P.Vindob. G. 22729

Trismegistos: 64921

Transcription based on: Treu, Kurt, and Johannes Diethart, eds. “60. Loblied auf einen Märtyer.” Page 107 in Griechische literarische Papyri christlichen Inhaltes II. Vol. 1 of MPER N.S. 17. Vienna: Hollinek, 1993. Classifying as a hymn as this is a song to a martyr.

Fragment 1

recto

χμγ*
[...τ]ω θ(ε)ω ψαλλαται τ[ω...]*
[...α]νατολης ως [...]*
[...] περασι της γης μ[...]
[...μα]ρτυρος —————

God helper*
[...t]o G(o)d sing t[o...]*
[...e]ast/rising/dawn as [...]*
[...] boundaries of the earth .[...]
[...ma]rtyr —————

Too fragmentary to produce a running translation.

verso

+ εἷς θεως*

+ one God*

+ one God

Notes

Fragment 1 recto, line 1: The letters χμγ either indicate Χ(ριστὸν) Μ(αρία) Γ(εννᾷ) “Mary gives birth to Christ” or they are isopsephy, a numeric value representing a phrase. In this case, isopsephy is the more likely answer, with χμγ = Χ (= 600) Μ (= 40) Γ (= 3) == 643, which represents θεὸς βοηθός (9+5+70+200+2+70+8+9+70+200 = 643; meaning “God helper”). See William Tabbernee, “Epigraphy: Clandestine and Crypto-Christian,” ed. Paul Corby Finney, The Eerdmans Encyclopedia of Early Christian Art and Archaeology (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2017), 479.
Fragment 1 recto, line 2: For ψαλλαται read ψαλατε.
Fragment 1 recto, line 3: Perhaps [...απο α]νατολης? Cf. Rev 7:2; 16:12; 21:13
Fragment 1 verso, line 1: For θεως read θεος.