Religion

An Egyptian Christmas Carol
By Ágnes Mihálykó
What did late antique Egyptians sing about at Christmas? Angels, shepherds, and the Virgin Mary, of course. Read more here.

Blessing a Baby Against Every Illness
By Ágnes Mihálykó
Christians of Egypt received blessing from the church in many forms: as prayers of inclination at the end of the Eucharist, when the celebrant blessed the congregation before their departure, as private blessings issued by holy monks, or as material blessings (eulogiai), such as oil from a pilgrimage centre. Read more here.

Imperial Decrees, Animal Sacrifices, and Christian Persecution
By Jenny Cromwell
On 17 June 250 CE, Aurelius Sakis had a certificate drawn up that proved he and his children Aion and Heras had participated in the sacrifice of an animal to pagan gods. Read more here.

Kittens for Bastet
By Jenny Cromwell and Luigi Prada
On 20th April, either 202 or 178 BCE, an embalmer named Onnophris wrote to Machatas, an official (epistates) in the village of Tanis in the Fayum semi-oasis, concerning kittens he had donated to the cat-goddess Bastet (also known by her Greek name of Boubastis), or at least had intended to donate! Read more here.