A framed papyrus fragment featuring Coptic text written in black ink on the front. The reverse is unadorned. The Coptic alphabet is made up of a mixture of Greek letters and letters from the Demotic from of Egyptian script. The Coptic alphabet came into use during the 3rd century BC after the Greek conquest and the subsequent spread of Christianity. Liturgical texts and the Bible were translated into Coptic by the second half of the third century and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria was formed, splitting from the rest of the Christian Church. The Coptic language was used until the 13th Century, until it was replaced with Arabic. The papyrus fragment is roughly L 8.6cm x W 2.8 cm Frame measurements: L 13.3cm x W 13cm x H 3cm. Provenance: Early 20th Century Collection, acquired legally and ethically on the art market.