Description

An introduction to reading and analyzing texts in Sahidic Coptic, the primary literary language in Late Antique Egypt.

This concise textbook provides beginner students with the knowledge and skills required for reading primary sources and teaches the grammar of documents written in Sahidic Coptic. Learners are invited to study aspects of the language across twenty structured lessons and, from the beginning, apply their learning directly to reading authentic ancient texts written by men and women between 380 and 750 AD. The book introduces the language through engagement with ancient texts rather than artificial exercises, enabling students to explore the history and culture of Egyptian communities under Byzantine and early Islamic rule, as well as key topics such as the development of Christian orthodoxy, the lives of women, and the emergence of monasticism as a major cultural force.