Tamara L . Siuda

An entry concerning the use of the term "martyr" by Coptic and Islamist communities in Egypt and how the term's meaning is being shifted away from traditional definitions by political and cultural forces . This shift now creates the paradox where a martyr can be both be a person who is killed (e.g. the 21 Coptic martyrs of Libya) AND a person who has killed those martyrs (e.g., an Islamist suicide bomber). This entry is part of the 2018 inaugural volume of the Institute for Signifying Scriptures (ISS)'s "Scripturalizing Here and There" (SHT) Project, an ongoing collaborative exploration into "social-cultural analysis of scriptural social psychologics and politics."

Coptic martyrology was created by, and continues to be shaped by, many hands over the last two millennia. Theological and scholarly study of Coptic martyrological narratives in all their forms is critical to understanding Coptic civilization, as well as toward assuring that civilization’s continued existence. In times of persecution, preservation of the important values and the body of knowledge and lived experiences embodied in the members of a society or civilization is threatened. It is no accident that “lost” civilizations often become so after violence or persecution renders them incapable of preserving their values or collective experiences and identity. While I do not believe the Coptic civilization is in danger of immediate disappearance, it is still experiencing persecution, and the forces currently arrayed against it are, judging by 21st Century values, stronger and more pervasive than perhaps any it has faced before this time.

It is possible, and I would argue necessary, for theologians and scholars, inside the Coptic culture and among its admirers and friends, to do everything we can to assist the Copts in maintaining their collective identity, so that they might not become one more lost civilization. The Coptic contribution to Christianity alone is an immense and irreplaceable achievement. It would be a great loss to that religion and to the entire world if it is not protected.

There are currently four significant and urgent problems in researching and documenting contemporary Coptic martyrs. These and other problems will only become larger over time, and if not adequately addressed, Coptic martyrology will suffer. These four problems are:
• lack of data concerning contemporary Coptic martyrs
• unreliability of such data where it does exist
• issues of language translation and interpretation; and
• various natural and unanticipated biases of that data, as well as the conscious and unconscious biases of those responsible for creating and disseminating it

As I stated previously and will repeat because it is that important: these problems only become larger over time. If we seek to avoid another significant future gap in Coptic knowledge, such as we must navigate currently regarding the loss of so much Coptic history and documentation between the 9th and 18th Centuries, we need to address and work on solutions for these problems as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

Siuda, Tamara L. "The 'Great Hymn' of Horemheb," in Kent, Ashley and Tatiana Matveeva (eds.), A Silver Sun and Inky Clouds: A Devotional for Djehuty and Set. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2018, pp. 179-192.

Hieroglyphs, transliteration and English translation of the so-called Great Hymn of Thoth attributed to Horemheb.

Siuda, Tamara L. (2015). "The Myth of the Eye of Ra or Destruction of Mankind from the Book of the Divine Cow, New Kingdom (translation)" in Daughter of the Sun: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Sekhmet. Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Neos Alexandria Press), pp. 254-257.

Siuda, Tamara L. (2015) "Pazuzu: Exorcist and 'Good Demon'" in Walking the Worlds, Vol. 2 No. 1 (Winter 2015), pp. 42-57.

The Mesopotamian wind spirit Pazuzu represents a contradiction in terms. He is both a demon in the malevolent sense, and a cure against the demon hordes that threaten mankind. Contrary to his portrayal in 20th century popular culture, Pazuzu is a "good demon" whose power exorcises other demons and thus protects, rather than harms, mankind.