Religious
Studies 735 (Spring 2009, Fall 2006)
Papyrology -- PAGE UPDATED FREQUENTLY DURING TERM
Robert A. Kraft
Quicklinks:
- eMail Communications (cumulative, 2006 and 2009); Kraft Papyrology Page (Kraft Realia page)
- Primary Class Project (continued) PPennMuseum
E16542A
-- WIKI page to assist with transcription, also paleography, and preparing the text for proposed article(s) and/or updated APIS entry.
- New class project (2009) -- E 16238 (list of medicines/cosmetics)
- Individual (or Paired) Projects (see the end of this file): Homer, biblical fragments, other possible literary pieces
- Conservation: cartonnage (see also here; also spelled cartonage), separating adhering layers of cartonnage, false joins;
- Paleographical charts from Thompson and Gardthausen
- Abbreviations frequently found in papyri (from Thompson)
- PPenn Literary texts, on identifying literary fragments, and the PPennMuseum Patristic materials
- PPenn Documentary materials, including Ptolemaic texts, letters, wills, contracts, lists, etc.
- The PPenn Latin texts
- Working with Coptic texts
- Working with symbols, pictures, and designs (including cartonnage and mummy masks)
- Texts with unidentified writing (possibly pseudo-writing) and suspected tachography (PPennLibrary 03.04+)
Overview.-- This work-seminar
will introduce participants to the study of ancient papyri (and associated materials), both
documentary and literary, with a focus on Greek and Coptic materials, especially those housed in the University Library (PPennLibrary) and Museum (PPennMuseum) collections (also some exposure to Latin, Demotic, and Arabic). Hitherto
unedited fragments will be available for possible publication, from
the collections here at the University as well as elsewhere. There will
also be an opportunity for hands-on work with small cartonnage
fragments from the PPennKraft collection (conservation, separation, classification and decipherment). Ultimately, papyrology is best learned by doing, and fortunately current technology facilitates such possibilities.
Definitional Note -- "papyrology" has come to deal not only with the use of papyri as a medium for text and art, but also similar uses of other materials found in similar (often archaeological) circumstances, especially leather (parchment, vellum), as noted below under "Topics."
Topics will include:
- History: the study of papyri, in story and
film.
- Inscribed Materials: stone,
bone, wood, leaf, papyrus, leather, paper, pottery, clay, metal, other.
- Associated Products and Implements: stylus (calamus), pen, knife, palette, ink (powders, gum), paint, writing surface, burnisher, etc.
- Languages: Egyptian
(hieroglyphic,
hieratic,
demotic,
coptic),
Semitic (hebrew,
aramaic-syriac, arabic),
Pahlavi,
Greek (Ptolemaic to Byzantine [with transcription]),
Latin, pseudo,
other.
- Availability: collections
and images:
owning,
indexing,
accessing.
- Manufacture & External
Formats: scrollology, codicology, letters,
lists, leaves, tablets, other.
- Types & Internal Formats:
art
and letters -- representational,
literary,
paraliterary,
documentary,
private,
imitation, other.
- Reconstruction:
papyrology as puzzle
working, sleuthing,
and guesswork
- Decipherment: patterns, paleography, abbreviations,
conventions,
codes; mirror-writing and bleed-through.
- Transcription Conventions and Resources: Beta
Code, Unicode, and inbetween.
- Editing & Publication:
scholarly conventions, print publishers, electronic publishing (local and international).
- Recovery, Conservation &
Display: separating,
mounting, storing, showing, preserving.
Group Project
Suggestions:
- Describe and
transcribe the brief Greek text of E16542C
(easy to decipher; what date?);
- Note the use of dieresis/trema, and the possible "indiction" symbol
- Try the same
with the more challenging text of E16542A
(long-range project; take it slowly!); see further below
- Describe and transcribe the Latin text of PPennLib0610.
- Describe the fragment E16450,
and the "ouroboros" of E16448+16305
(check APIS for similar items).
- Try to decipher the names in PPennLib0306.
- Of historical interest? What do you make of POxy35
(E02749) -- how would you date it?
- Transcribe POxy344
(E02764) -- dated to late first century CE by Grenfell and Hunt.
- A challenge -- POxy632
(E02811) is dated to 159 CE. Why? Transcribe?
Some Basic Introductory Works:
- E. G.
Turner, Greek Papyri: An Introduction (2nd ed,; Oxford, 1980
[1968])
with its
companion
volume, Greek Manuscripts of the Ancient World (2nd ed.;
London,
1987); see also his The Papyrologist at Work, GRBS Monograph
6, 1973.
- P.W. Pestman, The New Papyrological Primer (2nd ed;
Leiden, 1994).
- Roger S. Bagnall, Reading
Papyri, Writing Ancient History. London and New York: Routledge,
1995 (see also this review)
- Edward Maunde Thompson, An
Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography. Oxford: Clarendon,
1912 [expansion of the Handbook
(1893), with various reprints -- e.g. Oxbow]
(see this old review)
- Colin H. Roberts, Greek Literary Hands, 350 B.C.-A.D. 400 (2nd ed., Oxford 1956)
- For more recent paleographical work, Guglielmo Cavallo, La Scrittura Greca e Latina dei Papyri: Una Introduzione (Rome: Fabrizio Serra 2008) , with numerous facsimiles
- Traianos Gagos provides an extensive topical
bibliography (to 1996) for papyrological research.
- For Hebrew papyri, see Colette Sirat et al., Les papyrus en caracte\res he/brai+ques trouve/s en Egypte (Comite/ de Pale/ographie He/brai+que. Manuscrits medie/vaux en caracte\res he/brai+ques; Paris: E/ditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 1985) -- reviewed by E.Tov in JQR 76 (1986) 272f
Selected Electronic Resources:
- PPenn http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/ppenn.html
[Penn papyri and related materials]
- APIS http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/projects/digital/apis/index.html
[APIS Project -- see especially "resources" list]
- Papyrological Navigator is still under development, but can be used effectively http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/pn/
- General Information http://www.users.drew.edu/%7Ejmuccigr/papyrology/
[general, but not updated since Oct 2000]
- ABZU http://www.etana.org/abzu/
[search for authors, topics, etc. -- e.g. papyrology on the web]
- Papyrology Course Syllabi (via Columbia
University)
- Malcolm Choate's "Papyri: Methods" course
syllabus http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/AHSTHonoursPapy.htm
- Leuven
Lists of
Archives and Collections -- http://lhpc.arts.kuleuven.ac.be/
- LDAB = Leuven Database of Ancient Books -- http://ldab.arts.kuleuven.be/
- HGV =
Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis der griechischen Papyrusurkunden Ägyptens --
http://aquila.papy.uni-heidelberg.de/gvzFM.html
- AIP
International
Archive http://www.igl.ku.dk/~bulow/aipdescr.html
- Catalog of Paraliterary
Papyri [neither strictly "literary" nor strictly
"documentary"] http://perswww.kuleuven.be/~u0013314/paralit.htm
- TM = Trismegistos [Egyptian materials in whatever language] -- http://www.trismegistos.org/
- Checklist of Greek, Latin, Demotic and Coptic
Papyri, Ostraca
and Tablets http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/papyrus/texts/clist.html
- PAPY discussion list: PAPY at
listserv.hum.ku.dk (by subscription, free)
- TLG for searching Greek literature up to the 7th century CE and beyond (see also the PERSEUS project, which also accesses the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri = DDBDP in two different ways)
- The Schoyen Collection, including several significant papyri, paleographical examples, etc.
- Paul Halsall's online Byzantine Paleography Bibliography (1996) and the Porphyrogenitus Project (Greek Palaeography)
- For Arabic Papyri, see the Arabic Papyrological Database, and the Islamic Awareness site.
Conservation Resources (thanks to Lynn Grant, Museum Conservator)
Paleographical Charts for Greek
From Viktor E. Gardthausen, Griechische Palaeographie (Leipzig: Veit & Comp, 2nd ed 1911-13; 1st ed of 1879 is online)
- Table 1: Uncial Papyri throuigh the 3rd century ce, as available in 1911
- Tables 2-3: Parchment Uncials from 4th throuigh 10th centuries ce
- Table 4a-b: Early Cursives, 3rd bce through 9th ce [also from an unidentified source]
- Tables 5-11 seem to be identical to the online first edition, Minuscules from 9th century ce and later
- Table 12 (apocopated in online first edition): Tachography: see also Salvatore Lilla, Il Testo Tachigrafico del "de Divinis Nominibus" (Vat. Gr. 1809), Studi e Testi 263 (Vatican 1970), charts.
From Edward Maunde Thompson,
An Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1912)
Some relatively larger practice pieces for decipherment and dating --
Miscellaneous Comments on the online Museum
Collection
Images (05se2006)
- Move quickly from group to group by changing the address where it
reads . . . papyri/browse.cfm?StartRow=26 (for items 26-50) -- thus
changing the "StartRow=" number to 351 gets you to the items 351-400
- E02746-03079
are from the Oxyrhynchos, Fayyum, and Hibeh donations
- no images = 2770v 16388
16404A-C 16411A
16411C 16419 16474 16483c 16495a 16638+39 16674-16689
- paper (many) e.g 16637
(cop-arab) 16738
(cop)
- leather (many) e.g.16546D
(arab cod)
- art work? 16503(pic?)
16450(design)
16449(pic)
16448(ouroboros) 16443(Arabic
design) 16402(pics
r&v) 16396(cop
amulet)
- musical instruction = 16403
(grk, vertical flip format; a hymn praising archangel Michael)
- amulets = 16393
16396
- developed codices = 16310(cop)
16394-16395(cop)
16387A(cop title) 16385+16386B(cop
rubrication,pagination)
- lists16345(r&v)
02749
- documentary columns 16344
- imitation writing? 16257
16525-16526-16527
- enlarged writing? 16256
- palimpsest 16526
(over Hebrew, and Hebrew on the other side), 16527
(over Hebrew)
- the Museum also houses a number of mummy tags, ostraka, and magic bowls, most of which are not yet online.
Some Comments drawn from old RAK Notes on the Museum Materials
The PPenn Latin Texts --there are only a few Latin texts in the Penn Papyri collections (for Latin cursive paelography, see Thompson's charts)
- PPennLibrary.latin001 (03.09) on the reverse side (||) of a Greek document (--)
- PPennLibrary.latin002 (06.10) written against the fibers (||) in a nice cursive hand (other side blank)
- 1
- 2 . missit ascr()o et ipse te dixit
- 3 . septem et dimidium quicum
- 4 . . . alia quos a septem
- 5 . . . . . . . . . . nec ferrium
- 6 . . . . . . . . . . . et terminum
- 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nec
- PPennMuseum E16694.latin is the fractured remains of a large vellum page of about 35 lines, written in a book hand on both sides -- I believe that in the 1970s, John W. Shumaker was interested in publishing this piece, but I don't think anything came of that plan. Here are some sample readings (side one, by approximate line number; I have a fuller rough transcription if anyone wants to follow it up):
- 14 iaciuit[
- 16 uideat' nso[
- 17 inuolent[
- 26 p [overlined, mid dot] punius
- 27 ]pouacc [cc overlined] uno[
- 28 . . . antonin[
- 29 ss [overlined] c
- Mystery text of which I saved an image (from the Museum collection?)
Working with Coptic texts (see the Hubler & Wright list and transcriptions)
- see Crum's Coptic Dictionary online
- alphabet -- with six (seven) extra characters (see Crum, ad loc.)
- history and general introduction
- Coptic Grammars (see also the list in the Wikipedia article)::
- Thomas Oden Lambdin, Introduction to Sahidic Coptic (Macon GA: Mercer U.P. 1983)
- Bentley Layton, A Coptic Grammar (Sahidic Dialect): With a Chrestomathy and Glossary. (Porta Linguarum Orientalium; N.S. 20; Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2000)
- J. Martin Plumley, An Introductory Coptic Grammar (Sahidic Dialect) (London: Home & van Thal 1948)
- uses of cross mark to start entries, including chi-rho (16301, 16361, 16602, 16604, 16607, other) ,
- AUW [= "and" Crum 19f],
- ANOK [= "I am" Crum 11] (16279, 16305R, 16314, other),
- jOEIS [= "Lord" Crum 787] (16348 [line 2], 16607, 16618, 16627 [see other side for IS P XS abbreviated; abbreviated jS can also appear]);
- unidentified text with many Greek words (16629) -- the TI identifies feminine nouns, the KAI is unusual
- 02 KAI GAR TIhELPIZE
- 04 hOLWS
- 07 TIPARAKALEI OUN
- 09 ].IS TIARXREIAN KAI PRW[
- 10 TIPROSKUNEI AUW TIASPA[
Texts with Unidentified Writing
E16257
E16411A (back is blank)
E16411B (does anything else seem unusual about this piece? back is blank)
E16411C (right/left margins seem peculiar; back is blank)
E16525 vellum, nothing visible on back
E16526 vellum, reused Hebrew manuscript
E16527 vellum, reused Hebrew manuscript
E16540 (several)
E16757
Possible Projects:
Transcribing and describing literary
(and paraliterary) papyri:
PPenn Homer
Fragments -- paleographical details, textual variations, diacritics,
etc.
- E02772 (PFay 310) on -- side Od 11.557-573, 588-610 (roll, 1/2 ce); reused on || a few letters in 2nd c cursive
- E02815
(POxy 762) on || side, Il 7.1-30, 32-35 (reused 3 ce); untranscribed list of names on -- (roll, 2/3 ce)
- E02816
(POxy 782) Od 17.137-48, 182-93 [reconstruct page?] (codex, 3 ce)
- E02817
(POxy 776) on -- side, Od 4.520-29 (roll, 1/2 ce); blank ||
- E02818 (POxy 778) on -- side, Od 10.26-50 (roll, 2/3 ce) [on display, 3rd floor];
letter on || (reused, 3 ce)
- E02819
(POxy 781) Od 16.243-56, 288-301 (codex, 3 ce) [reconstruct page?]
- E02821
(POxy 775) on -- side, Od 4.388-400 (roll, 3 ce); blank ||
- E03076
(POxy 948) 2 frgs, on -- side, Il 10.233-243, 250-255 (roll, 3 ce) [reconstruct
page?]
- E16586 codex, Il 12.128ff, 156-163 [RAK identification 23je1994; reconstruct page?]
- E16697.32 on reused || side, Il 11.425-437 [RAK identification 24je1994], traces of something else on --
- PPennLib001 on reused || side, Od
4.803-817; traces of different hand on --
PPenn Other Identified Literary Fragments
- E02747 (POxy 16) Thucydides 4.36-41[also E02814 (POxy 696)] (roll --, 1 ce) ; other side blank? ||
- E02748 (POxy 29) Euclid 2.5, with diagram (roll --, 3/4 ce)
- E02757 (POxy 233) Demosthenes, Contra Timocratem 145-150 (roll --, 3 ce or earlier)
- E02814 (POxy 696) Thucydides [see above, E02747]
- E02820 (POxy 704) Isocrates, Contra Sophistas Oration 13.16-18 (roll --, 3 ce); other side blank ||
- E03068 (PHib 13) Hippias? On Music (from cartonnage, on -- side, 3 bce); other side || (cartonnage design) documents?
- E03075 (POxy 877) Euripides , Hecuba 1252-1280, written against the fibers || (roll ?, 3 ce); other side is blank --
PPenn Other Possibly Literary Unidentified Fragments (judging from the handwriting)
PPenn Biblical
and Related: Greek
PPenn Biblical and Related: Coptic
- E16261(+E16528) Coptic-Sahidic paper codex, Psalms 1-49
- E16262 Coptic vellum codex, Homily on Lazarus
- E16287.7 Coptic parchment codex, Psalm 17[18].26-29, 42-45
- E16287.2 Coptic parchment codex, Psalm 28.2-4
- E16287K Coptic parchment Ps 135.15 ? [BGW]
- E16287 Coptic parchment hEBRAIOS subscription?
- E16288E Coptic papyrus codex, 2 Corinthians 6.11-12, 7.12
- E16290 Coptic paper sheet (one side only), Prayer?
- E16291 Coptic papyrus, mentions Jesus, Baptist
- E16292 Coptic papyrus codex, Gospel of John fragments
- E16306 possible Coptic parchment Pss fragments [BGW]
- E16306.13 Coptic parchment Hebrews 11.34-12.5 ["snowflake cut"]
- E16306.19 Coptic parchment 2 Timothy 4.21-Titus 1.1
- E16306.? [==? 16287] Coptic parchment 1 Timothy 1.12-2.4
- E16306.? Coptic parchment Matthew 11.11
- E16310 Coptic vellum codex, Shenoute Homily ?
- E16355 Coptic papyrus, Prayer ?
- E16385 Coptic Lectionary (paper), citing Ps 44.9f
- E16386 Coptic codex, page numbers, mentions Isaiah (paper)
- E16387 Coptic codex, header (paper)
- E16388 Coptic paper sheet (one side), Hymn praising St. Stephen
- E16394 Coptic codex (vellum)
- E16395 Coptic codex (vellum, much shrinking in one column)
- E16399 Coptic papyrus codex, Saint's Life ?
- E16404 Coptic papyrus codex (large letters)
- E16598 Coptic papyrus page (vertical flip), Psalm 79.1 ?
- E16636 Coptic paper codex, Psalms ?
- E16690 Coptic-Sahidic vellum codex, Acts 27.4-13
- E16691 Coptic title with SOLOMWN
PPenn Biblical and Related: Arabic [plus many Quranic fragments]
- Arabic fragment of Romans
Article(s): "A Hitherto Unnoticed Document from the 18th year of Ptolemy III Euergetes (PPennMuseum E16542A) "
1. The Dating Formula of our E16542A Ptolemy III Euergetes (247/6-221 bce) papyrus: see Bevan on the Ptolemies and their dating formulas (especially chapter 6, on Ptolemy III, and 4.7, on religious formulae)
- compile list of all similar formulas in Greek papyri, with format and subject matter noted [begun by RAK]
- compile list of dates in such documents, with attention to the year numbers [especially "year 18" (230/229)]
- get information about the named priest KOKKALOS son of EUELQWN, and priesthood of Alexander's cult (see W. Clarysse and G. van der Veken, The Eponymous Priests of Ptolemaic Egypt (P.L.Bat.24): Chronological Lists of the Priests of Alexandria and Ptolemais with a Study of the Demotic Transcriptions of their Names (Brill 1983)
- get similar information for the "basket bearer" at that time, and the associated cult [Christine]
- compile list of months and days from this corpus [begun by RAK]
- compile list of location identifications from this corpus [Jessica, with Amanda]
- compile list of opening lines for the document's contents following the dating formula
2. Transcription and Additional Notes
Working with Lists -- The PPenn collections preserve various items that appear to be lists of one sort or another. Often they contain references to various amounts (using standard symbols and numbers) on the right side. Here is a deciphered sample (=PTurner 47.1) and some obvious examples from our collections:
- E02749 (POxy 35) list of emperors with length of reign (ca 223 ce)
- E02815 (POxy 762 Homer) -- list of names? (irregular right margin; 2/3 ce)
- E03068 (PHib 13 Hippias) || cartonnage side (Ptolemaic documents, in columns)
- E03077 (PHib 978; 3rd ce; see below) "articles of furniture" [--]; back is blank
- E16238 list of medicines? (discussed and edited separately here)
- E16239 [Coptic; list-like format with irregular right margin]
- E16299 names and places? (discussed below)
- E16305C (column of numbers on the right, very fragmentary on the left)
- E16345 (both sides; [--] column with abbreviations to the right, very fragmentary on the left; [||] upside down in relation to [--])
- E16366 [Coptic, list-like format caused by damage to vertical fibers?]
- E16471 (format and abbreviations, repetitions)
- E16477 [Greek, with Arabic on the other side]
- E16566 (general impression, perhaps misleadingly)
- E16747 [faint writing, both sides]
- E16760 [names and amounts, with check marks; see below]
- PPennLibrary 0311 (names of soldiers -- Oualerios/Valerius abbreviated, as in PMich 593; for discussion, see the inventory)
- Other comparanda: PMich 4022r, PMich 578, PWisc2.47, PMich 1539, PYale 154 (check marks),
Another List: with Personal and Place Names? (E 16299)
Written with the fibers, parts of two columns; mentions names of towns and people; "Roman Period."
The other side is badly damaged, with some traces of letters in a single column.
column 2 (--)
01 E . . IKIOTopolis?[
02 AMWNELATOS[
03 OLYMPIADO.[
04 FOIBAMMWN .[ = personal name, widely attested
05 KWMHS OLO.[
06 . . NIANOS .[
07 KWMHS TH. [
08 F . .BAMMW[
09 . . OAD .[
10 . . OIFELO . [
11 . . . . IRIS[
12 KWMHS[
13 PEIROS .[ (or PATROS or TRA...)
14 KWMH. . [
15 . . . . .HS F[
16 . . . . . .]ANO.[
17 ]. .[
Another List: Names and amounts? (E16760)
Written in three or more hands (at bottom), with check marks to the left
01 ISOX.S XRUSIOU
02 MENAS ....IDOU ^ AR6 OM TO AUTOU ...
03 SELPOU PARAPIWNOS ^A
04 ARIWN DIOSKOROY ^AR96
05 . . ARIWN ^D-
06 WQAS ^A
07 SEL . OUS ^?X
08 ]PIOS ^?
09
10
11
12
13
14
List of Furnishings (E03077 = PHib 978)
01 KERLARIA ? KELLARION = cupboard
02 DIFROS B seat/stool (2)
03 LIBANOQHKH incense-box
04 OSUPTRON ? EISOPTRON = mirror
05 TUL[H mattress/cushion
06 K[
RELS735-401-09A Spring 2009 Classlist [7 for credit]
|
E16238
choose 2
|
E16542A
choose 2 lines |
literary
at least one |
cartonnage
as available |
project(s)--
at least one |
Bauer, Natalia [AncH] |
κασια
μαστιχη |
9-11 ish |
|
|
marriage contracts ?
place names |
Beckelhymer, Samuel [ClSt] |
κοῦκι
SOUBORBHR |
12-14 |
|
|
|
Funderburk, Kevin [AncH] |
coordinate
results |
15-17a |
[16310 ?] |
|
women's wills |
Inman, Vernon Kerry [NELC] |
MASSOUB… |
5-6 |
|
|
Quranic texts |
Jones, Arthur T [AncH] |
στυραξ
αμωμον |
20-23 |
|
|
E16305A |
Truesdale, Benjamin [AncH] |
ἀσπάλαθος
σαλκᾶ |
24-26 |
|
|
Chrysostom et al. fragments |
Wanta, Tammie [RelS] |
θυμιαματα
αὐλός |
17b-19 |
|
|
ouroboros
(decorations) |
Walker, Jean [Museum audit] |
|
|
|
|
access to items;
photography |
Peterson, Sigrid [PhD audit] |
|
|
|
|
|
Henry, Jonathan [audit] |
|
|
|
|
|
Nicolai, Amy |
|
7-8 |
|
|
|
RELS735-401-06C
Fall 2006 Classlist [10 for credit]
- Seth
BERNARD
-- WIKI 21; 052.6; transcription of E02777
- Allison FANDL [mail]
- Doug FINKBEINER [aud] ;
- Christina C.
GIESKE -- WIKI
22; 052.5; letter from Sabinus to his father (E02778)
- Dan HARRIS [aud] ;
- Caroline KELLY [aud] ; 052.7 ; transcribe E02765
- Marian
MAKINS
-- WIKI 23; 057.6 + 066.4; PAmh 196 ; PPenn ourobouros (E 16305+)
- Andrew MIHAILOFF --
WIKI 28; 052.1; and Jessica Sisk, women's wills
(E02795-E02796)
- Matthew V. NOVENSON -- WIKI 26; 052.8; Gospel of Matthew
fragment (E2746 = POxy002)
- Amanda REITERMAN -- WIKI 25; 048.3 [received, in process]; transcribe/check E02764
- Jessica
SISK
-- WIKI 29; 066.8; and Andrew Mihailoff, women's wills
(E02795-E02796)
- Emlen
SMITH
-- WIKI 20; 048.2;
- Christian TEUCHTLER -- WIKI
27; 057.9; Thucydides (E02747 + E02814)
- Alison
TRAWEEK
-- WIKI 24; 052.4; pictures and designs in the Penn papyri , Homer
- Virginia L. WAYLAND [aud] -- ; 030.2
//end -- created 07au2006; latest update 03mr2009//