One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 220174

Letter from Papnoute to an elder asking for prayers and two pieces of cloth TM 220174Theben

The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 2 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →

Coptic ostracon letter from a man named Papnoute to a monk or elder he calls his beloved father, asking for his prayers. He complains that a man has not handed over something he was told had been taken, and asks the father to look for two pieces of cloth for him, citing a proverb about charity. It comes from the Theban region.

In English machine translation

The most humble […] Papnoute, who writes and greets his beloved father, the elder, and […]. Do the kindness and pray for me. Otherwise (?), I have now become greatly distressed (?) about the place of the […] which you told me, saying, "I have taken it." I said to the man who has it, and he did not give it. Do the charity and look for two pieces of cloth (?) for me, as there is an instruction, otherwise I would have taken them to the city (?) […]. For indeed it is written: "He who has mercy on a poor man lends to God." † Farewell in the Lord, my beloved father, who is worthy of all honour.

The quotation paraphrases Proverbs 19:17 ("He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord"). Several words are damaged, so parts of the middle section are uncertain.

Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below. It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.

DDbDP-text Full record →

o.frange.636

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Theben

ⲡⲓἐλάχιστος … ⲡⲁⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉϥⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲉϥϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲉⲣⲓⲧ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ϩⲗⲗⲟ ⲙⲛ̅ … ⲁⲣⲓ ⲡⲛⲁ ⲛⲅϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉϫⲱⲓ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲛ ⲁⲓϫⲓ ⲧⲟⲛⲟ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲙⲁ ⲙⲡϫⲁⲓ… ⲛⲧⲁⲕϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲁⲓϫⲓⲧϥ ⲁⲓϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲉ ϥϩⲁⲧⲏϥ ⲙ̅ⲡϥⲛⲁⲓϥ ⲁⲣⲓ ⲧⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛⲅ̅ϣⲓⲛⲉ ⲛ̅ⲥⲁ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲥⲟⲉⲓϣ ⲛ̅ϩⲃⲟⲥ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲧ ἐντολή ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲓϫⲓⲧⲟⲩ ⲉⲃⲁⲕⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲁⲓ…ⲟⲛⲉ καί γάρ ⲉϥⲥ…

HGV-meta Full record →

(untitled)

Papyri.info — HGV (Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis) — metadata · Fouilles belges dans la nécropole thébaine, inv. 291823 · Theben