The ''Gospel of the Lots of Mary'' is a Coptic writing dating to the fifth or sixth century used for

divination Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...

bibliomancy Bibliomancy is the use of books in divination. The method of employing sacred books (especially specific words and verses) for 'magical medicine', for removing negative entities, or for divination is widespread in many religions of the world. Term ...

. It contains 37 answers to questions (

lots Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to: Common meanings Areas *Land lot, an area of land *Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *Lot number, in batch production *Lot, a set of goods for sale together ...

), though the methods for readers to select an answer are unclear. Its production and retrieval sites are unknown, though it may have been written near Antinoë in Upper Egypt, and it may have an earlier Greek edition from the fourth century.

Description

The ''Gospel of the Lots of Mary'' is a small, , manuscript or booklet written in the

Coptic language Coptic (Bohairic Coptic: , ) is a language family of closely related dialects, representing the most recent developments of the Egyptian language, and historically spoken by the Copts, starting from the third-century AD in Roman Egypt. Coptic ...

. It contains 37 answers to questions, which unusually begin on the left (rather than right) page when the booklet is opened. The precise purpose of the manuscript is unknown, but because the answers are (inconsistently) numbered 1–37, it is likely a text used for

; due to its size, it may have been for personal use. However, some of the answers are so generic that the manuscript may be used for the reader to develop

piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary among ...

. It may have been uniquely popular among women due to its title, though the answers are not exclusive to questions women were likely to ask. Its connection to its namesake,

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, are not clear, though it includes several references to her and the archangel Gabriel. The most complete text dates to the fifth or sixth century, though there may be an earlier, fourth-century Greek original from the fourth century. While neither its production nor retrieval sites are known, it may have been written near Antinoë in Upper Egypt, which had a

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

for

Saint Colluthus Saint Colluthus is a Coptic saint and martyr of the 3rd century AD said to be from Antinoöpolis. According to his Hagiography, Colluthus' father was the governor of the Upper Egyptian city of Ansena. His parents were both Christians. He lived ...

; seventh-century fragments from oracles found in Antinoë closely match the text of the ''Gospel of the Lots of Mary''. As of 2018, the text is at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

's Sackler Library. The first translation was published in 2014 by AnneMarie Luijendijk.

Description

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