(CE:1370b)
JOORE, martyr in fourth-century Egypt. Joore was presumably venerated on 10 Kiyahk. The uncertainty springs from the fact that the text of his Passion has survived in only one codex, which is in Sahidic dialect and is mutilated toward the end (Egyptian Museum, Turin, Cat. 63000, 1).
The text obviously belongs to the genus of "epic" Passions (see HAGIOGRAPHY), but certain fairly archaic features of both language and narrative organization indicate that it should be placed among the older ones, written (in Greek or Coptic) in about the fifth century.
The text begins with the arrival at Shmin of an unnamed Roman prefect in the reign of the emperor Diocletian. On the day on which the Christians who refuse to make sacrifice to the emperor are to be judged, five soldiers go to the town of Jinjeb and meet Joore, a shepherd who admits that he is a Christian. They try to capture him, but he manages to escape. They then take two of his animals. Joore returns and recovers the animals by force, wounding three of the soldiers. When the prefect hears of this, he threatens the komarches (village leader) of Jinjeb, who takes Joore in custody. Although Joore manages to escape once again, he is recaptured and imprisoned. In prison the other Christians encourage him to martyrdom. There follows a debate with the prefect that lasts into the evening and includes various episodes and discussions, after which the text ends.
TITO ORLANDI
