St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society

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Twelfth St. Shenouda-UCLA Conference of Coptic Studies Registration Form

July 16-17, 2010

Presentations @ UCLA, Royce Hall Room 314, Los Angeles California 90024

• Fees
• Schedule (periodically updated)
• Location
• Directions & Parking
• Preliminary List of Speakers
• Abstracts

Registration Fee (Suggested Contributions):

• Members: $20
• Non-Member : $25
• Students: Free
• UCLA Students/Faculty: Free

Click here for online registration. Registration fees to paid at the door.

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Schedule:

Schedule: The following is a tentative schedule for the conference:

Friday, July 16, 2010

Saturday, July 17, 2010

• The Churches of Egypt
  Editor: Carolyn Ludwig
  Authors: Gawdat Gabra, Gertrud J.M. van Loon, and Darlene Brooks Hedstrom.
  There will be a book signing opportunity on Friday and Saturday by the book editor during the Conference intermissions.
• Note: For e-mail registration, the registration fee will be collected at the first day of attendance and will cover entrance fees, program packet, and lunches.

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Location:

The Conference will be located on the Campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Royce Hall, Room 314.

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Directions and Parking:

Coming from the south or from the Santa Monica Freeway:
Take the 405 N, Exit Wilshire East (Bear to the right at the exit)
Turn Right on Wilshire Blvd.
Turn Left on Westwood Ave. (the 3rd traffic light after exiting the fwy)
Turn Right on Leconte Ave
then turn Left on Hilgard Ave (the second light after turning into Le Conte
Turn Left on Westholme Drive, then turn right immediately in a driveway to the information booth.
Request parking in Lot #2, parking is $10 per day and mention that you attending the St Shenouda Coptic Conference at Royce Hall.
The attendant at the booth can direct you to Royce Hall.
Enter in the left-most door of Royce Hall and take the elevator up to the third floor (Room #314).

Coming from the north (The San Fernando Valley):
Take the 405 S, Exit Sunset East
Turn Left on Sunset Blvd.
Turn Right on Hilgard Ave.
Turn Right on Westholme Drive, then turn right immediately in a driveway to the information booth.
Request parking in Lot #2, parking is $10 per day.
The attendant at the booth can direct you to Royce Hall.
Enter in the left-most door of Royce Hall and take the elevator up to the third floor (Room #314).

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List of Speakers (Tentative):

• Ms. Anne Austin (UCLA, CA)
• Dr. Monica Bontty (University of Louisiana, Monroe, LA)
• Ms. Emily Cole (UCLA, CA)
• Dr. Jacco Dieleman (UCLA, CA)
• Ms. Patricia Eshagh (CGU, CA)
• Dr. George Ghaly (MA)
• Ms. Sonali Gupta-agarwal (UCLA, CA)
• Prof. David Johnson (Berkeley, CA)
• Dr. Maged Mikhail (California State University Fullerton, CA)
• Dr. S. Michael Saad (St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society/ CGU, CA)
• Ms. Prinny Stephens (CGU, CA)
• Prof. Mark Swanson ( Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, IL)
• Mr. Hany N. Takla (St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society, CA)
• Dr. Thelma Thomas (New York University, NY)
• Rev. Dr. Tim Vivian (California State University Bakersfield, CA)
• Dr. Elizabeth Waraksa (UCLA, CA)
• Prof. Robert Yohe II (California State University Bakersfield, CA)
• Dr. Youhanna N. Youssef (Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia)
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Abstracts:

Title: Results of the 2008 and 2009 Karanis Cemetery Survey Field Seasons

Presenter: Ms. Anne Austin (UCLA, CA)

Abstract

During the 2008 and 2009 seasons of the Karanis Cemetery Survey, the UCLA/RUG Fayum Team aimed to identify both the degree and the nature of threats posed to the Karanis cemetery site, while also assessing surface skeletal material scattered throughout the cemeterys limits. The city of Karanis, located in Egypts Fayum region, was a major agricultural resource during the Greco-Roman period, though also had a clear and strong Coptic presence in the later phases of the citys use prior to abandonment. The Karanis cemetery is assumed to have been the primary burial area for the towns inhabitants and is organized into a series of burial mounds with Coptic inscriptions found impressed into the plaster of grave markers set on the mounds peaks, suggesting that the surface layer dates to this later period of use in Karanis when the city had a large Coptic population. In this paper I will present information on the threats to the site, provide initial impressions on the lifestyle and health of the inhabitants of Karanis based on preliminary results of bioarchaeological analysis, and finally solicit information on analogous customs found in other Coptic burial areas.

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Title: An Enigmatic Celtic Practice

Presenter: Dr. Monica Bontty (University of Louisiana, Monroe, LA)

Abstract

This paper examines the spread of ideas over long distances. Scholars have noted an unusual practice occurring in Irish ecclesiastical texts. It is described as being uniquely Irish, based on the fact that it is not found in any other tradition. However, evidence suggests a Near Eastern tradition that was adopted by the Irish church.

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Title: The Narmouthis Demotic Ostraca

Presenter: Emily Cole (UCLA, CA)

Abstract

The ancient site of Narmouthis (modern Medinet Maadi) is located to the southwest of the Fayum region and was home to a prosperous community through the late Roman and early Christian periods. During the excavation of the site between 1935 and 1938 by the Milanese archaeologist Achille Vogliano, more than 1500 ostraca were found within the Egyptian temple precinct. The texts written in Demotic contain largely what appear to be scribal training exercises. Of particular interest are the transcription of Egyptian words into a Greek lettering system, the integration of Greek words into Egyptian texts and the appearance of linguistic features commonly found in later Coptic. This paper will examine the context of these ostraca and provide information regarding their unique character with the potential to offer insights into the early stages of the Coptic language.

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Title: The Scholarly Debate over Contact between Egyptian Monasticism and the West
Presenter: Ms. Patricia Eshagh (CGU, CA)

Abstract

Something wonderful and inspiring developed in Egypt in the third and fourth centuries—a form of asceticism that captured the hearts of Christians seeking to commit more fully to a life devoted to God. It grew into an ascetic movement, stylized around anchoritic or cenobitic religious life, and formed the beginning of Egyptian monasticism. The sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and the life stories of Antony and Pachomius served to popularize Egyptian monasticism, establishing it as an exemplary model for others to emulate. As a result, Egyptian monasticism played an important role both as a model and as an influence on the growth of monasticism throughout the late antique world. In Western Europe, this influence is particularly evident and yet scholars lack consensus as to how the exchange of ideas took place. Scholars have debated for centuries as to how that influence came about, whether through direct contact as in the case of John Cassian or through indirect contact by way of textual sources and hagiography. This paper will discuss the scholarly debate over how contact took place between Egyptian monasticism and the development of monasticism in the West in late antiquity. It will demonstrate the range of opinions that have existed over the centuries either in favor of direct contact, indirect contact or no contact at all.

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Title: The Final Curtain Call: the Abandonment of Karanis and the Presence of Late Roman Amphora
Presenter: Sonali Gupta-Agarwal (UCLA, CA)

Abstract

There has been a long standing debate regarding the abandonment of Karanis. From the ceramic repertoire, it is clear that Karanis has no evidence of Islamic pottery. Recent debate has also pushed the abandonment of Karanis from the fifth century C.E to the early sixth century C.E. This paper shall examine the abandonment of Late Roman Karanis in light of certain imported Late Roman amphora and their economic significance. This possibly could push the date of abandonment even further to the end of the sixth century C.E.  

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Title: The Anthropology of Coptic Ethnomusicology: the Current State of Research from 1976
Presenter:  Dr. George Ghaly (MA)

Abstract

Is there such a thing as Coptic musicology? Or Coptic ethnomusicology? Has there been any significant research in this field? Should Coptic ethnomusicology be considered a field in Coptic studies? All disciplines of Coptic studies have prerequisites. These include theories on the subject or discipline, research material, research projects, and renewed interest. Has Coptic ethnomusicology fulfilled these prerequisites as a discipline in Coptic studies? This presentation will discuss Coptic ethnomusicology from an anthropologic view as well as discuss past and current research in this field of Coptic studies.

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Title: Pope Damian of Alexandria (578-607)
Presenter: Prof. David Johnson (Berekely, CA)

Abstract

The pontificate of Pope Damian was a period of both internal and external struggle for the Egyptian Church.  Within Egypt there was the necessity to revitalize the church’s infrastructure after ten years without a pope. Besides Damian, three other men claimed to be pope of Alexandria.  There were a number of persistent dissident groups with issues that awaited resolution.  Under Pope Damian, a schism developed between the patriarchates of Alexandria and Antioch, which further undermined church unity in Egypt and the East.  Damian himself was accused of heretical tendencies by Peter, Patriarch of Antioch.  The paper will outline briefly these interlocking issues within the overall context of the late 6th-century Eastern Mediterranean.

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Title: The Life of John Khame Reconsidered
Presenter: Dr. Maged S. A. Mikhail (California State University, Fullerton)

Abstract

This paper discusses the anonymous Coptic Life of the ninth-century monastic John Khame. It focuses on the dating of the Coptic recension as well as the literary and hagiographic themes retained in that biography. The study also explores that Life as reflected in later Coptic Arabic.

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Title: The Progress of Coptic Studies in Southern California
Presenter: Dr. Saad Michael Saad (SSACS, CA)

Abstract

During 1960-2010, Coptic presence in Southern California grew from a small number of individuals to a strong community of 12,000 households served by 33 churches, 50 priests, and a bishop; along with many charitable, educational, and media organizations. The presence of such a dynamic and engaged Coptic community inspired promoting Coptic studies with noted achievements at Claremont Graduate University and UCLA. The participation of St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society contributed to a significant increase in courses offered, MA and PhD theses written, conferences and public lectures held, and scholarly journals and books published. There is also an increasing awareness of the depth and diversity of Coptology disciplines such as art, music, liturgy, language, literature, architecture, archeology, history, theology, monasticism, and role in society, politics and world civilization. This success leads to the question: Will the first chair of Coptic studies in America be established in Southern California?

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Title: Hajir Edfu, the Septuagint and Coptic Hagiographa
Presenter: Prinny Stephens (CGU, CA)

Abstract

The material collected by EA Budge in the early 20th century is crucial to our understanding of Coptic hagiographa, the formation of the Septuagint and Coptic monastic communities. Unfortunately,  Budges’ collection eventually became eclipsed by the codices found at Nag Hammadi and, as such, there are currently no studies that compare the Old Testament citations in the Coptic literature with the various recensions of the LXX. Since there is no extant complete copy of the Old Testament in Coptic, examining whether or not there is overlap with the LXX is needed and could prove valuable to other scholars.  At a further juncture, these citations from the Coptic hagiographic literature need to be codified and compared against both the Greek and Hebrew texts. This paper reflects some preliminary forays into this analysis, focusing upon the commonalities and divergences between the Coptic and Greek texts.

Due to the fact that texts need to be analyzed in their geographical and historical context, some brief remarks will also be made concerning the monastic environment at Hajir Edfu.

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Abstract

During late antiquity the earliest monastic authorities developed distinctive clothing for signaling separation from worldly society, individual election of a monastic lifestyle, and participation in monastic society.  Garments used singly and in various combinations as “the habit” came to mark multiple aspects of monastic identity and to articulate monastic practice. In this presentation I explore the use of dress in representing ascetic work and in characterizing spiritual affinities between monks, monastic saints and their models in painted portraits of Egyptian monasteries of the sixth and seventh centuries.

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Title: The Marytrdom of Jirjis (Muzahim) according to an Arabic witness in the Coptic Museum
Presenter: Prof. Mark Swanson (Chicago, IL)

Abstract

The story of the Martyrdom of Jirjis (called Muzaim before his conversion to Christianity) is not particularly well known, beyond the general outlines of his story reported in the Coptic Encyclopedia (Emile Maher Ishaq, “Jirjis al-Muzahim, Saint”), the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion for 19 Ba'una, and a number of small, limited-circulation booklets about the saint that have been published in Egypt.  While a critical edition of the Ethiopic recension of the text has been published with an Italian translation (O. Raineri, Gli atti etiopici del martire egiziano Giorgio il Nuovo, Vatican City, 1999 [ST 392]), this has not yet appreciably added to the knowledge of the text in the English-speaking world.  The present paper will present the text on the basis of the most accessible witness, MS Cairo, Coptic Museum – Hist. 469; will make some specifications concerning the saint’s name (not “Jirjis al-Muzahim”) and date of martyrdom (probably 978); and will offer some reflections on the significance of this text in the history of Copto-Arabic hagiography as well as in the history of Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt.

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Title: Maximus and Domitius. Part II
Presenter:  Rev. Dr. Tim Vivian (Bakersfield, CA )

Abstract

The Life of Maximus and Domitius takes us back to the beginnings of Christian monasticism—to fourth- and fifth-century Syria and Egypt. In the study of religion and religious history, history tells only a partial—indeed, sometimes meager—story. Even if we knew with historical near-certainty the events surrounding Maximus and Domitius and the origins of Deir al-Baramus, this would still not inform us about the value of the story: why it developed and was told; why it is still told. For answers, even partial answers, to these questions we must turn to religious myth and comparative typologies used in Religious Studies.

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Title: Coptic Studies Resources at the UCLA Library
Presenter:  Dr. Elizabeth Waraksa (UCLA, CA)

Abstract

Numbering in excess of 350,000 titles, the UCLA Library collections in Near Eastern Studies are one of the largest in the country, and include significant holdings of research-level material for Coptic Studies. The Library collects materials in all languages and all formats from vendors around the world, including Egypt. Most materials pertaining to Coptic Studies are housed in the Charles E. Young Research Library, with additional publications available in the Arts Library, the Biomedical Library, the Science and Engineering Libraries, the Music Library, the Law Library, the Management Library, the College Library, and online, demonstrating the deep and rich collection of Coptic-related materials at UCLA. Furthermore, numerous text publications, manuscript catalogues, and rare books are accessible through the Young Research Library’s Department of Special Collections.

This paper will present the ongoing construction of an online research guide for Coptic Studies at UCLA and detail many of the print and electronic resources available for Coptic Studies through the UCLA Library. The research guide is freely available online and may be accessed at http://guides.library.ucla.edu/ancientneareast. 

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Title: The Evolution of Byzantine Burial Practices Between the Third and Seventh Centuries C.E. in Middle Egypt
Presenter: Prof.. Robert Yohe II (Bakersfield, CA)

Abstract

Recent archaeological research conducted at the site of Tell El-Hibeh in Middle Egypt has demonstrated a transition from Pharaonic methods of body preparation and burial to preservation consistent with the tenets of Christianity in Late Roman Egypt.  The analysis of several Byzantine burials associated with a mass grave/early Christian cemetery outside the northern gate of the tell suggest changes in body preservation and wrapping techniques that shift relatively rapidly over a 200-year period.  The treatment of Christian “mummies” seems to be a phenomenon only now being well documented in Middle Egypt between the Fayum and Karara.

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Title: A Late Florilegium of Patristic Texts - The Faith of our Fathers the Syrian
Presenter:  Dr. Youhanna N. Youssef, (Melbourne, Australia)

Abstract

The author of this paper highlights the importance of late patristic floreligium that was composed in the eighteenth century by a Syrian Priest. The paper will discuss historical, theological context of the composition as well as the patristic quotation of Severus. It is the beginning of a work that I hope to undertake soon and I am happy to share the first fruits of my research with the participants of St. Shenouda Society's Conference.

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Prepared by Hany N. Takla, July 11, 2010

For more information contact: htakla@stshenouda.com