SAHIDIC and BOHAIRIC RESOURCES

Click on a desired topic to access.

 

 

Joesph Warren Wells' Coptic NT texts. In beautiful PDF formats, using Mr. Dykes' fonts. Both Sahidic and Bohairic. Source database used via Mr. Wells' kind permission. Free download.

To download Coptic NT texts you can edit, or create an apparatus for, scroll down below, s.v. "The Wells Package".

Click to be transported to a HTML page showing numerous samples of Coptic manuscripts. Mit thumbnails.

at bottom of this page is a sample of Bohairic Coptic, scroll down.

Click to read important information about Joseph W. Wells' Coptic NT texts, and reviews of same.

Jean François Champollion And the True Story of Egypt

author: Muriel Mirak Weissbach

SIZE: 375,000 bytes, 15 pages, PDF

A nice concise read on the history of decipherment of the ancient Egyptian language.

 

NEW LINKS to NEWS sites in Egypt, visit and keep up to date about events in Egypt, has news concerning Coptic Christians as well!


https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/21/egypt-mass-attacks-churches#

https://egyptianstreets.com/2021/04/19/egypt-mourns-coptic-christian-killed-by-isis-in-north-sinai/

Copy and paste into your browser.

ALSO!!!

Christian Askeland (Dr Askeland!) is a young scholar whose career I have followed. He has matured quite well. He has also a bright future in Coptic studies; not to mention that he is quite brilliant. He provides a HTML page of many many useful links for students of Coptic languages. His "LINKS" site is below, paste into your browser and spend some time there!

https://sites.google.com/site/askelandchristian/copticlinks

Sahidic manuscripts Bohairic manuscripts Coptic manuscripts Coptic fonts alphabet
learn Coptic Coptic New testament

The Birth Date of the Coptic Script

size: 3.1 MB, 9 pages, PDF

author: Dr. Albert Gessman (1976).

A very basic and sound demonstration of the date of the origin of the Coptic script. Good argument!

A Closer Look at Mr. Dykes' Font - Coptic44.ttf

NOTE: a new Copt_44a.ttf font is now available, it can correct some printing errors. It is available in the Wells package download, and here:

download Copt_44a.ttf

It is not hinted which can improve on-screen viewing! A read_me file is in the Wells package, and in the larger Fonts_44.zip package.

 

THE WELLS PACKAGE (for editing)

size: 1.2 MB (zipped) contains 9 files

If you want to add an apparatus to Wells' Coptic NT's, then these files will allow you to build such a file. They are the Wells' texts, in Word 2000 format! The Sahidic is also presented in a FrameMaker 6 format. Add an apparatus, or alter in any way! Special fonts included (seen in the above edition by Mr. Dykes, a PDF file). A Coptic_readme.pdf file is included, which clarifies some issues, and adds information about the new Copt_44a.ttf font.

To control who uses this material the zipped file is encrypted, you must email Mr. Dykes to receive the password.

galeandgary2000ATgmail.com (replace the AT with the "@" symbol) - updated Dec. 2015.

 

Some History and Observations Concerning the Value of the Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) CD version of the Sahidic NT. Also a warning concerning the - St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society's CD - also of Thompsons text.

Click here to view the HTML page

If you would like a beautiful font to use with the Coptic PHI CD, I provide a free one, which is much easier to read than the default font. The catch, you must ask me:

galeandgary2000ATgmail.com

Substitute the AT with the proper symbol, and email me your request. - Updated Dec. 2015

CLICK to return to "VERSIONS" page Click to jump to main - home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Coptic44.ttf font, as created by Mr. Gary S. Dykes contains approximately 184 glyphs. It is offered as a single download:

Coptic44.ttf

Or is to be had in a package of 21 fonts designed for Biblical textual critics - click here to go to the download page for the

FONT PACKAGE (file name is (FONTS_44.zip) contains the new Copt_44a.ttf and its read me file.

The font is crafted of high quality glyphs, you can print a single glyph at poster size, and it will be razor sharp! (The fonts are also hinted). (Note: the new Copt_44a.ttf font is NOT hinted, which can improve its appearance!). The font is embeddable, that is it can be embedded without restriction into any document (word processors, PDF, et al). Though copyrighted, it can be used in any way, any number of times - freely, including commercial uses. I ask that a line of credit be given;

FONT - Coptic44.ttf, created by Mr. Gary S. Dykes

 

It contains glyphs for writing all dialects of Coptic (Sahidic, Bohairic, Fayumic et al). It also contains glyphs for writing Old Coptic! Thus it is a very unique font! It does not mimic the absurd styles of older printed Coptic fonts (as seen in Well's printed editions of his "Sahidica"). The fonts supplied with my "WELLS PACKAGE", "W_Boh44.ttf" and "W_Sah44.ttf" have matching glyphs (though not nearly as complete as this font is). The fonts truly reflects a neat Coptic hand. Each glyph is readable, not easily confused with other glyphs.

Being readable, the font is a joy to view. it has nice letter spacing so that the words are not cramped together. It does not contain the printed style of upper case glyphs (though a few upper case forms are included). It does contain several alternate forms for the discriminating writer.

Below is a view of the entire font, showing the usual upper keyboard, and the extended ASCII set. Zoom-in to clearly view:

The new Copt_44a.ttf - font has the same layout, but several keys are input differently, which corrects on-screen viewing on some computers, and its print quality. The new Copt_44a.ttf, also is NOT hinted, which also improves its on sceeen appearance, on most monitors. A read me file (PDF) is included in the Wells package, and FONTS_44.zip package.

As with all the fonts I create, to input the extended characters, simply hold down your "ALT" key, and then type - on the number KEYPAD, zero and the associated glyph number. For example to input the abbreviation for "cross" which is numnber 229 on the extended keyboard, you would hold down the ALT key, enter 0 + 229, then this character appears in your document:

 

As you can see, the input from this one key produces a complete abbreviation form, complete with the supralinear stroke. When I use my fonts, over time I usually memorize the various input keys, and I always print out the complete set for reference.

Unlike the bulky UNICODE fonts, this True Type font contains special "expert" glyphs. Consequently it is a very valuable font for those who input Coptic text, or who need a complete Coptic font. It is designed to complement my other fonts as to its size and spacing. It works real well with my Greek44 font as well as the other 20 fonts. In the font package are also fonts for showing nearly ANY type of apparatus marks or symbols. Below are a few more samples from this Coptic44.ttf font.

The few samples from the above may help you realize the value of such a font! Many "slings", underdots, underlines, and punctuation marks are included. I enjoyed crafting this exclusive font, may you enjoy using it. It may not be disassembled, sold or rented or leased. To download a printable image of the full keyboard, click here:

COPTIC KEYBOARD it is about a quarter of 1 megabyte in size. The new Copt_44a.ttf keyboard matches this one from Coptic44.ttf, but several characters are input differently.

 


Bohairic Dialect

This language variety of Coptic was used in Northern Egypt, particularly in the area of the Delta. Unfortunately, there are very few texts preserved in Bohairic from the earliest times of Coptic literary production (4th to 6th century). They show peculiar features shared with other dialects like Mesokemic and Fayyumic (P. Mich. Inv. 5421). The bulk of the texts in Bohairic dates not earlier than the 10th century. Bohairic is the only Coptic dialect used in Egypt from the Middle Ages onwards, and it is still used today as the liturgical language of the Coptic church.


P. Mich. Inv. 926 Two papyrus folios, 3 verso and 2 recto, of an early Bohairic manuscript codex. They contain a syllabary, that is, an instructional tool consisting of consonant-vowel combinations arranged in alphabetic order. Originally, the codex probably consisted of four sheets (8 folios), of which folios 1 and 8, 3 and 6, and 4 and 5 are joined. Apart from the syllabary, folios 5 and 6 also contain the beginning of Paul's Epistle to the Romans and the first verse of the Book of Job. Theadelphia, western Fayyum. ca. 4th century. Papyrus; folio 2: 26.5 x 16.5; folio 3: 27 x 17.5 cm.


Apart from the syllabary, folios 5 and 6 also contain the beginning of Paul's Epistle to the Romans and the first verse of the Book of Job. Theadelphia, western Fayyum. ca. 4th century. Papyrus; folio 2: 26.5 x 16.5; folio 3: 27 x 17.5 cm.


IMAGE borrowed from

https://apps.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/coptic-manuscripts/bohairic-dialect