| Artefact ID | 1336 |
| TM ID | TM 77998 |
| Findspot (DEChriM ID) | - () | Class | Textual |
| Material | Papyrus |
| Writing medium | Sheet/roll |
| Text content | Documentary |
| Language | Greek |
| Description | P.Benaki 5; SB XVI 16687: Reply from a son. Reused sheet of papyrus: the recto was used for a letter written by a mother to her son (P.Benaki 4) who replied on the verso. He addresses her as his "lady mother", sends greetings in god and expresses gratefulness to God and Christ that his mother has returned safely. Something about his father made him rejoice. He concludes his letter with a quotation from the Pauline epistles, which is preceded by a staurogram according to ed. No name is given, only relationships are mentioned that could be rather spiritual than biological, the ed. suggests, in light of the abundant Christian phraseology and presence of nomina sacra. To be addressed as "most holy" (in the recto), the sender of the verso was possibly the head of a monastic community. The letter is written on the verso, across the fibres, in two columns – on the model of literary codices according to the ed., although irregular here – in a hand familiar with the biblical majuscule. |
| Selection criteria | Christian terms/formulas/concepts, Christian symbols/gestures/isopsephy, Nomina sacra, Biblical quote or paraphrase |
| Date from | 350 |
| Date to | 425 |
| Dating criteria | Palaeograpically dated 4th c. in ed. pr. but the hand could also be of the early 5th c., especially with the staurogram. |
| Absolute/relative date | Relative date |
| Archaeological context | Fayyum |
| Accession number | Athens, Benaki Museum 614 B. |
ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS
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