Artefact ID | 1700 |
TM ID | TM 33125 |
Findspot (DEChriM ID) | 28 (al-Bahnasā) | Class | Textual |
Material | Papyrus |
Writing medium | Sheet/roll |
Text content | Documentary |
Language | Greek |
Description | PSI 4 311: Letter (attachment) with instructions to reach bishop Theodotos of Laodicea The letter implies an epistolary exchange between a group of Christians of Oxyrhynchus and Theodotus of Laodicea, a figure well attested in the patristic literature, who had Eusebian, if not plainly Arian, leanings. As such, the letter might suggest the existence of an Arian community in the city, although this inference is not directly supported by the text (Choat 2006: 127 doubts the connection). The sender could be Pelagius, bishop of Oxyrhynchus between c. 325 and 347 (Blumell 2012: 291-292). |
Selection criteria | Mention of Christian cult officials/institutions |
Date from | 300 |
Date to | 341 |
Dating criteria | According to palaeography, the ed.pr. would have assigned the papyrus a date in the second half of the 4th c. or in the 5th c. However, this document must have been sent during the lifetime of Theodotos of Laodicea (who died sometime before 341 CE). Blumell 2012: 279 dates to c. 330. |
Absolute/relative date | Relative date |
Archaeological context | Oxyrhynchus |
Accession number | Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana 10664 / Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana PSI 311 (parallel) |