 328.
25
Embed
Muhammady Fathy Muhammed Keywords - cuscholar.cu.edu.eg/?q=muf/files/methods_and_methodology_of_learning... · Muhammady Fathy Muhammed ... [email protected] Keywords: Education,
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
1
Methods and Methodology of Learning the Coptic Language
Student, School exercises, Syllabaries, Lists (Words, Names).
The Research "Methods and Methodology of Learning the Coptic
Language (linguistic - cultural study)" is divided into:
An Introduction, Preface; layout of Education in Egypt before the
Christianity (Ancient and Greco-Roman Egypt), and three main chapters.
the first chapter "The Education in Coptic Egypt", in which different
Coptic vocabulary function on the meaning of education or instructions ⲥⲃⲱ,
learning ϯⲥⲃⲱ and teaching ϫⲓⲥⲃⲱ, and some Etymology from other scripts
of the language of the ancient Egyptian, those from the Greek language.
Discussing the history of Education and literacy in late antique Egypt, in
which spread the Christian religion, from the second century AD to the
formal end use of the Coptic language in the Egypt during the twelfth
century.
Education was not open to males only but was open to girls, who had access
to primary schools, but males were vast majority. But elite females could
attend, pursue and attend the advanced levels of education1.
Together with the Education in the monasteries, because the Coptic
monasteries was a center of Education and knowledge, both monasteries
which were held in northern Egypt; such as the monasteries of Wadi El-
Natron, which founded by Saint Macarius (dayr anba Maqar), or the
monasteries which were held in Upper Egypt; such as the Monastery of St.
Phoibamon in Deir el-Bahari, and the monastery of St. Epiphanius in the
1- Cribiore R.,"Education in the Papyri", In: The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Edited
by Roger S. Bagnall, (Oxford 2009), 328.
2
west of Thebes1. Winlock H.
2 said that cell A was a workshop for the
writers, and cell B was a school.
And in Fayyoum Oasis during the first millennium AD, through the
evidence and the archaeological remains discovered in these places. The
Education was an important element of life, especially with the spread of the
monasteries studded deserts of Egypt.
When the Christians established the Monasticism in Egypt, there were many
different styles of the Monasticism; one of them the style of saint Pachom he
Required to anyone who wants to join the monastery to spend three years
under test, and have to be learnt, because he will read the sacred book. Thus
Pachom was interested in educating the monks and erase their illiteracy, he
arranged three daily lessons in the day for beginners, and those monks had to
attend. Saint Shenoute traced and followed saint Pachom in his rules
concerning the education.
The definition of the Scriptorium which is the place where to copy the books
-specially the sacred Bible and psalms which were so important in praying-
in the monastery; like cell A in the monastery of Epiphanius at Thebes. And
the Libraries. And the different meanings that this word and origin of
language. The Scriptorium was inside the monasteries, and was relating to a
school.
Then the types of education Coptic; religious and secular. Education in late
antique Egypt in its beginning was focusing on studying the Bible, then
included all different branches of Science.
Then progression stages of scientific and education which were three stages;
the first stage was the primary education, that stage was at homes or a school
inside a nearby monastery, next to the house, this was obligatory and free.
According to the sources of late antique Egypt, there wasn’t a certain age to
join the school, as well as the duration of the study didn’t identify and not
specified. The preparations went according to each student, but it may like
the Egyptians in that period kept a custom of joining their children to school
at an early age.
1- Wilfong, T. G., Western Thebes in the Seventh and Eighth Centuries, A Bibliographical
Survey of Jême and its Surroundings, Bulletin of American Society of Papyrologists 26,
1989, 89-145. 2- Winlock, H. E., Crum, W. E. and Evelyn White, H. G., The Monastery of Epiphanius at
Thebes, vol. I (New York 1926), p. 25.
3
Then the second stage was specialization, this stage was mainly based on
apprenticeship special teacher, along with the study in the theological school
which was called Catechetical school. The third and final stage was of
higher Education, in that stage the education was oral, the role of the teacher
in this stage to explain the texts.
With shedding light on the role of parents in educating their children, with
mention of the writing tools and materials used in the recording and writing
the School exercises; The papyri, parchment, and paper (in later time) were
rare in the school exercises, ostraca and wooden tablets. There was a new
and practical method was invented by the Christians concerning to the
wooden tables, they covered them with waxed coat, to let the student resettle
the surface of the wax, and there were number of holes in the top of the
wooden tablets to be hanged with a nail on the wall; like that which in the
Coptic museum inv.1006 (4079). The most material which has been used
widely was ostraca, because it was cheap, easy to find anywhere all over
Egypt.
The second chapter: “the Coptic schools and teachers in late antique
Egypt”. A. the Coptic Schools: The variant Coptic vocabulary by different
function with the school; the most familiar word is ⲁⲛⲍⲏⲃⲉ, this word is the
only Coptic word with the Greek letter ⲍ1, ⲙⲁ ⲛ ϯ ⲥⲃⲱ, ⲙⲁ ⲛ ϫⲓ ⲥⲃⲱ
2. the
vocabularies related to school; like ϣⲕⲉⲗⲕⲓⲗ bell, chalk or the reed which
was used as a pen ⲕⲁϣ, ϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ, ϫⲱⲱⲙⲉⲛⲥϩⲁⲓ book, notebook and ⲙⲉⲗⲁ
ink, and the original of some of these words whether Greek or Egyptian. The
definition of “school” simply is the place where exist specific activity; it is
the teaching and learning. Education in antiquity availed itself of a variety of
places. Foremost in this were existing public buildings: temples, baths,
gymnasia, and private houses3. Raffaella Cribiore has demonstrated that
elementary classes could have even taken place out in the open, in the city
streets, and even under the trees. Higher education, however, needed more
permanent structures4.
Then the history and the roles of the school in late antique Egypt, one of the
most important school at all, The School of teaching the principles of
1- Plumely J. M., An Introductory Coptic Grammar (Sahidic Dialect), (London 1984), 2.
2- Crum W.E., A Coptic Dictionary, (Oxford 1939), 320; Cherix P. A., Lexique Copte Sahidique
segment d'origine égyptienne attestés en copte sahidique, (Genève 2010), 45. 3- Majcherek G., “The Auditoria on Kom el-Dikka: A Glimpse of Late Antique Education in
Alexandria", In: Proceedings of the Twenty-Fife International Congress of Papyrology, Ann
Arbor 2007, American Studies in Papyrology, (Ann Arbor 2010), 475. 4- Cribiore, R., Gymnastics of the Mind: Greek Education in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt
(Princeton 2001) 21–34.
4
Christianity in Alexandria (Catechetical School of Alexandria1) and its role,
heads and history. Ihe first and foremost in'litution of theological learning in
Christian antiquity. Though we first hear of it as an eslablished school in the
Historia ecclesiastic of Eusebius. around the year 180.
The Auditoria on Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria the most important and
remarkable institutional complex it was an academic complex which dated
to the byzantine period and it was used in late antique Egypt.
The public schools and the Schools in the Monasteries; like cell B in the
monastery of Epiphanius, Bachatly found in the monastery of Apa
Phoibamon some ostraca written by the Greek and Coptic languages It
seems from which the existence of a school of some kind. This is confirmed
by the presence of the Coptic alphabet written in red ink at the entrance of
the courtyard leading to the Southern offering hall in the Temple of Bahari2.
It was found many school exercises for students of Copts were staying in the
cell no. 25 in the Monastery of the Archangel Michael in Naqlon in Fayom.
This is like what was followed by the Ancient Egyptians, because the school
was annexed to the temple. Establishing the school with connection to the
monastery and the church because the Coptic Church took care –and still-
with the children.
Some connection between school and temple can be observed in the fourth
century C.E. in the village of Kellis in the Dakhleh Oasis. A mud-brick
structure inside the temple of the deity “Tutu” yielded fragments of several
inscribed wooden boards of a scholastic nature, an ostracon with an exercise,
and a number of reed pens. These objects were found in the rooms of the
main structure that were divided by a partition and provided with benches.
While it is tempting to suppose that these alterations were due to the need to
adapt the rooms to school use3.
It seems that many of the teachers have been using their homes as school in
special cases or on specific days of the week, and that was a practical
solution and years4.
1- Atiya A. S., “Catechetical School of Alexandria”, Coptic Encyclopedia 3 (New York 1991),
469-473. 2- Bachatly C., Le Monastère de Phoebammon dans le Thébaïde, Tome II: Graffiti,
inscriptions et ostraca, II, (Le Caire 1965). 3- Cribiore R., Gymnastics of the Mind: Greek Education in Hellenistic and Roman
Egypt, (Princeton University Press, 2001), 23. 4- Haggag M., “Some Remarks on the Function of the Auditoria of Kom el-Dikka”,
Alexandria. Auditoria of Kom el-Dikka and Late Antique Education, The Journal of Juristic
Papyrology. Supplements 8 (Warsaw 2007), 135-139.
5
Then different Coptic vocabulary that function on the teacher; like ⲥⲁϩ in
sahidic dialect and ⲥⲁϧ in bohairic dialect, and ⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱ which occurs in the
Bible as a title of the Christ; in Gospel of Matthew 19, 61. In psalm 25, 8:
ⲉϥⲉϯⲥⲃⲱ ⲛⲛⲓⲣⲙⲣⲁⲩϣ ⲉⲛⲉϥⲙⲓⲧⲱⲟⲩⲓ “he instructs sinners in his ways”.
Some its Linguistic origins (etymology), then the teachers in Coptic
schools, their role, social status and stage of preparation and the most
famous of these teachers; such as Pantaenus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen
and Didymus the blind.
The third chapter "The Coptic School texts", this chapter is the most
important section in the thesis, these which were taught in Coptic schools,
by the Coptic teachers, the definition of educational texts “it’s refers to the
students' work inside the school or for the school at any level of the different
levels of education, and also indicates what the teachers are prepared for
pupils at school”2. There are many factors that sometimes contributed to
characterize the school exercises; writing materials, the line is written, which
finishes the text, punctuation. The writing concerning students are
characterized, because it’s slow and not perfect, size of letters is large
written in irregular lines, footnotes, and diversity in the direction of the
letters. But good and perfect writings are those that belong to teachers,
which is called "the writings of teachers" or "teacher models", which
characterized by speed, precision and perfection3, those writings were played
role of the books which were used to be copied; like the tablet of Isocrates,
is dated to the 7th
century, contains Greek and Coptic texts4.
The Coptic school exercise are few, because the education was the most
verbally and oral, or they were erased after writing to rewrite again on the
ostraca, these are the reasons that most Coptic school texts mostly out of our
reach. But the most important educational Coptic texts are those that
collected and studied by Monika Hasitzka (MPER N. S. XVIII )
5, KSB III
1- Horner G., the Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Northern Dialect, 166-167.
2- Cribiore R., "Literary School Exercises", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 116
(1997), 53. 3- Cribiore R.,"Education in the Papyri", In: The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Edited
by Roger S. Bagnall, (Oxford 2009), 321. 4- Cribiore R.,"Education in the Papyri", 328-330
5- Hasitzka M. R. M. unter Mitarbeit von Hermann Harrauer, Neue Texte und
Dokumentation zum Koptisch-Unterricht, Mitteilungen aus der Papyrussammlung der
Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Neue Series, XVIII, (Wien, Holline 1990).
6
and some texts in the collection MPER XV1 and some other school exercises
in Berlin2.
The institutional content and teaching methods:
The historian says that the students went through an entire curriculum to
learn reading and writing in the past passing three successful successive
stages of supervised teachers scattered, where students learn reading and
writing in primary school, rules and poetry in grammar school, the art of
speech in rhetorical school3. The student was initially in primary education,
with training on the letters of the alphabet and then to skip this important
stage and up to the advanced stage of education to learn by heart Psalm or
part of the holy Gospels; like Paul the Apostle messages starting from the
third century AD4. There is Coptic text mentions that the teaching of writing
precedes reading in the school training, it concerns two Christian saints;
Paneu and Panine5. This text says: “Sinfronis learnt the art of writing and
quickly began to overtake him on the older pupils who have already started
to read”6. So, the methodology of the education in late antique Egypt was
based on main concept; it’s the sequence and gradualism from simple to
difficult, and from little to major.
The Coptic school exercises:
It followed the educational system. The students were practicing single
letters of alphabet practiced several times, and letters that are joined without
following an alphabetical order in the first stage at primary school, the
second level includes complete and incomplete alphabets, Syllabaries which
consist of consonant letters with vowels, these syllabry are divided into dual,
triple and quad. Lists of words, writing exercises, short passages: maxims,
saying, opening formula of letters repeated several times, and how to write
letters, sections and lists of spelling words and names. In advanced stage
1- Harrauer H. and Sijpesteijn P., Neue Yexte Aus Dem Antiken Untericht, MPER XV,
(Wien 1985). 2- Loebenstein H. and Krause M., "Paprus Collections", Coptic Encyclopedia 3 (New York
1991), 1890-1898. 3- Kaster R. A., "Notes on "Primary" And "Secondary" Schools in Late Antiquity",
Transactions of The American Philological Association 113 (1995), 323.
4- Cribiore R., Higher Education in Early Byzantine Egypt, 50; Cribiore R., "Education in
the Papyri", p. 328; Cribiore R., Writing, Teachers and Students in Graeco-Roman Egypt,
no. 403, Tafel LXXV. 5- Orlandi T., Il dossier Copto del martire Psote, (Milano 1978), 95-115.
6- Cribiore R., Writing, Teachers and Students in Graeco-Roman Egypt,( Atlanta 1996),
149.
7
training on longer passages; copies of biblical texts or of teachers' models,
grammatical and mathematical exercises were simple with numbers,
examples of addition, and tables for fractions and multiplication.
The Coptic school Exercises can be divided regarding to content to:
A- Exercises of alphabets:
Whether these letters are written in is arranged in alphabetical order.
Whether complete or incomplete. Sometimes the letters borrowed from
demotic script seven or six, according to dialect. Teaching the alphabet was
necessary to keep it well before it can be written. There are some exercises
that contain alphabets also includes training in writing.
B- Exercises of syllables:
Syllables consist of consonant letters with vowels, these syllables are
divided into dual, triple and quad, the majority of the exercises of syllables is
the triple which contains two consonants between them a vowel. The main
purpose of exercises of syllables is to teach students the pronunciation.
There are some exercises which contain alphabets and syllables. It was
divided into horizontal columns by points or vertical lines and horizontal.
C- Writing exercises:
In order to train the student to write and mastered it he must copying
exercises from other texts, such as religious texts; psalms in particular and
parts of the gospels, or to copy the usual formulas for the opening formulae
of the letters; which is the most type which is written in Coptic, ranging
from training on short sentences, and sayings, lists of names; personal and
geographical, and lists of words. Monika Hasitzka said that the word lists
were characteristic feature of the Coptic education only, reaching to the level
of long-copied texts. There are little of orthographic and grammatical
exercises, P.Vindob.K 16794 is an example of a grammatical exercise.
D- Mathematical exercises:
To let the students learn numbers and the ability to know and learn different
mathematical operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
In mathematical texts alphabet were used to express numbers. The training
was by giving the result twice, by changing the position of the numbers, for
example 1+2=3 and 2+1=3.
Then the curriculum content and teaching ways and methods, and finally
with the educational texts published; Coptic ostraca of Crum, exercises from
8
Michigan university, exercises from monastery of Epiphanius, from
Phoibamon, from Duke university, from Columbia, MPER (NS. XVIII, XV)
Collection, from IFAO, from Says collection, of Fournet Jean-luc, of Herbert
Thompson, from Greco-roman Museum, from Thebes, from Fayyoum and
from the British Museum. With the comment and said the most important of
these models with the need to say that there are many of these texts similar
in content.
The Paleography and the characteristics of the Coptic school exercises:
1- Slowness and lack of proficiency and immaturity, for the size of the
letters are large, irregular lines of writing, footnotes, and sometimes the
writing is slope and stepping out of the line. Diversity in the direction and
the size and shape of the letters and the large number of ligature that is often
not elaborate.
2- There are frequent errors in copying texts, sentences and formulas, these
errors were result of forgotten, omissions, or ignorance, some of these errors
were corrected.
3- Confusion and cannibalization between the letters which are similar in
shape and sound like ⲁ, ⲇ and ϫ, ϭ. Some letters lengthen in its end like ϣ,
ⲣ, ⲫ. This is a chronological feature makes text dating to the last centuries of
the Coptic languae, especially the 8th
and 9th
centuries. It sometimes contains
the page margins, and be numbered like pages of a book.
4- Some Coptic exercises were written on a material already used in other
writing texts, by erasing the text with water and then copy the exercise, This
can be seen that some letters are faint; those which belong to the erased text.
This process was a reason of missing much important information. Or use
free space on papyrus and paper to copy his exercise.
5- The student began writing the exercise with the Cross for blessing, as well
as the Chrism. Sometimes we find shape and form of the letters one, then
changed Hence we know that means more than one student have written
exercise, there is often student better than another one.
6- Rarely is a student's signature on the exercise.
In the end of the thesis, the results conclusions of this Study, the
bibliography, Indexes of the exercises, proper names, the archaeological
sites, the most important vocabularies, the hieroglyphic words, and Coptic
words, and finally the plates.
9
The Conclusion:
At the end of this thesis "Methods and Methodology of Learning the Coptic
Language (linguistic - cultural study)", it was reached following results:
Education in late antique Egypt assets attributable to the period in which
Christianity entered Egypt in the second half of the first century, when old
educational traditions stained with the new religion. The Christian
dignitaries established schools wherever they settled in their hierarchical
dioceses and leadership. The educational habits near churches and
monasteries in most areas all over Egypt.
Since the fourth century education became an important element of life in
the monastery. The monasteries were centers of knowledge; it had many
monks who worked as scribes and teachers and had libraries. The
monasteries were managing the educational process.
Saint Bakhoum was interested in the education of monks and erasing their
illiteracy to be able to read the Holy Scriptures. So he arranged for the
beginners three daily lessons in the day, they had to attend these lessons.
While the old monks were attending lessons of interpretation the divine
Scriptures on Wednesdays and Fridays. The library was opened for reading,
which contained the Bible, the sayings of the desert fathers, the work of the
martyrs, laws and canons. Sometimes had some books of stories, history,
literature and the grammar of the Coptic language.
The young children in the villages were learning to read and write
mathematics and important elements in Christianity in the Coptic language.
The advanced education was offered in the monasteries.
It’s difficult to distinguish between the letters which have been sent already
and those which used as writing exercise.
Although the Copts were interesting the education, but most of the people
were illiterate, the evidence of that many Copts asked the educated persons
to write for him because he didn’t know how to write.
Didymus the Blind educational means invented a new method to help blind
children; this is hewn letters to help them learn to read.
During the period between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, the Copts
made efforts in order to maintain the Coptic language, which was threatened
by the superiority of the Arabic language, so, they compiled books on Coptic
grammar, vocabulary are called “introductions and ladders”. Those books
that helped to teach the Coptic language in Europe, which began in the 17th
century by both Kircher and Stern.
10
Selected Bibliography: Al-Suryani M., Ancient and Contemporary Christian Education in the Coptic
Church of Egypt, M.A thesis, (Princeton Theological Seminary, 1955).
Antoniak I., "New Ostraca from Thebes", In: Christianity and Monasticism
in Upper Egypt, Vol. 2 Nag Hammadi-Esna, (New York, Cairo, 2010).
Bagnall R. S., Egypt: from Alexander to the Copts, (London, 2004).
Bagnall R. S., Egypt in the Byzantine World 300-700, (Cambridge, 2007).
Bagnall R. S., Late Antique Egypt, the Oxford Handbook of Papyrology,
(Oxford, 2009), 427-451.
Bachatly C., Le Monastère de Phoebammon dans la Thébaïde, Tome II:
Graffiti, inscriptions et ostraca, Publications de la Société d’archéologie
copte. Rapports de fouilles, (Cairo, 965). Bacot S., "Ostraca Grecs Et Coptes Des Fouilles Franco-Polonaises sur Le