Oratio Mariae ad Bartos
Standard abbreviation:
Other titles: Prayer of the Virgin in Bartos
Clavis numbers: ECCA 915
Category: Pseudo-Apostolic Memoirs, Dormition Accounts
Related literature: Apocryphon of John, Book of Mary’s Repose, Gospel of the Egyptians, Investiture of the Archangel Michael, Miracles of Mary in Bartos
Compiled by Roxanne Bélanger Sarrazin, Universität Regensburg
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Bélanger Sarrazin, Roxanne. “Prayer of Mary at Bartos.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/prayer-of-mary-at-bartos/.
Posted December 2024.
1. SUMMARY
The Prayer of Mary at Bartos is a long prayer for healing and protection that was supposedly uttered by the Virgin Mary to free the apostle Matthias, who had been imprisoned in the city of Bartos for performing healing miracles. The prayer, taught by Jesus to Mary, caused the bars and chains of the prison, as well as all the iron objects in the city, to dissolve and become like water. The whole story about Matthias’ deliverance from prison is not included in the prayer itself, but is found in another apocryphal work attributed to Cyril of Jerusalem, the Miracles of Mary in Bartos.
The Prayer of Mary has been preserved in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic. The textual attestations can be divided into two distinct recessions or “traditions.” Tradition A, attested in Greek and Coptic, includes minimal narrative context, is formulated as a liturgical prayer, and never mentions Matthias nor the prison miracle. Tradition B, attested in Coptic, Arabic and Ethiopic, has many more narrative sections, as well as dialogues between Mary and other characters, to the point that it feels closer to a homily than a prayer. It also makes explicit reference in the texts and the titles to Matthias, saying that this was the prayer used by Mary to free the apostle from prison in Bartos.
Despite these differences, Traditions A and B are still considered as two versions of one work, as they have the same function and share important content elements:
1. The prayer is said to be efficacious as a protection from all the powers of the Adversary (that is, Satan) and for healing every sickness and every disease.
2. In a short narrative introduction, we are told that the prayer was taught by Jesus to Mary, who then raises her arms and turns her eyes up towards God in heaven to recite the prayer.
3. At the beginning of the prayer, Mary identifies herself, saying: “I am Mary, I am Mariham, I am the mother of the life of the whole world.”
4. Mary then utters exhortations expressing the powers of the prayer: “Let the rock break before me today, let the iron melt, let the demons/powers of darkness withdraw from before me, let the doors that are shut open.”
5. The prayer contains several invocations addressed to celestial beings to come down upon the body of the recipient (that is, the individual by or for whom the prayer was recited) to heal and protect them. Some invocations specifically ask the celestial beings to sanctify a cup of water and oil, which is then used to wash and heal the recipient. The celestial beings invoked usually include:
a. The seven archangels with their functions and attributes.
b. The four bodiless living creatures drawing the throne of God (Ezek 1 and 10; Rev 4:4–11).
c. The twenty-four presbyters surrounding the throne of God, including their individual names (sometimes with each name starting with one of the twenty-four letters of the Greek alphabet).
d. The four luminaries of the Autogenes: Harmosiel, Oroiael, Daveithe, and Eleleth (as in the Apocryphon of John, the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit a.k.a. the Gospel of the Egyptians, Zostrianos, Melchizedek, Trimorphic Protenoia, and the Untitled Treatise of the Bruce codex).
6. Some of the invocations also refer to biblical and apocryphal events: the creation of Adam, the fall of Satan, the investiture of the archangel Michael, the visitation, the birth of Christ, and the Last Supper.
While the Tradition A prayer ends with a final invocation addressed to God and a doxology (“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen”), the Tradition B prayer adds a final narrative section, with dialogues between Mary, Christ, and the archangels, where she pleads for them to heal anyone who would recite this prayer. It ends with Jesus finally going back to heaven after promising that Mary’s requests will be granted.
Chronologically, the Tradition A prayer was probably composed first (with the first textual attestation dated to the 6th–7th centuries) and was originally unrelated to the story about the deliverance of Matthias from prison. One manuscript with the Tradition A prayer provides another context in its title, saying that the prayer was recited by the Virgin Mary on the day of her death (P.Heid.inv.Kopt. 685). The Tradition A prayer therefore seems to have been related to other traditions about Mary’s Dormition, especially to works from the “Palm of the Tree of Life” group (e.g., the Book of Mary’s Repose), in which Jesus teaches to Mary a prayer to be recited before she dies in order to ascend. At some point in Late Antiquity or the early Islamic period, Tradition A then evolved into Tradition B (with the first textual attestations dated to the 11th–13th centuries), perhaps through influences from Matthias’ story as reported in Ps-Cyril’s work on the Miracles of Mary in Bartos.
Named historical figures and characters: Adam, Anael (angel), Asuel (angel), Daveithael (angel), Eleleth (angel), Gabriel (angel), Harmosiel (angel), Mary (daughter of Jacob), Mary Magdalene, Mary (Virgin), Matthias (apostle), Michael (angel), Oroiael (angel), Ragouel/Rakouel (angel), Raphael (angel), Salathiel (angel), Sarufel/Saraphouel/Salaphouel (angel), Satan, Souriel/Ouriel (angel), Zedekiel (angel), the twenty-four presbyters (over 80 different names attested).
Geographical locations: Bartos, Bethlehem, hell, paradise.
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Arabic (Trad. B)
Cairo, National Library of Egypt ID 4562, inv. 768 (11th–13th cent.; KYP M934)
3.1.2 Coptic
3.1.2.1 Trad. A
Cairo, Coptic Museum 4958 (5th–9th cent., placeholder date as the manuscript is unpublished) ~ KYP M130
London, British Library Or. 6796.1–3 (6th–7th cent.) ~ KYP M118
Berlin, Staatliche Museum, Berlin P. 8327 (7th–8th cent.) ~ KYP M119
Giessen, Universitätsbibliothek, P.Iand. inv. 9 A-B (8th–9th cent.) ~ KYP M134; images
Heidelberg, Institut für Papyrology, P.Heid.inv.Kopt. 685 (950–1000) ~ CLM 1488; PAThs entry; KYP M186; images
Paris, Collège de France, 2 (1000–1050) ~ KYP M573
Beltz, Walter. “Die koptischen Zauberpapyri der Papyrus-Sammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin.” Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete 29 (1983): 59–86 (edition of Berlin P. 8327, pp. 76–77, no. I 549).
Erman, Adolf. Aegyptische Urkunden aus dem Koeniglichen Museen zu Berlin: Koptische Urkunden. Vol. 1. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1904 (edition of Berlin P. 8327, p. 7, no. 6).
Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Textpublikation. Vol. 1. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931 (edition of BL.Or. 6796.1–3, pp. 35–40, no. G, pp. 41–45, no. H, pp. 45–46, no. I).
__________. Oratio Mariae ad Bartos. Ein koptischer Gebetstext aus den Gießener Papyrussammlungen. Giessen: Universitätsbibliothek, 1965 (edition of P.Iand. inv. 9 A–B, pp. 6–13; BL.Or. 6796.1–3, pp. 14–19).
Meyer, Marvin W. The Magical Book of Mary and the Angels. (P. Heid. Inv. Kopt. 685): Text, Translation and Commentary. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag C. Winter, 1996 (edition of P.Heid.inv.Kopt. 685).
Dosoo, Korshi, and Markéta Preininger. Papyri Copticae Magicae. Coptic Magical Texts, Volume 1: Formularies (PCM I), Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete – Beihefte 48. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023 (edition of P.Heid.inv.Kopt. 685, pp. 287–323, no. 25).
3.1.2.2 Trad. B (Clavis coptica 0575; PAThs entry)
London, British Library, Or. 4714 sup. (10th–12th cent.) ~ CLM 1316; PAThs entry; KYP M117
Crum, Walter Ewing. “A Coptic Palimpsest.” Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology 19 (1897): 210–18.
3.1.3 Ethiopic (BHO 654; Beta masaheft 1201)
A Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. et. 42, fols. 5r-54v (15th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft
B Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. et. 50, fols. 3-34 (15th/16th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft
C Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. et. 60, fols. 21-62 (15th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft
D Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Eth. 56 (16th cent.) ~ Beta masaheft
E Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Eth. 57 (15th cent.) ~ Gallica; Beta masaheft
F fragments edited by Ludolfi
G Schiaparelli, private collection (18th cent.)
Additional manuscripts:
Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, or. oct. 59, fols. 15–55 (14th cent.) ~ Catalog; images
Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Peterm. II Nachtr. 28, fols. 1–44 (17th cent.) ~ Catalog
Denver, CO, Eliza Bennett Collection, Eliza Codex 12 (20th cent.) ~ images
EMML 2133 fols. 1r–23r (19th cent.) ~ HMML
Evanston, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Garrett-Evangelical Theo Sem, Eth 16 (18th cent.) ~ images
Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, BML Acq. e doni 306 (17th/18th cent.) ~ images
Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, BML Acq. e doni 720 (19th cent.) ~ images
Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, BML Or. 403 (15th cent.) ~ images
Kirishima, Matsushita Museum of Art, 1 ~ description
London, British Library, Add. 16245, fols. 65–94 (date not provided) ~ Beta Masaheft
London, British Library, Or. 564, fols. 15r–45r (18th cent.) ~ Catalog; Beta Masaheft
London, British Library, Or. 13156, fols. 5r–45v (14th/15th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Eth. 95 (15th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Abbadie 153 (18th cent.) ~ Catalog
Portland, Ethiopic Manuscript Imaging Project, Weiner Codex 266, fols. 1r–33r (20th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft; images
Saint Petersburg, Institut Vostočnyh Rukopisej Rossijskoj Akademii Nauk, IV Ef. 39 (date not provided) ~ Beta Masaheft
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. et. 37, fols. 6r–57v (15th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft
Washington, D.C., Howard University School of Divinity, Tweed Codex 016 (19th/20th cent.) ~ Beta Masaheft; images
Ludolfi, Iobi. Historia Aethiopica: Commentarius ad suam historiam aethiopicam. Francofurti ad Moenum, 1691 (pp. 349–50).
Rossini, Carlo Conti. “La redazione etiopica della preghiera della Vergine fra i Parti.” Rendiconti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei ser. 5.5 (1896): 457–79 (manuscripts listed, p. 460; edition based on sigla A–G, pp. 462–79).
3.1.4 Greek (Trad. A)
Burial vault, Tomb of Archbishop Georgios, North wall, col. 1, ll. 1–59 (1110–1120) ~ KYP M501
Łajtar, Adam and Jacques van der Vliet. Empowering the Dead: The Texts from a Medieval Funerary Complex in Dongola. Journal of Juristic Papyrology Supplement 32. Warsaw: Raphael Taubenschlag Foundation, 2017 (pp. 80–125, no. 9).
__________. “Wall Inscriptions in a Burial Vault under the Northwest Annex of the Monastery on Kom H (Dongola 2009).” Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 21 (2012): 330–37.
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Meyer, Marvin W. and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999 (English translation of BL.Or. 6796, pp. 283–89, no. 131).
Meyer, Marvin W. “Mary Dissolving Chains in Coptic Museum Papyrus 4958 and Elsewhere.” Pages 369–76 in Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Coptic Studies, Leiden, August 27-September 2, 2000. Edited by Jacques van der Vliet and Matt Immerzeel. Leuven: Uitgeverij Peeters en Dep. Oosterse Studies, 2004.
3.2.2 French
Basset, René. Les apocryphes éthiopiens traduits en français. vol. 5. Milan: Arché, 1895 (translation of Ethiopic text based on D and E, vol. 5, pp. 11–30).
Lexa, František. La magie dans l’Égypte antique de l’ancien empire jusqu’à l’époque copte 2 Les textes magiques. Paris: Librairie orientaliste P. Geuthner, 1925 (Translation of the Coptic text Berlin P. 8327, p. 166, no. IX.)
Viaud, Gérard. Magie et coutumes populaires chez les Coptes d’Egypte. Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron: Editions Présence, 1978 (translation of an Arabic text from a prayer book published in Cairo in 1973, pp. 76–78).
3.2.3 German
Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Textpublikation. Vol. 2. Brussels: Édition de la Fondation Reine Élisabeth, 1930–1931 (translations of the Coptic texts BL.Or. 6796, pp. 89–97, 135–43; BL.Or. 4714 sup., pp. 127–35; Berlin P. 8327, pp. 144–45).
3.3 General Works
Burns, Dylan M. “Magical, Coptic, Christian: The Great Angel Eleleth and the ‘Four Luminaries’ in Egyptian Literature of the First Millenium CE.” Pages 153–254 in The Nag Hammadi Codices and Late Antique Egypt. Edited by Hugo Lundhaug and Lance Jenott. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018.
Frankfurter, David. “Heavenly Liturgy and Its Materialization in Early Coptic Magical Texts.” Pages 311–29 in Above, Below, Before, and After. Studies on Judaism and Christianity in Dialogue with Martha Himmelfarb. Edited by Ra‘anan Boustan, David Frankfurter, and Annette Yoshiko Reed. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023.
Gardner, Iain. “An Archive of Coptic Handbooks and Exemplars for the Making of Amulets and the Enacting of Ritual Power from the Tenth Century (P. Heid. Inv. Kopt. 680–683 and 685–686).” Pages 73–134 in Drawing Spirit: The Role of Images and Design in the Magical Practice of Late Antiquity. Edited by Jay Johnston and Iain Gardner. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023. (discussion of P.Heid.inv.Kopt. 685 at pp. 105–23).
__________. “The Heidelberg Magical Archive: A Discussion of its Origins, Context and Purpose.” Pages 45–71 in Drawing Spirit: The Role of Images and Design in the Magical Practice of Late Antiquity. Edited by Jay Johnston and Iain Gardner. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023.
Johnston, Jay, and Gardner, Iain. “Relations of Image, Text and Design Elements in Selected Amulets and Spells of the Heidelberg Papyri Collection.” Pages 139–48 in Bild und Schrift auf ‘magischen’ Artefakten. Edited by Sarah Kiyanrad, Christoffer Theis and Laura Willer. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2018.
Meyer, Martin. “The Prayer of Mary in the Magical Book of Mary and the Angels.” Pages 57–67 in Prayer, Magic, and the Stars in the Ancient and Late Antique World, edited by Scott Noegel, Joel Walker, and Brannon Wheeler. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2003.
__________. “The Prayer of Mary Who Dissolves Chains in Coptic Magic and Religion.” Pages 405–15 in Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World. Edited by Paul Mirecki and Marvin Meyer. Leiden: Brill, 2001.
__________. “The Persistence of Ritual in the Magical Book of Mary and the Angels: P. Heid. Inv. Kopt. 685.” Pages 359–76 in Practicing Gnosis: Ritual, Magic, Theurgy and Liturgy in Nag Hammadi, Manichaean and Other Ancient Literature. Essays in Honor of Birger A. Pearson. Edited by April D. DeConick, Gregory Shaw, and John D. Turner. Leiden: Brill, 2011.
Orlandi, Tito. Coptic Texts Relating to the Virgin Mary: An Overview. Rome: CIM, 2008 (see pp. 45, 79–80).
Pezin, Michel. “Les manuscrits coptes inédits du Collège de France.” Pages 23–26 in Écritures et traditions dans la littérature copte. Louvain: Peeters, 1983.
Piwowarczyk, Przemysław. “Sethians and Their Texts in Christian Egypt in the 4th and 5th Centuries.” Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni 86 (2020): 99–116.
van der Vliet, Jacques. “Literature, Liturgy, Magic: A Dynamic Continuum.” Pages 555–74 in Christianity in Egypt: Literary Production and Intellectual Trends. Studies in Honor of Tito Orlandi. Edited by Paola Buzi and Alberto Camplani. Rome: Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum, 2011.
__________. “Tradition and Innovation: Writing Magic in Christian Egypt.” Pages 259–81 in Rituals in Early Christianity: New Perspectives on Tradition and Transformation. Edited by Nienke M. Vos and Albert C. Geljon. Leiden: Brill, 2020.