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The aim of this paper is to give a brief overview of some strategies for the inclusion of children in the Egyptian society, with particular regard to sons who do not have a biological relation with their parents but who are acquired through assimilation practices, such as the adoption of an orphan or the emancipation of a young slave. For this purpose, some literary attestations will be examined in order to show how in ancient Egypt a "nobody's child" could turn into a legitimate child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study and define the meaning of the Anthropomorphite controversy as described in Cassian's tenth conference, where he chooses to begin this part of the book with an account of an "incident" happened in Egypt. This story is a suitable starting point for the ensuing discourse of abba Isaac on pure prayer. Because the accuracy of any historical recontruction of the Anthropomorphite controversy is compromised by the bias of the extant primary sources, the more urgent need is to put in the 'correct' order the literary evidences. According to the reconstruction of this order offered by Dmitrij Bumazhnov, even the Life of apa Aphou, generally considered the first text related to Anthropomorhism, cannot be considered crucially important for a balanced theological understading of the issues debated at the time. The logical (and theological) sequence 'simpliciores=Anthropomorphites=anti-Origenists is a weak historiographic reconstruction rooted only in the historical accounts of Sozomen and Socrates. A close examination of Cassian's tenth conference shows as this Latin author as well is quite far from this sequence and the entire dossier related to the Anthropomorphite controversy needs to be, at least, divided in two parts and the pieces need to be put in a different and new order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]