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New Publication on the Coptic LXX

Just appeared in electronic form:

Heike Behlmer, Frank Feder, and Ute Pietruschka (eds.)
Digitale Edition der koptisch-sahidischen Septuaginta: Fragestellungen und Herausforderungen. Beiträge zur internationalen Tagung vom 26./27. April 2013 im Koptischen Kloster der Jungfrau Maria und des Heiligen Mauritius in Höxter-Brenkhausen. Vol. 1 (free download here)

The present volume contains papers of an international conference held in April 2013 in honour of the 75th birthday of Peter Nagel, the doyen of Coptic Septuagint research. The conference venue was the Coptic Orthodox Monastery Höxter-Brenkhausen, where the participants enjoyed the kind hospitality of H.G. Bishop Damian. This volume builds on the scientific work of Peter Nagel, reevaluates research results on the Coptic Old Testament and offers fresh perspectives for further research.

As additional material, the digital publication offers a video clip "Students of a traditional Ethiopian church school present their knowledge to the teacher" by Verena Böll.

Symposium on Coptic Culture


Back recently from a symposium on Coptic culture, which took place from June 5-7 at the Coptic Orthodox Centre in Stevenage, UK. It was held under the patronage of H.G. Anba Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, and superbly organised by Mariam Ayad and Mennat-Allah El Dorry. The topic was „Ordinary Lives, Changing Times“, and there were wonderful talks on the archaeology and cultural significance of food and clothing as well as other interesting lectures on a variety of topics.

I was invited to present our project and give the keynote address under the title “Creating a (Digital) Coptic Old Testament”. The lecture at the British Museum drew a very interested audience of about 100 which included the Egyptian Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Nasser Kamel. The BM is looking forward to the upcoming major exhibition “One God: Three Religions on the Nile” which was introduced before my talk by Elisabeth O’Connell  and which is currently in Berlin at the Bode-Museum.