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churches, patients asked for oil burning above the relics and used it as
medicine. A sceptical man resolves to trust in Artemios healing powers
and he anoints himself with oil from the lamps burning on the coffin.111
The oikonomos in charge of the shrine at Abû Mînâ takes oil from the
lamp burning before the saint s body in order to make the sign of the
cross on a possessed man.112 The saints frequently healed with the use
of matter present in the sanctuary. In Menouthis, the water of the
fountain could become the means of healing. This was the case for a
man suffering from an ophthalmic disease, who rubbed his eyes with
water from the fountain and wiped it away with a piece of cloth. His
eye sickness was removed as well.113 Oil taken from the lamp burning
on top of the saints tomb was a favourite remedy. It cured a man who
105
Crisafulli and Nesbitt (1997) 190.
106
Deubner (1907) 175; Festugière (1971) 171.
107
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 22.4.
108
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 1.8.
109
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 1.12.
110
Deubner (1907) 101: Ä¿æ À¬½Ä± À¬¸· ½¹ºö½Ä¿Â º±v ¸µÁ±ÀµÍ¿½Ä¿Â ƱÁ¼¬º¿Å.
111
Crisafulli and Nesbitt (1997) 196.
112
Drescher (1946) 119.
113
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 2.3 4 (Marcos (1975) 247).
646 béatrice caseau
after a bad fall had a broken and wounded leg.114 Food could also be
used on wounds. We hear of a mixture of bread, honey and sesame
applied to a fistula,115 pureed vegetables such as peas116 or lentils,117
fish,118 and wine119 were also used.
Among the means of healing, the eucharist and also blessed bread
naturally played a role. We shall not describe liturgical objects, which
could be seen by pilgrims, as they were no different from those used
in other churches, but communion with the body and blood of Christ
was certainly part of the cure provided to Christians sharing the faith
of the clergy. Even reliquaries were probably not specific to healing
shrines, except perhaps for some particular relics. In Menouthis, pilgrims
went and prayed in front the tomb of Cyrus and John. As in any other
shrine, a lamp was hanging on top of the tomb, candles were burning
around it, but the shrine had something more. The Miracula report that
a medical instrument called a mele (mhvlh), possibly a probe, was also
accessible to the faithful.120 It is possible that it had once belonged to
Saint Cyrus who had been a doctor at Alexandria.
Catering to the Spiritual Needs of the Faithful:
Blessed Bread and the Eucharist
The Miracula written by Sophronius mention more than once the
phôtistèrion, where blessed water and consecrated bread were kept.121 The
word recalls those who have received the light, which probably refers
to baptism. Allusions to the liturgy are not infrequent. A number of
heretics came to the sanctuary. The saints invited them, sometimes even
coerced them, to take communion with the Chalcedonian community.122
For a monophysite, there was no specific rite of apostasy nor any need
to rebaptise. The change of creed, the acceptance of Chalcedonian
114
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 3.3 (Marcos (1975) 247).
115
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 6.3 (Marcos (1975) 252).
116
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 8.14 (Marcos (1975) 256); Sophron. Narr. de mir.
Cyr. et Joh. 68.
117
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 68.
118
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 9.11 (Marcos (1975) 259).
119
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 9.11 (Marcos (1975) 259).
120
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 28.11.
121
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 36.14.
122
Sophron. Narr. de mir. Cyr. et Joh. 36.7 14.
 ordinary objects in christian healing sanctuaries 647
theology, took the form of accepting communion consecrated by a priest
of the Chalcedonian faith.123 Refusing to take communion amounted
to revealing a heretical inclination, or worse crypto-paganism. Heretics
who refused to take communion, and still visited the sanctuary of the
saints Cyrus and John, clearly a Chalcedonian shrine in Sophronius
time, could benefit from another form of communion. They drank the
oil burning on top of the saints tomb. Sophronius admits that this is
sanctified oil, yet he considers it in no way equivalent to consecrated
bread.124 The Miracula give the impression, once more, that anyone
could come and help themselves to this oil. Yet, we learn that access
to the tomb and to the oil was through an iron gate, which was not
always open.125 A deacon was in charge of overseeing what was going
on in the sanctuary, and probably supervised the use of this sanctified
oil as well.126 In Abû Mînâ, the oikonomos was also in charge of the oil.
Since this was the main remedy, it is only natural that its distribution
was supervised.
Communion with the consecrated bread naturally took place during [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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