Crum, Walter E.  A Coptic Dictionary.  Oxford:  Clarendon, 1939.

With subsequent reprintings, the authoritative dictionary of the Coptic language but lacking more recently discovered dialect forms.

Lamedin, Thomas O.  Introduction to Sahidic Coptic.  Macon:  Mercer, 1983.

Layton, Bentley.  A Coptic Grammar:  Sahidic Dialect.  Wiesbaden:  Harrassowitz Verlag, 2000.

The most detailed treatment available in English of classical Sahidic Coptic grammar.  Makes heavy use of technical linguistic terminology.

Mattar, Nabil.  A Study in Bohairic Coptic.  Pasadena:  Hope Publishing House, 1990.

A grammar with parallel English and Arabic text for the Bohairic dialect which is still in use by the Coptic Orthodox Church in its liturgy.

Plumley, J. Martin.  An Introductory Coptic Grammar:  Sahidic Dialect.  London:  Home and Van Thal, 1948.

Smith, Richard H.  A Concise Coptic-English Lexicon.  2nd rev. ed.  Atlanta:  Scholars Press, 1999.

A students’ affordable hand lexicon.  Excellent for Nag Hammadi texts.

Concordance Du Vouveau Testament Sahidique.  Louvain: L. Durbeeq, 1950-59. 

Lefort, L. Theophile. I: Les Mots d’Origine Grecque.  1950 (CSCO vol. 124); Wilmot, Michel.  II. Les Mots Autochtones.

pt. 1. 1957 (CSCO vol. 173). pt. 2. 1958 (CSCO vol. 183). pt. 3. 1959 (CSCO vol. 185).

Draguet, René.  Index Copte et Greco-Copte.  1960 (CSCO vol. 196).

This concordance was published in five parts 1950-1960 in the series Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Imprimerie Orientaliste L. Durbeeq.

Horner, George W.  The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Northern Dialect.  4 vols.  London:  Clarendon Press, 1898-1905.

Bohairic New Testament with critical apparatus and literal English translation.

Horner, George W.  The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Southern Dialect.  7 vols.  Oxford:  Clarendon Press, 1911-1924.

Sahidic New Testament with critical apparatus and literal English translation.

return to top of page

Bagnall, Roger S.  Egypt in Late Antiquity.  Princeton, NJ:  Princeton University Press, 1993.

Scholarly treatment of fourth- and fifth-century Egypt.

Bulletin of Saint Shenuda:  the Archimandrite Coptic Society.  Los Angeles:  Hany Takla, 1994 ff.

A rapidly developing source of significance for Coptic Studies.  Published in Los Angeles by Orthodox Coptic Christians.

Burmester, O.H.E.  The Egyptian or Coptic Church:  A Detailed Description of Her Liturgical Services and the Rites and Ceremonies Observed in the Administration of Her Sacraments.  Cairo:  [no publisher], 1967.

The leading scholar on Coptic Church practices.

Meinardus, Otto F.A.  Monks and Monasteries of the Egyptian Deserts.  Cairo:  American University in Cairo Press, 1992.

Meinardus, Otto F.A.  Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity.  Cairo:  AUP, 1999.

The author is a leading authority on the past and present history of the Copts and the Coptic Church as well as its monasteries.

Roberts, Colin H.  Manuscript, Society and Belief in Early Christian Egypt.  London:  Oxford University Press for the British Academy, 1979.

Papyrological evidence for developmental history of Church in Egypt.

Rutschowscaya, Marie-Hélène.  Coptic Fabrics.  Paris:  Editions Adam Bird, 1990.

A definitive study with many color examples.

The Coptic Encyclopedia.  8 vols.  Atiya, Aziz and Lola, general editors.  New York:  MacMillan, 1991.

Excellent reference for all phases of Coptic studies.

Waddell, Helen.  The Desert Fathers.  [Ann Arbor]: University of Michigan Press, [1957].

With subsequent reprintings, account of the lives and sayings of the Egyptian hermits and monks.  Drawn from Greek and Latin sources.

Watterson, Barbara.  Coptic Egypt.  Edinburgh:  Scottish Academic Press, 1988.

An excellent brief coverage of the political, church, monastic, and art history of Egypt’s native Christians from their origins to the present day.

Wessel, Klaus.  Coptic Art.  Translated from the German.  London:  Thames and Hudson, 1965.

Covers all art forms:  sculpture, wood carvings, wall, portrait and icon painting, and textiles; with many illustrations.

return to top of page

The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices.  12 vols.  Leiden:  E.J. Brill, 1972-1984.

Folio-size volumes containing photographs-only of all pages in the Coptic codices.  Published under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt in conjunction with UNESCO.

The Gospel of Thomas.  Translated by Marvin Meyer.  With Introduction, Critical Edition of Coptic Texts and Notes.  Interpretation by Harold Bloom.  San Francisco:  Harper, 1992.

A Nag Hammadi tractate which has received special interest because of its “Sayings of Jesus.”

Robinson, James M, gen. ed.  The Nag Hammadi Library in English.  3rd rev. ed., with an Afterword by Richard Smith, managing editor.  San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.

Translations by the members of the Coptic Gnostic Library Project of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont, California.

Robinson, James M.  The Nag Hammadi Codices.  2nd rev. ed.  Claremont:  Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, 1977.

Excellent history of the discovery and events surrounding the bringing public of the codices, with many photos of personalities involved.

Robinson, James M., gen. ed.  The Coptic Gnostic Library.  11 vols.  Leiden:  E.J. Brill, 1975-1995.  Published in Series “Nag Hammadi Studies.”

These volumes are the Critical Editions of the Coptic Gnostic Papyri published in the Facsimile Edition.  Edited by members of the Coptic Gnostic Library Project, the format of each volume is similar:  an Introduction, a Transcription of the Coptic text, an English translation, and footnotes.

return to top of page