St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society


Society Progress 2004-5


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Seventh St. Shenouda Coptic Conference

Beginning August 5, 2005, the Society held its seventh general conference of Coptic Studies.  This two-day event was held on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), through the courtesy of the University authorities and the hard work of the Coptic Collegiate Club there. It was the final public event in the Society's 25-year celebration. The theme returned to the original format of general Coptic Studies. There were 19 presentations delivered by and for scholars and members of the Society from the US and Australia. The participants included lay Copts, graduate students, and college professors with ages ranging from the early 20s to the late 70s. They had one common denominator, the love for Coptic Studies. About 80 persons attended some or all the presentations. This was the ninth Society-sponsored scholarly event in the field of Coptic Studies in Los Angeles. It helped to further the Society's efforts to promote scholarly research among the Coptic Community in this field as well as attract wider participation by universities throughout Southern California. A full report about the Conference will be included in the upcoming issue of the St. Shenouda Coptic Quarterly. Coverage and interviews of the participants was aired on Orthodox TV in Los Angeles on August 13, 20, and 27. Viewers can watch these interviews in their Internet video archives at http://www.orthodoxtv.net.

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Prof. Sami A. Hanna Memorial Library

Prof. Sami A. Hanna, the founder of the American Association of Coptic Studies in Portland Oregon, has donated his extensive Middle Eastern and Linguistics library to the Society. The library included about 1000 volumes and over 200-year old Islamic Arabic manuscript. He said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Library on August 19, 2005, that he hoped that the Center would evolve as the best resource for Coptic Studies in America. According to him, the study of Islam, where the bulk of the new library is about, is essential to the study of Christianity in Egypt. This played a large role in his decision to make such a generous donation. The library is also a reflection of his long career in the field of the Arabic Language and Middle Eastern Studies. This included working with Prof. Aziz Surial Atiya in Utah in establishing the Middle Eastern Studies there along with his academic endeavors that took him to North Africa as well as the Persian Gulf states. Mr. Victor Hanna is currently working on the cataloging of the material. This new library is housed at the original location of the Coptic Library in the upstairs suite, which became vacant when the library moved to its new location. Sadly Prof. Hanna passed away just a few days after the Library opening ceremony. Our only consolation is the elation that we saw on his face during the ceremony and the joy that he expressed shortly after to his family and friends. It was a much-needed joy for him after the profound sadness he was feeling for the loss of his dear wife, a month earlier, and his ailing health. May the Lord that he served since his early years in al-Fayoum, repose his soul and comfort his children with His heavenly consolation.

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COMPUTERS AND COPTIC

a. COEPA: The Society is continuing its cooperation with COEPA to promote and distribute their excellent products in the US, which is related to our work. Their newly released CD-Rom title, The Coptic Orthodox electronic Reference library (COeRL), contained licensed two modules of our Coptic CD. This 2-CD set includes over hundreds of works, essential to students and members of the Coptic Church, including the Coptic Lessons with sound support and the dictionary, published previously by the Society.

b Coptic Digital Library: The Society took great strides toward the establishment of an extensive digital library of Coptic Studies. This would include items from the Society's offprint collection, catalogs of Coptic and Christian Arabic manuscripts, and rare and essential volumes in the field. So far, the library includes about 100,000 frames comprising approximately 160,000 pages. Much of the material has been scanned by the Society. Several of these titles have been announced so far. This work will be made available to scholars and students involved in Coptic Studies and related fields for nominal fees. It will be furnished in PDF format on CDs, and will be announced when ready. Inquiries about other titles not in the published list can be mailed or emailed to the Society.

c. Computers at the Coptic Center: This year, thanks to the contined efforts of Mr. Sameh Hanna, our network was expanded to connect the new Coptic Library suite with our file server and Internet connection. A new workstation with a scanner was also added along with a network printer. We currently have the entire set of Digitized microfilms and the contents of scanned images that were done this year installed on the server and is accessible through all the workstations there. We are also expanding the storage capacity to accommodate the new planned digital libraries of Coptic Music and Fr. Bishoy Memorial Multimedia Library.

d.  Global Access (Internet):  This year we continued our solid presence on the Internet.  HTTP://WWW.STSHENOUDA.COM is still our current website address.  The traffic is averaging about 50,000 hits a month with visitors over the last year from nearly every state in the US as well as over 120 different countries from six continents.

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THE COPTIC LIBRARY

Due to the steady growth of the library, the Society leased a separate large one-room suite in the same building, where the Center is currently housed. During the past year the library grew to over 2,700 volumes of material in the different branches of Coptic Studies. We expanded the library in nearly every section of its 21 different sections. We are continuing the expansion and the development of the library to contain all the necessary references required by those who want to learn and/or to research the Coptic Heritage. The notable additions were as follows:

 

a. Coptic Art/Architecture/Inscriptions: Cramer, M. Archäologische und Epigraphische Klassifikation (1957); Heurtel, C. Les inscriptions coptes et grecques du temple d'Hathor a Deir al-Medina (2004); Froschauer, H./Gastgeber, C./Harrauer, H. Ein Buch verändert die Welt : älteste Zeugnisse der Heiligen Schrift aus der Zeit des frühen Christentums in Ägypten (2003); Urbaniak-Walczak, K. Die 'Conceptio per Aurem' : Untersuchungen zum Marienbild in Ägypten unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Malereien in El-Bagawat (1992); Wietheger, C. Das Jeremias-Kloster zu Saqqara unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Inschriften (1992).

b. Coptic Bible, Old  & New: Anonymous. The Four Gospels (Coptic-Arabic, 1829); Aranda Perez, G. El evangelio de San Marcos en copto sahidico : (Texto de M 569 y aparato critico) (1988); Becker, C.H. Das Reich der Ismaeliten im Koptischen Danielbuch (1916); Cramer, J.A. Catenae Graecorum Patrum in Novum Testamentum, 8 vols. (Reprint:1967); Horner, G. The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Southern Dialect 7 vols (Reprint:1969); Kasser, R. L'evangile selon saint Jean: et les versions coptes de la bible (1966); K.Schüssler, Biblica Coptica-Die Koptischen Bibletexte Band 3-3 (2004); Tattam, H. The Ancient Coptic Version of the Book of Job the Just (1846).

c. Coptic Festschrifts and Conference Proceedings: Beltz, W./Tubach, J. (Ed) Zeit und Geschichte in der koptischen Frömmigkeit (1998); Hasitzka, M/Diethart, J./Dembski, G. Das alte Ägypten und seine Nachbarn : Festschrift zum 65. Geburtstag von Helmut Satzinger (2003); Joost, S.. Bibliotheca docet. Festgabe für Carl Wehmer (1963); Nagel, P. Probleme der Koptischen Literatur (1968); Thaler, B. Koptologische Studien in DDR (1965).

d. Canon Law and Legal Texts: Bright, Definition of the Catholic Faith & the Canons of Discipline of the First Four General Councils of the Universal Church (1874); Diem, W. Eine arabische Kaufurkunde von 1024 n. Chr. aus Ägypten : aus der Sammlung der Max Freiherr von Oppenheim-Stiftung (2004); Hefele C.J. A History of the Councils of the Church v.3 (1883), v.4 (1895); Schaff, P. The Oldest Church Manual (Reprint: 2001); Thomas, J.D. The Epistrategos in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, ii. Roman Epistrategos (1982); Wolff, H.J. Conveyance of Land in Greco-Roman Egypt (1945).

e. Catalogs of Manuscripts/Bibliographies: Crum, W.E. Catalogue of the Coptic Manuscripts in the British Museum (1905); Deveria, T. Catalogue des Manuscrits Égyptiens Écrits sur Papyrus (Reprint:1986); Hall, H.R. Coptic and Greek Texts of the Christian Period (1905); Munier, H. Catalogue Generale des Antiquites Egyptienne. No. 9201-9304. Manuscrits Coptes (1916).

f. Coptic Gnosticism & Apocrypha: Pearson, B. Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt (2004); Schenke, G. Berliner "Koptischen Buch" P20915, 2 vols (2005); Schmidt, C. Acta Pauli aus der Heidelberger Koptischen Papyrus, 2 vols (Reprint:1965).

g. Coptic Hagiography: Amélineau, E.C. Les Actes des Martyrs de l'Eglise Copte. Etude Critique (1890); Elliot, A.G. Road to Paradise-Reading the Lives of the Early Saints (1987); Halkin, F. Bibliothecae Hagiographicae Graeca, 3 vols (1957); Halkin, F. Novum Auctorem Bibliothecae Hagiographicae Graeca (1984); Papaconstantinou, A. Le culte des saints en Egypte, des Byzantins aux Abbassides (2001); Stallman-Pacitti, C. Cyril of Scythopolis (1991); Zaborowski, J.R. Coptic Martyrdom of John of Phanijoit (2005).

h. Coptic History and Geography: Al-Shayeb, Z. Description of Egypt (Arabic Translation) vols 2-28 (2002-2003); Ayerst, D. Records of Christianity v.1 The Roman in Empire (1971); Bell, H.I. Cults and Creeds in Graeco-Roman Egypt (1953); Bethune-Baker. Nestorius and His Teaching. (Reprint:1998); Butcher, E.L. The Story of the Church of Egypt, 2 vol. (1897); Chitham, E.J. The Coptic Community in Egypt: Spatial and Social (1986); Davis, S. Early Coptic Papacy: Popes of Egypt (2004); Halm, H. Ägypten nach den mamlukischen Lehensregistern. Teil 1: Oberägypten und das Fayyum. (1979); Halm, H. Ägypten nach den mamlukischen Lehensregistern. Teil 2: Das Delta. (1982); Munier, H & Wiet G. Precis de l'Histoire d'Egypte par divers Historien (1938); Neugebauer, O. Abu Shaker s "Chronography". A Treatise of the 13th Century (1988); Perry, P. Jesus in Egypt : Discovering the Secrets of Christ's Childhood Years (2003); Sayyid, A. Al-Maqrizi, Al-Mawa'iz Wal-I'Tibar Fi Dikr Al-Khitat Wal-Athar (6 vols, 2002-4); Vandersleyen, C. Chronologie des Prefets d'Egypte de 284 a 395 (1962); Wansleben, J.M. The Present State of Egypt (UMI).

i. Coptic and Other Languages: Ayad, B.A. (Translator). Mallon's Coptic Grammar English Edition (2005); Polotsky, H. Grundlagen des Koptischen Satzbaus, zweite Halfte (1990); Tattam, H. A Coptic-Latin Lexicon (Reprint:?).

j.Coptic Literature/Patristics: Allen P. & Hayward, R. Severus of Antioch (2005); Altaner, B. Patrology (1958); Bardenhewer, O. Geschichte der Altkirchlichen Literatur, vol 2 (1903); Bray, G.L. 1-2 Corinthians: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. New Testament 7 (1999); Bray, G.L. James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. New Testament 11 (2000); Burghardt, W.J. Image of God in Man According to Cyril of Alexandria (1957); Ferreiro, A. & Oden T.C. The Twelve Prophets: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Old Testament XIV (2003); Geerard, M.; Noret, J. Clavis Patrum Graecorum, Supplementum (1998); Gorday, P. Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture IX (2000); Hall, C.A. Learning Theology with the Fathers (2002); Heen E.M. & Krey, P.D.W. Hebrews: Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture, New Testament X (2005); Hill, R.C. John Chrysostom – Commentary on the Psalms, 2 vols (1998); Leinhard, J. T. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Old Testament 3 (2001); Louth, A. & Conti, M. 1-11 Genesis: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Old Testament 1 (2001); McGuckin, J.A. The Westminister Handbook to Origen (2004); McKinion, S.A. & Oden T.C. Isaiah 1-39: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Old Testament X (2004); Neale, J.M. Commentary on the Psalms from Primitive and Mediaeval Sources (1874); Rapp, C. Holy Bishops in Late Antiquity (2005); Simonetti, M. Matthew 14-28: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. New Testament 1b (1998); Simonetti, M. & Oden, T.C. Matthew 1-13: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. New Testament 1a (2001); Tattam, H. The Homilies of Macarius the Great (Arabic Translation, 184?); Various. Fathers of the Church, New Translation vol. 1-103 (1947-2003); Witte, B. Die Sünden der Priester und Mönche : koptische Eschatologie des 8. Jahrhunderts nach Kodex M 602 pp. 104-154 (ps. Athanasius) der Pierpont Morgan Library (2002); Wright, J.R. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Old Testament IX: (2005).

k. Coptic Liturgy: Budde, A. Die ägyptische Basilios-Anaphora : Text - Kommentar – Geschichte (2004); Cramer, M. Koptische Liturgien (1972); Eichman, R. Koptische Lauten : eine musikarchäologische Untersuchung von sieben Langhalslauten des 3.-9. Jh. n. Chr. aus Ägypten. (1994); Horner, G. The Service for the Consecration of a Church … (1902); Kolta, G. & Behnam, R. W. The Holy Myron (2005); Renaudot, E. Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio, 2 vols (2nd Ed: 1847); Tukhi, Psalmodia Kiahk (1764).

l. Coptic Monasticism: Adalbert de Vogüe - Quatre ermites egyptiens d'apres Les fragments coptes de l'histoire lausiaque / presentes par Gabriel Bunge ; traduits par du copte. (1994); Chevillat, A. Moines du Désert d'Egypte (1990); Regnault, L. Livre des Anciens le Recueil d'Apophtegmes ... (1995).

m. Coptic Magic: Meyer, M. The Magical Book of Mary and the Angels (P.Heidelberg) (1996).

n. Periodicals: Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists v.34:1-4 (1997); Collectanea Christiana Orientalia v.2 (2005); Coptic Church Review vol 25-4 (2004), vol.26-(1-3) (2005); Irenikon v.77:1,2-3,4 (2004); Muséon, 28 volumes (1935-6, 1943, 1970-6, 1979-83, 1985-6, 1994, 2002); Revue de l'Orient Chretien, 9 parts (1911-3, 1915, 1922-3).

o. Coptic Theology: Anonymous. Konzilien und Kircheneinheit : zweite Wiener Altorientalenkonsultation 1973 ; Dokumentation des offiziellen Dialogs zwischen der koptisch- orthodoxen und der römisch-katholischen Kirche (2004); George, M.V. My Lord and My God: An Introduction to Christology (?); Ibn Warraq, What the Quran Really Says: Language, Text, and Commentary (2002).

Three of the above titles were donated by Prof. Claudia Rapp of. In addition Rev. T. Hall Patrick donated 27 volumes of his library earlier in the year along with 13 volumes of Liturgical manuals donated by Mr. Victor Hanna. Dr. Maged S. A. Mikhail also gave the library a hardbound copy of his dissertation. Prof. Dwight W. Young has generously donated several offprint copies of an extensive article that contained an edition of unpublished works of St. Shenouda, to be distributed to the Center's Patrons. This valuable article includes many manuscripts plates.

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The Coptic MiniConferences

The Society continued its periodic program of limited one-day miniConferences at the Coptic Center. Two sessions were conducted, one in December 2004 and the other one in May 2005. Each included two short presentations on various subjects and one single major presentation on Coptic History. There were accompanying Library Book exhibits for manuscripts and rare books. Attendance was over 20 persons in these meetings, thanks to the larger space of the new suite.

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EDUCATIONAL CLASSES

The Advanced Coptic Seminar, continued its work primarily on selections from the Bohairic book of Genesis. Currently four other sessions are being held at the Center. Three are Beginning and one Intermediate Coptic classes.

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PUBLICATIONS

a. St. Shenouda Coptic Quarterly (SSCQ):  Four issues of volume one of this new journal were published and mailed to our members.

b. Coptica: The fourth volume of Coptica was published and distributed to members and subscribers. It included seven papers that were submitted during last year's historic Conference on the Life and Times of St. Shenouda (August 2004). It is the Society's greatest contribution to Shenoutian Studies to date.

 

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Bylaws Revisions

The Society has recently sent proposed resolution to revise its bylaws to its voting memembers. It was designed to streamline its administration, generalize its mandatory dissolution clause, and expand the eligibility of membership. The results were 39 out of 93 ballots were received with 38 Yes and one No votes. The passing of the revised Bylaws is reflected in the Membership application rules.

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Prepared by Hany N. Takla 9/12/2006

for more information contact htakla@stshenouda.com