P.Lond. 6.1926

Trismegistos: 32659

Transcription and notes from HGV: http://aquila.zaw.uni-heidelberg.de/hgv/32659. For discussion on the letter, see Mathieson, Erica Ann. “The Perspectives of the Greek Papyri of Egypt on the Religious Beliefs, Practices and Experiences of Christian and Jewish Women from 100 CE to 400 CE.” Macquarie University, 2006, pp. 48–50. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/290184. For translation in lines 9–15, see G. H. R. and Lee Horsley John A. L., “A Lexicon of the New Testament with Documentary Parallels: Some Interim Entries, 1,” Filología Neotestamentaria (Mayo–Noviembre 1997) X, no. 19–20 (1997): 76.

Fragment 1

recto

  1. τῷ τιμιοτάτῳ καὶ χρηστοφόρῳ*
  2. καὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς κεκοσμημένῳ Ἄππα Πα-*
  3. φνουθις.
  4. Οὐαλερία ἐν Χριστῷ χέρειν.*
  5. ἀξιῶ καὶ πα̣ρ̣α̣καλῶ σε, τιμιώτατε πα-*
  6. τηρ, εἵνα̣ ..ι̣.σφηκιν ἐτήσῃς μοι*
  7. παρὰ τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ εἴασιν λάβω·*
  8. οὕτως π[ι]στεύω διὰ τῶν σῶν εὐχῶν
  9. εἴασιν λαμβάνω, τῶν γὰρ ἀσκουν-*
  10. των καὶ θρησκευόντων ἀποκαλύν-*
  11. ματα δικνεοντε. μεγαλω γὰρ*
  12. νόσῳ περίκιμε δυσπνήας δινῆς.*
  13. οὕτως γὰρ πεπίστευκα καὶ πιστεύω
  14. ὅτι ἐὰν εὔξῃ ἐπάνω μου εἴασιν*
  15. λαμβάνω. δέομε τῷ θεῷ δέομε*
  16. κὲ σοι μνήσθητί μου ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σου*
  17. προσευχῇ. ε̣ι̣ κὲ ἐν σ̣ώματι̣ οὐκ ἷκα*
  18. παρὰ τοὺς πόδας σ[ο]υ ἐν πνεύματι
  19. εἷκα πρ̣ὸς τοὺς πό[δ]α̣ς σου. προσα-*
  20. γ̣[ορε]ύ̣ω̣ τ̣α̣[ς θυγατ]έ̣ρ̣α[ς] μ̣ου, καὶ
  21. μνήσθητι αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σου
  22. προσευχῇ, Βασσιανῆς καὶ Θεοκλίας.
  23. ἀσπά[ζ]ετε σε πολλὰ καὶ ὁ σύνβι-*
  24. ός μο̣[υ], καὶ εὔχ[ου] ἐπάνω αὐτῶ.*
  25. ἀσπ[άζ]ετέ σε δὲ καὶ ὅλος ὁ οἶκός*
  26. μου. ἐρῶσθέ σε εὔχομε,*
  27. [τ]ιμιώτατε̣ πάτηρ.*
  1. To the precious and Christ-bearer*
  2. and in all excellence adorned Apa Pa-*
  3. phnouthis.
  4. From Valeria in Christ Greetings.*
  5. I entreat and ex̣ḥọrt you, most honored fa-*
  6. ther, so thạṭ .......... you may ask me*
  7. with the Christ and healing I will recieve;*
  8. so I [b]elieve through your prayers
  9. healing I receive, from for ascet-*
  10. ics and those who live a life of piety revela-*
  11. tions are manifested. severe For*
  12. illness I am afflicted with shortness of breath terrible.*
  13. thus For I am convinced and I believe
  14. that if you pray over me healing*
  15. I will receive. I pray to God, I pray*
  16. and you remember me in the holy of you*
  17. prayer. Ịf̣ even in ḅodỵ not I have come*
  18. near the feet of y[o]u, in spirit
  19. I have come to the fe[e]t of you. I des-*
  20. ị[gna]ṭẹ ṭḥ[e dau]g̣ḥṭe[rs] ọf̣ me, and
  21. remember them in the holy of you
  22. prayer, Bassianes and Theoklias.
  23. Gr[e]ets you much and the hus-*
  24. band of m[e], and pra[y] over him.*
  25. Gr[ee]ts you Now and whole the house*
  26. of me. Good health to you, I pray,*
  27. [m]ost honorẹḍ father.*

To the precious and Christ-bearing and adorned in all excellence Apa Paphnouthis.

From Valera. Greetings in Christ.

I entreat and exhort you, most honored father, so that … you may ask of me with Christ and I will receive healing; so I believe through your prayers I will receive healing, for from ascetics and those who live a life of piety revelations are manifested. For I am afflicted with severe illness and with terrible shortness of breath. For thus I am convinced and I believe that if you pray over me I will recieve healing. I pray to God, I pray even you will remember me in your holy prayer. If even in body I have not come near your feet, in spirit I have come to your feet. I designate my daughters Bassianes and Theoklias, remember them in your holy prayer.

Greets you much and my husband, and pray over him.

Now greets you and my whole house.

Good health to you, I pray, most honored father.

verso

  1. τῷ τιμιοτάτῳ πατρὶ Ἄππα Παφνουτ[ίῳ] πα̣ρὰ̣ θ̣υ̣γ̣α̣τ̣ρὸς Οὐαλερίας*
  1. To the most honored father Apa Paphnouth[is] fṛoṃ̣̀ ḍạụg̣ḥṭer Valeria*

To the most honored father Apa Paphnouthis from (your) daughter Valeria

Notes