Get Social With Us

4CARE-ARTEFACTS

ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID997
TM IDTM 32837
Findspot (DEChriM ID)28   (al-Bahnasā)
ClassTextual
MaterialPapyrus
Writing mediumSheet/roll
Text contentDocumentary
LanguageGreek
Description

P.Oxy. XVII 2156: Business letter 
Letter sent by Amyntas to his "most beloved brother" Seras, with prayers to the "divine providence of God". The object of the letter is the sending of skin of parchments (in 24 quaternions to the value of 14 talents of silver) and of cloths. The end of the letter is mostly salutations "in peace" but the papyrus breaks off before the end of the valediction.

According to ed. pr. the layout fits the usual structure of 4th c. letters, with indentations on l. 2 and final greetings (with nomen sacrum).

Verso: address.

Selection criteriaMention of Christian individuals/communities, Christian terms/formulas/concepts, Nomina sacra
Date from325
Date to399
Dating criteria

Dated in ed. pr. to late 4th or 5th c.; Fournet 2017: 420 suggests a date in 4th c., whereas, based on monetary amounts mentioned in the letter, Bagnall 2009 already suggested that it was written c. 325-330 (mentioned in Blumell & Wayment 2015: 601).

Absolute/relative dateRelative date
Archaeological context-
Accession number

Oxford, Sackler Library, Papyrology Rooms P. Oxy. 2156 [currently lost]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps

• Hunt, Arthur S. 1927. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri XVII. London, no. 2156.

Additional bibliography

• Blumell, Lincoln H. and Thomas A. Wayment. 2015. Christian Oxyrhynchus: Texts, Documents and Sources. Waco, Texas. Papyrus no. 160.

• Fournet, Jean-Luc. 2017. "CR : Lincoln H. Blumell & Thomas A. Wayment, Christian Oxyrhynchus. Texts, Documents, and Sources. Waco, Baylor University Press 2015". Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete. 63 (2). 415-420.

• Naldini, Mario. 1968. Il Cristianesimo in Egitto. Lettere private nei papiri dei secoli II-IV. Studi e Testi di Papirologia 3. Firenze: Le Monnier, no. 89.

Authors
Valérie Schram, 2021
Suggested citation
Valérie Schram, 2021, "Artefact ID 997", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/997
External links
Gallery