Apostolic Memoirs in Old Nubian

The close contact of Christian Nubia with Coptic Egypt led to substantial influences on how Christianity was practiced in the kingdoms of the Middle Nile Valley from the sixth century onward.1 This influence concerned both the official liturgy of the church and per- sonal piety.2 Perhaps most importantly, the Coptic influence in Nubia brought along new forms of literacy. The Coptic alphabet became the basis for the creation of the Old Nubian one,3 while Coptic itself became one of the common languages used in Nubian society.4 Coptic literature circulated widely, both in the original language and in translations.5 Of the genres of Coptic literature imported into Nubia, the most representative are the so- called apostolic memoirs.