Sahidic Coptic

Sahidic Coptic was the literary language of Late Antique Egypt during the years 350–800, and the final phase of Ancient Egyptian as a living language following a written history of four millennia. Thousands of Coptic texts are among our most detailed written sources regarding:- language development; the end of ancient Egypt; the fall of the Roman Empire; religious and cultural persecution; the early Bible; the development of Christian orthodoxy; Christianity in Africa; Byzantine imperial rule; the origin of mediaeval monasticism; and the rise of Islam.

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.

The text enables students to study the historical and cultural context of Coptic through studying informal documents as well as more formal and religious texts. There are 20 language lessons followed by 7 chapters of sample reading and a detailed vocabulary list.