Coptic Funerary Stela, No.769 in the Coptic Museum, Cairo

Edition of a fragmentary Coptic tombstones that derived from recent excavations in Bawit of the Coptic Museum in Cairo, and Louvre Museum in Paris, there is unknown Coptic funerary stela of a monk named Saint Pamun. It is currently preserved in Coptic Museum in Cairo, in hall 9 under registration No. 769. (Fig.1). It is a unique stela, and it is made of sycamore wood with traces of green color. It is measured (35.3 cm L x 32cm w). In the first (Upper) register of the stela, there is a Coptic inscription which consist of a commemorative formula which were commonly used to commemorate the subject of the epitaph. Through Coptic inscription proves with no doubt that this stela could be dated to the 8th century AD. There is a small opening was often executed deeply in the middle upper part of the stela. AThe second (Lower) register is occupied by presentation of a standing person (Jesus the Christ) with one hand on his chest, and the other hand on the shoulder of another kneeling person (Saint Pamun). The Coptic Museum data does not include an accurate description of this Coptic funerary stela. The purpose of this paper is to study the importance of this Coptic funerary stela, and its religious content. The study deal with the stylistic features of the Stela, Coptic text, the commemorative formula, and analysis of the religious scene, and it will be described and dated through other comparative studies.