Maged S.A. Mikhail | California State University, Fullerton (original) (raw)
Papers by Maged S.A. Mikhail
Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean World: From Constantinople to Baghdad, 500-1000 CE, ed. J. Bruning, J.H.M. de Jong, and P.M. Sijpesteijn (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 465 - 92., 2022
This chapter focuses on the use of Christian-Arabic and Coptic literary sources in the study of E... more This chapter focuses on the use of Christian-Arabic and Coptic literary sources in the study of Egyptian history from 500 to 1000 CE. It presents several methodological approaches to reading Christian historical, hagiographic, and apocalyptic texts with the aim of deriving cultural and historical data that reflect developments affecting the whole population irrespective of confessional allegiance. The chapter also demonstrates the interconnectedness of Christian literature in Egypt to that of the wider Islamic and Mediterranean literary cultures.
“Historical Definitions and Synonyms for “Copt” and “Coptic”: the Construction of Communal Identity in Pre-Modern Egypt at the Nexus of Language, History, and Ethnogenesis,” Journal of the Canadian Society for Coptic Studies 13 (2021), 11-45., 2021
This study scrutinizes the meaning and use of “Copt” and “Coptic” in the Middle Ages, when three ... more This study scrutinizes the meaning and use of “Copt” and “Coptic” in the Middle Ages, when three interrelated—yet distinct and, at times, contradictory—“sets” of definitions circulated among Christians and Muslims. The first set comes from linguistic etymologies and mythical histories. In that context, this study contests the historicity of “Copt” in the earliest versions of the written Talmud. A second set of definitions emerged from Arabic historical and ethnogenetic narratives, while a third set reflects religious communal identity. Here, the evidence suggests that “Copt” and “Jacobite” were not only used interchangeably, but that “Jacobite” was often preferred and, at times, exclusive to the Copts. Significantly, the communal boundaries of the third set of definitions blatantly transgress those of the second, and even the first. In addition, this study demonstrates that pre-modern texts switched from one definition to the other without pause, which places a greater burden on scholars to clearly discern the contexts of any attestation for “Copt[-ic].” The three sets of definitions parsed here challenge contemporary usage among the Coptic community, church, and academics, which largely depend on the paradigm of the nation state.
Unfortunately, after the publication of this article in the GOTR it was discovered that somehow t... more Unfortunately, after the publication of this article in the GOTR it was discovered that somehow the original submission rather than the revised version was published. This is the revised version that should have been published.
Greek Orthodox Theological Review , 2016
Maged S.A. Mikhail, “The Deacon as Concelebrant and Liturgical Witness in the Coptic Rite,” Greek... more Maged S.A. Mikhail, “The Deacon as Concelebrant and Liturgical Witness in the Coptic Rite,” Greek Orthodox Theological Review 61.3-4 (2016), 101-123. . . See the revised version, also on this site.
This chapter surveys the diverse evidence for Lent in Alexandria (Egypt), from the third to the f... more This chapter surveys the diverse evidence for Lent in Alexandria (Egypt), from the third to the fourteenth century AD, and the accompanying academic historiography for that fast over the past several decades. It provides a new reading of the sources, which contests the existence of a Post-Epiphany Lent in second-third century Egypt that was allegedly reformed by Patriarch Demetrius, and would call for re-reading the extant evidence from a fundamentally different perspective.
The Fast of the Apostles is a post-Pentecost rogation that may span three to forty-nine days. Cur... more The Fast of the Apostles is a post-Pentecost rogation that may span three to forty-nine days. Current scholarship places its developed in Rome by the mid-fifth century. This study argues that most of the alleged evidence has been read out of context or in later recensions, and that scholars have failed to discern between the Fast of the Apostles proper and short heterogeneous fasts that are marginally attested in the patristic era. It then traces the earliest incontrovertible evidence for this fast, and charts its development among the West and East Syrians and the Copts of Egypt.
This study presents a new reading of the Life of the ninth-century Coptic saint abba John Khame (... more This study presents a new reading of the Life of the ninth-century Coptic saint abba John Khame (or Abū Kāmā), which facilitates a reassessment of all extant literature on the saint and the early history of his monastery. It is argued that an anonymous author bisected John's original biography, which was likely drafted in the second quarter of the tenth century, and appended several later traditions that were in circulation around 1000 CE. By delineating the contours of the original biography, and contrasting it with what would later constitute its normative recension, the study identifies and analyzes the early and late traditions that became associated with John Khame and his monastery, and parses a series of long-forgotten and hitherto undocumented disputes that arose between John's community and the nearby monasteries of John the Little and that of the Syrians. Arguably, the Life's true merit lies in reflecting the aspirations and life-situation of John's monks well over a century after the abbot's death. The study also proposes a new reading for the saint's enigmatic moniker: "Khame". Finally, an appendix provides the Arabic text and an English translation of a vital passage that was excised from the Coptic Life of the saint.
The Coptic Christian Heritage: History, Faith, and Culture, ed. L. Farag (New York: Rutledge Press, 2013), ch. 3 (pgs. 39-53) , 2013
This chapter surveys the history of the Copts and their church from the Arab Conquest through Mam... more This chapter surveys the history of the Copts and their church from the Arab Conquest through Mamluk rule.
History Compass, 2010
This article surveys the most important Christian (Coptic and Melkite) and Islamic sources for th... more This article surveys the most important Christian (Coptic and Melkite) and Islamic sources for the study of Egypt from the Arab conquest (641 ce) through the mid-ninth century. Beginning with a discussion of reference works, the article turns to narrative, hagiographic, and apocalyptic texts that focus specifically on Egypt. The latter section identifies the essential print and online resources for the study of Greek, Coptic, and Arabic papyri through the ninth century.
Although the early Islamic military establishment has received a great deal of attention in recen... more Although the early Islamic military establishment has received a great deal of attention in recent years, the history of Egyptian forces—the Ahl al-Dīwān—has been obscured by a general lack of evidence. By drawing upon documentary and Christian narrative sources to supplement the dominant Islamic tradition, this paper forwards an historical assessment of the Arab-Egyptian army from the seventh through the early ninth century CE. It postulates that Egyptian forces retained an atypical status throughout the eighth century which enabled these regional troops to function in a manner analogous to reserve corps. The early efficiency, and later decline and marginalization of this force are clearly delineated in the particulars surrounding the popular revolts of the eighth and early ninth centuries CE (the so-called “Coptic Revolts”).
This paper discusses the documentary evidence for various food commodities, such as grains, veget... more This paper discusses the documentary evidence for various food commodities, such as grains, vegetables and fruits, in Egypt from roughly the fifth to the tenth centuries, relying in particular on the Arabic papyri published by Adolf Grohmann.
Books by Maged S.A. Mikhail
![Research paper thumbnail of The Dossier of Apa Matthew the Poor, “al-Fakhuri”: An Eighth-Century Upper-Egyptian Coptic Monk_exerpt [A Double Issue of Coptica 21 - 22 (2022 - 2023)]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/116513094/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Coptica , 2022
This double edition of the journal is dedicated to the dossier of Apa Matthew the Poor, who is wi... more This double edition of the journal is dedicated to the dossier of Apa Matthew the Poor, who is widely known today as “the Potter.” The dossier of this eighth-century saint is comprised of a fragmentary Encomium and a Life written in Sahidic Coptic. By drawing on all available sources, including previously published texts, hitherto unedited folios, and pertinent Arabic sources, this study forwards as complete an edition of these two compositions as is currently possible. Chapter One forwards an analysis of the available sources, a survey of previous scholarship, and a sketch of the development of the saint’s biography from the eighth to the fourteenth century. Chapters Two through Five present the reconstructed Coptic texts for the Encomium and Life along with English translations and commentary. The first four appendices provide editions of newly edited folios, and the remaining appendices forward translations of the saint’s entries in various Arabic and Ethiopic sources, the most prominent among which are those in the History of the Patriarchs and the History of the Churches and Monasteries of Egypt.
Tim Vivian and Maged S.A. Mikhail, eds., The Life of Bishoi: The Greek, Arabic, Syriac, and Ethiopic Lives (Cairo and New York: American University in Cairo Press, 2021)., 2021
This definitive volume contains the first English translation of the Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and E... more This definitive volume contains the first English translation of the Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic Lives of Bishoi (Paisios), each translation accompanied by an introduction that focuses on certain aspects of the source text. It also has the first transcription and English translation of an important Greek text. The General Introduction provides rich context about the texts and textual traditions in the various languages, and thoroughly revises our knowledge about the Syriac tradition, the translation of the Syriac text here now consequently providing what is the best translation in any modern language.
This is a revised translation and expanded commentary and introduction to the only surviving serm... more This is a revised translation and expanded commentary and introduction to the only surviving sermon by the Coptic Patriarch Benjamin I (7th c.): On Cana of Galilee. The publication also includes the Coptic text for the sermon.
This is the first full-length study of Demetrius of Alexandria (189–232 ce), who generated a negl... more This is the first full-length study of Demetrius of Alexandria (189–232 ce), who generated a neglected, yet remarkable hagiographic program that secured him a positive legacy throughout the Middle Ages and the modern era. Drawing upon Patristic, Coptic, and Arabic sources spanning a millennium, the analysis contextualizes the Demetrian corpus at its various stages of composition and presents the totality of his hagiographic corpus in translation.
This volume constitutes a definitive study of Demetrius, but more broadly, it provides a clearly delineated hagiographic program and charts its evolution against a backdrop of political developments and intercommunal interactions. This fascinating study is a useful resource for students of Demetrius and the Church in Egypt in this period, but also for anyone working on Early Christianity and hagiography more generally.
From Byzantine to Islamic Egypt: Religion, Politics, and Identity after the Arab Conquest
Maged S.A. Mikhail and Tim Vivian, eds., The Holy Workshop of Virtue: The Life of John the Little by Zacharias of Sakhā (Collegeville: Liturgical Press/Cistercian Publications, 2010) TOC and Excerpt
Saint John the Little was a monk and hegumen of Scetis (Wadi Natrun) during the first great perio... more Saint John the Little was a monk and hegumen of Scetis (Wadi Natrun) during the first great period of early Egyptian monasticism. The Apophthegmata preserve some fifty sayings by or about him (see CS 59, 85 '96). In addition, Zacharias, eighth-century Bishop of Sakha, wrote his Life, more than seventy percent of which is composed of material not found in the Apophthegmata. John bears witness to the formative period of early Egyptian monasticism. His Life, with its emphasis on obedience and compassion, offers a lively witness to the earliest monastic traditions and to their transmission and continuing importance in the Coptic Church.
This book contains an introduction to the textual history of the Life of Saint John the Little (339-409) along with fresh English translations of the Bohairic and the Syriac lives of John the Little plus the definitive Bohairc Life in the Coptic text. It will be of interest particularly to academics, monastics, and others interested in monasticism, early Christian monasticism, early Church History, the Coptic Church, or monastic spirituality.
Drafts by Maged S.A. Mikhail
Gorgias Press is launching a new series on Coptic Christianity. The series consists of monographs... more Gorgias Press is launching a new series on Coptic Christianity. The series consists of monographs, collected volumes, and texts and translations of Coptic documents from Antiquity to modern times. We welcome submissions dealing with all aspects of Coptic Christianity, Literature, and Language, except studies dealing exclusively with Nag Hammadi and Manichaean materials. We are particularly interested in studies on Coptic monasticism, liturgy, hagiography, architecture, and Copto-Arabic relations. Please send your submission either to Maged S.A. Mikhail (mmikhail@fullerton.edu) or Tuomas Rasimus (tuomas.rasimus@helsinki.fi) and cc to submissions@gorgiaspress.com.
Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean World: From Constantinople to Baghdad, 500-1000 CE, ed. J. Bruning, J.H.M. de Jong, and P.M. Sijpesteijn (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 465 - 92., 2022
This chapter focuses on the use of Christian-Arabic and Coptic literary sources in the study of E... more This chapter focuses on the use of Christian-Arabic and Coptic literary sources in the study of Egyptian history from 500 to 1000 CE. It presents several methodological approaches to reading Christian historical, hagiographic, and apocalyptic texts with the aim of deriving cultural and historical data that reflect developments affecting the whole population irrespective of confessional allegiance. The chapter also demonstrates the interconnectedness of Christian literature in Egypt to that of the wider Islamic and Mediterranean literary cultures.
“Historical Definitions and Synonyms for “Copt” and “Coptic”: the Construction of Communal Identity in Pre-Modern Egypt at the Nexus of Language, History, and Ethnogenesis,” Journal of the Canadian Society for Coptic Studies 13 (2021), 11-45., 2021
This study scrutinizes the meaning and use of “Copt” and “Coptic” in the Middle Ages, when three ... more This study scrutinizes the meaning and use of “Copt” and “Coptic” in the Middle Ages, when three interrelated—yet distinct and, at times, contradictory—“sets” of definitions circulated among Christians and Muslims. The first set comes from linguistic etymologies and mythical histories. In that context, this study contests the historicity of “Copt” in the earliest versions of the written Talmud. A second set of definitions emerged from Arabic historical and ethnogenetic narratives, while a third set reflects religious communal identity. Here, the evidence suggests that “Copt” and “Jacobite” were not only used interchangeably, but that “Jacobite” was often preferred and, at times, exclusive to the Copts. Significantly, the communal boundaries of the third set of definitions blatantly transgress those of the second, and even the first. In addition, this study demonstrates that pre-modern texts switched from one definition to the other without pause, which places a greater burden on scholars to clearly discern the contexts of any attestation for “Copt[-ic].” The three sets of definitions parsed here challenge contemporary usage among the Coptic community, church, and academics, which largely depend on the paradigm of the nation state.
Unfortunately, after the publication of this article in the GOTR it was discovered that somehow t... more Unfortunately, after the publication of this article in the GOTR it was discovered that somehow the original submission rather than the revised version was published. This is the revised version that should have been published.
Greek Orthodox Theological Review , 2016
Maged S.A. Mikhail, “The Deacon as Concelebrant and Liturgical Witness in the Coptic Rite,” Greek... more Maged S.A. Mikhail, “The Deacon as Concelebrant and Liturgical Witness in the Coptic Rite,” Greek Orthodox Theological Review 61.3-4 (2016), 101-123. . . See the revised version, also on this site.
This chapter surveys the diverse evidence for Lent in Alexandria (Egypt), from the third to the f... more This chapter surveys the diverse evidence for Lent in Alexandria (Egypt), from the third to the fourteenth century AD, and the accompanying academic historiography for that fast over the past several decades. It provides a new reading of the sources, which contests the existence of a Post-Epiphany Lent in second-third century Egypt that was allegedly reformed by Patriarch Demetrius, and would call for re-reading the extant evidence from a fundamentally different perspective.
The Fast of the Apostles is a post-Pentecost rogation that may span three to forty-nine days. Cur... more The Fast of the Apostles is a post-Pentecost rogation that may span three to forty-nine days. Current scholarship places its developed in Rome by the mid-fifth century. This study argues that most of the alleged evidence has been read out of context or in later recensions, and that scholars have failed to discern between the Fast of the Apostles proper and short heterogeneous fasts that are marginally attested in the patristic era. It then traces the earliest incontrovertible evidence for this fast, and charts its development among the West and East Syrians and the Copts of Egypt.
This study presents a new reading of the Life of the ninth-century Coptic saint abba John Khame (... more This study presents a new reading of the Life of the ninth-century Coptic saint abba John Khame (or Abū Kāmā), which facilitates a reassessment of all extant literature on the saint and the early history of his monastery. It is argued that an anonymous author bisected John's original biography, which was likely drafted in the second quarter of the tenth century, and appended several later traditions that were in circulation around 1000 CE. By delineating the contours of the original biography, and contrasting it with what would later constitute its normative recension, the study identifies and analyzes the early and late traditions that became associated with John Khame and his monastery, and parses a series of long-forgotten and hitherto undocumented disputes that arose between John's community and the nearby monasteries of John the Little and that of the Syrians. Arguably, the Life's true merit lies in reflecting the aspirations and life-situation of John's monks well over a century after the abbot's death. The study also proposes a new reading for the saint's enigmatic moniker: "Khame". Finally, an appendix provides the Arabic text and an English translation of a vital passage that was excised from the Coptic Life of the saint.
The Coptic Christian Heritage: History, Faith, and Culture, ed. L. Farag (New York: Rutledge Press, 2013), ch. 3 (pgs. 39-53) , 2013
This chapter surveys the history of the Copts and their church from the Arab Conquest through Mam... more This chapter surveys the history of the Copts and their church from the Arab Conquest through Mamluk rule.
History Compass, 2010
This article surveys the most important Christian (Coptic and Melkite) and Islamic sources for th... more This article surveys the most important Christian (Coptic and Melkite) and Islamic sources for the study of Egypt from the Arab conquest (641 ce) through the mid-ninth century. Beginning with a discussion of reference works, the article turns to narrative, hagiographic, and apocalyptic texts that focus specifically on Egypt. The latter section identifies the essential print and online resources for the study of Greek, Coptic, and Arabic papyri through the ninth century.
Although the early Islamic military establishment has received a great deal of attention in recen... more Although the early Islamic military establishment has received a great deal of attention in recent years, the history of Egyptian forces—the Ahl al-Dīwān—has been obscured by a general lack of evidence. By drawing upon documentary and Christian narrative sources to supplement the dominant Islamic tradition, this paper forwards an historical assessment of the Arab-Egyptian army from the seventh through the early ninth century CE. It postulates that Egyptian forces retained an atypical status throughout the eighth century which enabled these regional troops to function in a manner analogous to reserve corps. The early efficiency, and later decline and marginalization of this force are clearly delineated in the particulars surrounding the popular revolts of the eighth and early ninth centuries CE (the so-called “Coptic Revolts”).
This paper discusses the documentary evidence for various food commodities, such as grains, veget... more This paper discusses the documentary evidence for various food commodities, such as grains, vegetables and fruits, in Egypt from roughly the fifth to the tenth centuries, relying in particular on the Arabic papyri published by Adolf Grohmann.
Coptica , 2022
This double edition of the journal is dedicated to the dossier of Apa Matthew the Poor, who is wi... more This double edition of the journal is dedicated to the dossier of Apa Matthew the Poor, who is widely known today as “the Potter.” The dossier of this eighth-century saint is comprised of a fragmentary Encomium and a Life written in Sahidic Coptic. By drawing on all available sources, including previously published texts, hitherto unedited folios, and pertinent Arabic sources, this study forwards as complete an edition of these two compositions as is currently possible. Chapter One forwards an analysis of the available sources, a survey of previous scholarship, and a sketch of the development of the saint’s biography from the eighth to the fourteenth century. Chapters Two through Five present the reconstructed Coptic texts for the Encomium and Life along with English translations and commentary. The first four appendices provide editions of newly edited folios, and the remaining appendices forward translations of the saint’s entries in various Arabic and Ethiopic sources, the most prominent among which are those in the History of the Patriarchs and the History of the Churches and Monasteries of Egypt.
Tim Vivian and Maged S.A. Mikhail, eds., The Life of Bishoi: The Greek, Arabic, Syriac, and Ethiopic Lives (Cairo and New York: American University in Cairo Press, 2021)., 2021
This definitive volume contains the first English translation of the Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and E... more This definitive volume contains the first English translation of the Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic Lives of Bishoi (Paisios), each translation accompanied by an introduction that focuses on certain aspects of the source text. It also has the first transcription and English translation of an important Greek text. The General Introduction provides rich context about the texts and textual traditions in the various languages, and thoroughly revises our knowledge about the Syriac tradition, the translation of the Syriac text here now consequently providing what is the best translation in any modern language.
This is a revised translation and expanded commentary and introduction to the only surviving serm... more This is a revised translation and expanded commentary and introduction to the only surviving sermon by the Coptic Patriarch Benjamin I (7th c.): On Cana of Galilee. The publication also includes the Coptic text for the sermon.
This is the first full-length study of Demetrius of Alexandria (189–232 ce), who generated a negl... more This is the first full-length study of Demetrius of Alexandria (189–232 ce), who generated a neglected, yet remarkable hagiographic program that secured him a positive legacy throughout the Middle Ages and the modern era. Drawing upon Patristic, Coptic, and Arabic sources spanning a millennium, the analysis contextualizes the Demetrian corpus at its various stages of composition and presents the totality of his hagiographic corpus in translation.
This volume constitutes a definitive study of Demetrius, but more broadly, it provides a clearly delineated hagiographic program and charts its evolution against a backdrop of political developments and intercommunal interactions. This fascinating study is a useful resource for students of Demetrius and the Church in Egypt in this period, but also for anyone working on Early Christianity and hagiography more generally.
From Byzantine to Islamic Egypt: Religion, Politics, and Identity after the Arab Conquest
Maged S.A. Mikhail and Tim Vivian, eds., The Holy Workshop of Virtue: The Life of John the Little by Zacharias of Sakhā (Collegeville: Liturgical Press/Cistercian Publications, 2010) TOC and Excerpt
Saint John the Little was a monk and hegumen of Scetis (Wadi Natrun) during the first great perio... more Saint John the Little was a monk and hegumen of Scetis (Wadi Natrun) during the first great period of early Egyptian monasticism. The Apophthegmata preserve some fifty sayings by or about him (see CS 59, 85 '96). In addition, Zacharias, eighth-century Bishop of Sakha, wrote his Life, more than seventy percent of which is composed of material not found in the Apophthegmata. John bears witness to the formative period of early Egyptian monasticism. His Life, with its emphasis on obedience and compassion, offers a lively witness to the earliest monastic traditions and to their transmission and continuing importance in the Coptic Church.
This book contains an introduction to the textual history of the Life of Saint John the Little (339-409) along with fresh English translations of the Bohairic and the Syriac lives of John the Little plus the definitive Bohairc Life in the Coptic text. It will be of interest particularly to academics, monastics, and others interested in monasticism, early Christian monasticism, early Church History, the Coptic Church, or monastic spirituality.
Gorgias Press is launching a new series on Coptic Christianity. The series consists of monographs... more Gorgias Press is launching a new series on Coptic Christianity. The series consists of monographs, collected volumes, and texts and translations of Coptic documents from Antiquity to modern times. We welcome submissions dealing with all aspects of Coptic Christianity, Literature, and Language, except studies dealing exclusively with Nag Hammadi and Manichaean materials. We are particularly interested in studies on Coptic monasticism, liturgy, hagiography, architecture, and Copto-Arabic relations. Please send your submission either to Maged S.A. Mikhail (mmikhail@fullerton.edu) or Tuomas Rasimus (tuomas.rasimus@helsinki.fi) and cc to submissions@gorgiaspress.com.