Image of Cloud in Coptic Hagiography: Origins and Functions
The aim of the study is to analyse the plots in Coptic hagiography, in which the image of a cloud is attested. Medieval authors of texts written in honour of the saints often appeal to biblical plots and motives. Therefore, the article examines the biblical use of the image of a cloud and its transformation in Coptic hagiography. The scientific originality of the research lies in the comparative analysis of the studied image in Coptic hagiography and in the Bible, which has not been carried out until now. As a result, it was proved that the image of a cloud, on the one hand, is based on the biblical text, and on the other hand, it has its own distinctive features in Coptic hagiography, such as the healing of a saint's body.