Leah Mascia. "Female Monastics and Devotees in Late Antique and Byzantine Egypt: Papyrological, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Sources." In Female Agency in Manuscript Cultures, edited by Eike Grossmann. Studies in Manuscript Cultures, 39. DeGruyter, 2024. [Open Access, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111382715]

This paper aims to discuss the problem of women’s literacy in late antique and Byzantine Egypt through the integration of papyrological, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence. The article will begin by examining the role of women in Christian Egyptian society and addressing the issues associated with the attribution of women’s authorship to documentary papyri. After this overview, three case studies will be discussed with the aim of highlighting the important evidence that graffiti found in specific archaeological contexts provide for understanding the role of female writers in shaping the manuscript culture of Christian Egypt.