| Artefact ID | 450 |
| TM ID | TM 20309 |
| Findspot (DEChriM ID) | 12 (Ismant al-Ḫarāb) | Class | Textual |
| Material | Papyrus |
| Writing medium | Sheet/roll |
| Text content | Documentary |
| Language | Greek |
| Description | P.Kellis I 48: Manumission of a female slave This fragmentarily preserved papyrus contains the copy of a deed of manumission of a female slave Hilaria by her master Aurelius Valerius, former magistrate of the city of the Mothites. The reason given for this manumission is quite remarkable since Aurelius Valerius states: "I have set you free because of my exceptional Christianity" (διʼ ὑπερβ̣ολὴν χ[ρι]στιανότη̣τ̣ο̣ς̣) and combines it with the traditional oath formula "under Zeus, Earth and Sun" (ὑπὸ Δία Γῆν Ἥλιον), which, according to the editor, "offers a nice illustration of the amalgam of Christian and pagan elements sometimes occurring next to each other in 4th-century documents" (Worp 2004: 142). The substantive χριστιανότης seems to be attested here for the first time. A priest, Aurelius Psekes, acts as a witness to this deed (l. 20) and might be referred to as "our most reverend father Psekes" (l. 9-10); monks may have been present too (l. 11n.).
In its content and its display of mixed religious references, this document is to be compared to Pap.Eleph.Eng. D18 (ID1365), dated to the same year, 355.
On both sides of the sheet, the writing runs parallel with the fibres. The sheet was folded 7 times vertically and 3 times horizontally. |
| Selection criteria | Mention of Christian cult officials/institutions, Mention of Christian individuals/communities, Christian terms/formulas/concepts, Archaeological context associated with Christian markers |
| Date from | 355 |
| Date to | 355 |
| Dating criteria | Internally dated to 355. L. 16-17 have: "After the consulate of Constantius Augustus consul for the 7th time and of Constantius nobilissimus Caesar consul for the 3rd time". The consuls are those of the year 354, whose postconsulate falls in 355. As in other papyri from Kellis, the month and day are ommitted. |
| Absolute/relative date | Absolute date |
| Archaeological context | The document was found broken in several fragments, which were scattered in two different rooms of House 3 (rooms 8 and 9) and in distinct stratigraphic contexts (in room 8, both in level 3 and level 4): P. 56.C: House 3, room 9, level 3, Western doorway; P. 61.F+G+U+V: House 3, room 8, level 4; P. 65.F+J: House 3, room 8, level 3. |
| Accession number | Kellis, excavations Dakleh Oasis Project 1986-, inv. P. 56.C + P. 61.F+G+U+V + P. 65.F+J. |
ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS
Json data
