Ostrakon with a Letter from Jonah to Elias

Art Historical Context

In the bustling world of 7th-century Coptic Egypt, everyday writing often unfolded on humble ostraka—fragments of limestone or pottery reused as affordable scraps when papyrus was scarce. small limestone piece (just 4¾ x 4⅜ inches), inscribed with ink around 600 CE, exemplifies that practice. Bearing a personal letter from Jonah to Elias, offers a rare, intimate window into Coptic daily life during the early medieval period, when Christianity flourished under Byzantine and later Islamic rule. The inscription, executed in Coptic script, highlights the culture's linguistic evolution—a blend of ...