The Hay Archive of Coptic Spells on Leather: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Materiality of Magical Practice

The Hay archive of Coptic manuscripts contains spells for divination, protection, healing, personal advancement, cursing, and sexual desire, dating back to AD 600. It was purchased from Robert Hay in 1868 and has been studied since the 1930s. A new study has confirmed, nuanced, or challenged previous assessments of the manuscripts, providing a model for the publication of ancient texts as archaeological objects. The manuscripts were copied by multiple non-professional writers in the 8th–9th centuries and represent a Christian milieu using ancient Egyptian, Graeco-Roman, biblical, and extra-biblical motifs.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2022
Publisher: British Museum Press

The Hay archive of Coptic manuscripts is a collection of seven fragmentary sheets of leather containing spells for divination, protection, healing, personal advancement, cursing, and the satisfaction of sexual desire. Purchased from the heir of Scottish Egyptologist and draughtsman Robert Hay (1799–1863), the manuscripts arrived at the British Museum in 1868. Initially believed to have been written by a single copyist around AD 600 in the Theban region of Upper Egypt, the present volume has confirmed, nuanced, or challenged these assessments through scientific analysis and close study of the manuscripts. The study aims to provide a comprehensive approach to the publication of ancient texts as archaeological objects by documenting provenance and collection history, conducting scientific analysis, employing a specific conservation approach and treatment, presenting a new complete edition and translation of the Coptic texts, and exploring the cultural context of production. The manuscripts were written on poorly processed calf, sheep, and goat skin by multiple non-professional writers in the 8th–9th centuries. They incorporate a unique blend of ancient Egyptian, Graeco-Roman, biblical, and extra-biblical motifs, reflecting a Christian milieu that utilizes the mechanics of earlier 'magical practice' in a period well after the arrival of Islam.

Weight: 1032g
Dimension: 296 x 210 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780861592333