4care-artefacts – 4care

4CARE-ARTEFACTS

ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID	1656
TM ID	TM 33717
Findspot (DEChriM ID)	28 (al-Bahnasā)
Class	Textual
Material	Papyrus
Writing medium	Sheet/roll
Text content	Documentary
Language	Greek
Archive/Dossier	Archive
Description	P.Oxy. XLVIII 3407, P.Oxy. 48 3407: Letter to Papnouthis and Hatres This narrow papyrus sheet (8.5 x 25 cm) contains a letter to Papnouthis, who is called προνοητής (“supervisor, caretaker”, line 2), and Hatres, who is called φρ(οντιστής) (line 2). They are instructed to send τὸν ταυρελάτην ("ox-driver", line 3-4) to the ἐποίκιον Akindynou that same day, to haul rocks for the ἀδελφοί Nepotianos and Diogenes. For the next day, ἐν τῇ κυριακην ἡμέρᾳ (“Sunday”, line 15-16), the 11th, the rocks will be taken away. This is an early attestation of κυριακή for Sunday, other early texts feature ἠμέρα ἡλιου. The use of ἀδελφοί (line 18) to address the two recipients could indicate a Christian background. The sender, who identifies herself as π(αρὰ) τῆς γεούχου (line 1), may be the landlady Clematia from P.Oxy. XLVIII 3406, a letter which is also addressed to Papnouthis.
Selection criteria	Christian terms/formulas/concepts
Date from	330
Date to	385
Dating criteria	Archive context: Part of the Archive of Papnouthis and Dorotheos (TM Archive ID 172), ranged between 330 and 385 CE. The archive contains P.Oxy. XLVIII 3384–3429.
Absolute/relative date	Relative date
Archaeological context	Found in al-Bahnasā (Oxyrhynchos) during the excavations of Bernard Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt between 1896 and 1907.
Accession number	Oxford, Sackler Library, Papyrology Rooms 44 5B 63/(5-7)a

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps
• Chambers, Mortimer, Walter E. H. Cockle, John C. Shelton and Eric G. Turner. 1981. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Part XLVIII (P. Oxy. XLVIII), edited by M. G. Sirivianou. Graeco-Roman Memoirs 67. London: Egypt Exploration Society. 108-110, No. 3407.

Additional bibliography
• Bagnall, Roger S. and Raffaella Cribiore. 2006. Women's Letters from Ancient Egypt, 300 BC–AD 800. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. 215-216.
• Bagnall, Roger S. and Raffaella Cribiore. 2008. Women's Letters from Ancient Egypt, 300 BC–AD 800. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. A15.3, Nr. 95. [https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb90014.0001.001]
• Bagnall, Roger S. 1980. “Chronological Notes on Byzantine Documents, IV.” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists (BASP) 17. 5-18: 17. [concerning the term for “Sunday”]

Authors

Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023

Suggested citation

Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023, "Artefact ID 1656", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/1656

Json data

External links

TM 33717 DDbDP (PN) HGV Oxyrhynchus Online (Image Database) Oxyrhynchus Papyri (University of Oxford – Online Resource)

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