Coptic Documentary Texts from Kellis 1 (Dakhleh Oasis Project Monograph)

This volume is devoted to the publication of forty five Coptic documents written on papyri and boards, found in the ruins of houses at Kellis, the Roman predecessor of the village of Ismant el-Kharab in the Dakhleh Oasis. The documents date from the fourth century AD and relate to the domestic life of the people over at least two generations. Most of the documents are personal letters, and many of them have a Manichaean content reflecting the beliefs of the writers; there are also several business accounts. The documents are transcribed and translated with commentary and there is an introduction setting them in context, and discussing the people who wrote them. A second volume of similar documents is in preparation.