Volume 2 (2014)

First page of the paper.

Proceedings of the first egyptological conference of the Patriarchate of Alexandria

The Epact Computation: An Alexandrian Achievement for All Christian World

Hanna, Atif Naguib

Abstract:

One of the many significant original achievements of Abba Dēmētrios I (12th Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark in Alexandria: 189-231 AD) was the method he devised for calculating the Date of Easter so that it would always follow the Passover, just like the Rest Easter Sunday, according to the historical biblical events. This method is known as the Epact, and to this day it is followed by all Eastern Orthodox Churches in determining their Easter date very many years in advance. It involved making a correlation between the lunar (Semitic) year and the solar (Egyptian) year. This was necessary because the lunar year is shorter than the solar year by eleven days, and a fixed date in it can fall in any season as the years go by, and would deviate Easter from the Passover. When Abba Dēmētrios performed the Epact Computation, he convoked the Holy Synod, and explained it to its Members. They approved it and decided to abide by it. Many years later, in 325 AD, when the 1st Œcumenical Council of Nikaia met, this computation was submitted to it, and was again unanimously accepted. It continued to be followed by all Christian Churches until 1582 AD, when the calendar was changed by Pope Gregorius XIII of Rome. Since then the Western Churches departed from it, and now they observe Easter on the first Sunday after the Full Moon following the Vernal Equinox, regardless of the Passover. All the Eastern Churches, however, still adhere to this old computation (Computus), hence the divergence between the Eastern and Western Churches on the Date of Easter celebration persists.

Citation:

Hanna, A.N. 2014. «The Epact Computation: An Alexandrian Achievement for All Christian World», JHIE 2: 223–231

DOI:

10.5281/zenodo.8152187

Language: en

References

  • Amin, M.: La Langue Copte: II. Grammaire, Nanterre 1996.
  • Aveni, A.F.: Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks and Cultures, NY (Basic Books) 1989.
  • Basilios (@ Archibishop): art. «Feasts Major–Easter», The Coptic Encyclopedia (Aziz S. Atiya, ed.) NY (MacMillan) 1991.
  • Breydy, M.: Études sur Sa῾īd Ibn Baṭrīq et ses sources, Lovanii (Peeters / Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, 450) 1983.
  • Breydy, M.: Das Annalenwerk des Eutychios von Alexandrien: ausgewählte Geschichten und Legenden / kompiliert von Sa῾id ibn Baṭrīq um 935 A.D., Lovanii (Peeters / Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, 471-72) 1985.
  • Burmester, O.H.E.: «The Turuhat of the Coptic Church», Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 3, 1937, 1-2, 3-4, 78-109, 505-549.
  • Chaine, M.: La chronologie des temps chrétiens de l'Égypte et de l'Éthiopie, Paris 1925.
  • Crum, W.E.: A Coptic Dictionary, Oxford 1939.
  • Davis, S.:The Early Coptic Papacy: The Egyptian Church and its Leadership in Late Antiquity – Popes of Egypt 1, Cairo (The AUC Press) 2004.
  • de Bourgoing, J.: The Calendar: Measuring Time, London (Thames & Hudson) 2001.
  • den Heijer, J.: Mawhub Ibn Mansur Ibn Mufarrig et l’historiographie copto–arabe, Lovanii (Peeters / Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, 513) 1989.
  • ᾽El-Masri, I.H.: The Story of Copts: The True Story of Christianity in Egypt, Cairo, no date.
  • Förster, H.: Wörterbuch der griechischen Wörter in den koptischen dokumentarischen Texten, Berlin–NY (De Gruyter) 2002.
  • Graf, G.: Catalogue de manuscrits arabes chrétiens conservés au Caire, Vatican City (Studi e Testi, 34) 1934.
  • Hanna, A.N.: The Epact Computation: Lectures to Seminary College Students, Aswan Branch, 1998-2005.
  • Harnack, A.: Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur bis Eusebius, I-II, Leipzig 1893-1904.
  • Κάτσης, Δ.Ν.: Τὰ Ἡμερολόγια καὶ ὁ Κανὼν τοῦ Πάσχα, Ἀθῆναι 1959 [with abstract in English].
  • Lepsius, R.: Das Bilingue Dekret von Kanopus, Berlin (Wilhelm Hertz) 1866.
  • Malaty, T.Y.: Introduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo 1993.
  • Malon, A. [S.J.]: Grammaire Copte: Bibliographie, Chrestomathie et Vocabulaire (Malinine, M., ed), I-II, Paris (Imprimerie Catholique) 41956.
  • Maravelia, A.–A.: Les astres dans les textes religieux en Égypte antique et dans les Hymnes Orphiques, Oxford (Archæopress/BAR International Series 1527) 2006.
  • Maravelia, A.–A.: «Astronomical and Cosmographic Elements in the Scalæ: How Astronomy influenced Life during the Coptic Era?», Copts and Society: Documentary–Historical Studies – Proceedings of the First International Coptic Studies Conference: Life in Egypt during the Coptic Period: Towns and Villages, Laymen and Clergy, Bishops and Dioceses (Alexandria 21-23 September 2010) (Mansour, A. & Mahmoud, L., eds), Alexandria (BibAlex, Calligraphy Centre / Studies in Calligraphy & Writings Scientific Refereed Series, 16) 2013, 187-202.
  • Meyer, M. & Smith, R. (eds): Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power, NJ (Princeton University Press) 21999.
  • Paryski, M.: A Study of Greek Loan–Words in the Sahidic Bohairic Dialects of the Coptic Language (PhD Diss.), Michigan (University of Michigan) 1941.
  • Plumley, J.M.: An Introductory Coptic Grammar (Sahidic Dialect), London (Home & Van Thal) 1948.
  • Sadek, A.I.: «Le calendrier de l’Égypte ancienne», Les calendriers et leurs implications culturelles (Gobillot, G., ed.), Lyon (Éditions Lyonnaises d’Art et d’Histoire) 2001, 13-22.
  • Sadek, A.I. & Sadek, B.: L’incarnation de la lumière: Le renouveau iconographique copte, à travers l’œuvre d’Isaac Fanous, Limoges (Le Monde Copte, 29-31) 2000.
  • Samir, K.: art. «Book of Epact», The Coptic Encyclopedia (Aziz S. Atiya, ed.) NY (MacMillan) 1991.
  • Σαργολόγος, Γ.: Τὸ Γρηγοριανὸ Ἡμερολόγιο καὶ ἡ Στάσις τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας: Ὑπολογισμὸς τῶν Ἡμερομηνιῶν τοῦ Πά σχα, Ἀθῆναι (Ἐκδόσεις Καλοῦ Τύπου) 22007.
  • Satzinger, H.: «Die altkoptischen Texte als Zeugnisse der Beziehung zwischen Ägyptern und Griechen», Græco–Coptica (Nagel, P., ed.), Halle (Martin Luther Universität / Wiß. Beiträge, 48) 1984, 137-146.
  • Sidarus, A.: «Coptic Lexicography on the Middle Ages: The Coptic Arabic Scalæ», The Future of Coptic Studies (Wilson, R.McL., ed.), Leiden (Brill) 1978, 125-42.
  • Sidarus, A.: «Contribution des scalæ médiévales à la lexicologie copte: Compte–rendu d’un projet de recherche», Ägypten und Nubien in spätantiker und christlicher Zeit (Emmel, S. et al., eds), Wiesbaden (Reichert) 1999, 390-404.
  • Sobhy, G.: «The Coptic Calendrical Computation and the System of Epacts known as Hisab ᾽al-Abuqti, the Epact Computation ascribed to Abba Dēmētrios the XIIth Patriarch», Bulletin de la Sociéte d'Archéologie Copte, 7, 1941, 169-99.
  • Till, W.: Koptische Grammatik, Leipzig (Otto Harrassowitz) 21961.
  • Till, W.: Koptische Dialektgrammatik, München (C.H. Beck) 21961.
  • von Bomhard, A.–S.: Le calendrier égyptien: Une œuvre d’éternité, London (Periplus) 2000.
  • Vycichl, W.: Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue copte, Louvain 1983.
  • Wassif, R.: «The Epact: Exposition of a Manuscript», Coptica, 5, 2006, 83-93.
  • Westendorf, W.: Koptisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg 1965-77.
More papers from this issue