P. Morgan Copt. 10

The papyrus P. Morgan Copt. 10 contains a recipe for healing infertility, dating to approximately the seventh century CE, and has been associated with the Apa Apollo Monastery in Bawit, Egypt. The prayer – explicitly intended to be recited over a cup of wine – includes an initial address to God, a mention of the promise made to the matriarch Sarah, a series of divine titles of God, a formal request to loosen the womans womb, and an appeal to Gods name. This paper uses the recipe as a case study of monastic healing practices and to problematize the firm distinctions between such categories as medicine, magic, prayer, and liturgy.