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One text, 2 sources · Trismegistos-Text 32666

Letter to Abinnaeus asking for the discharge of a widow's son TM 32666Philadelphia? (Arsinoites)Mitte IV

The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 2 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →

A Christian letter to the cavalry commander Flavius Abinnaeus asking him to release from military service the brother of the writer's wife, the only son of a widow, or failing that to keep him from being sent away on escort duty. It quotes the Gospel saying about a cup of water and was written around the mid-4th century AD, probably at Philadelphia in the Fayum.

In English machine translation

[…] to his beloved […] greeting. […] I pray […] your well-being […] […] […] […] […] a cup of water to one of these little ones shall not lose his reward. Do not let your soul be grieved because you are toiling, but believe in God and you will have rest. I am writing to you about the brother of my wife, Naomi. He is the son of a soldier and he has given his name in order to be enlisted. So if you are able to release him back, you do a good deed, first for the sake of God, second for my sake, because his mother is a widow and has no one else except him. But if he is enlisted again, please look after him so that he does not go out with those who are being selected for the komidaton (escort service?), and God will repay you for your charity and raise you up to greater things. When I left you I brought Sp[…]amios with me. He asked to go to his belongings. He was slow not […] [… 1 line lost …] [margin] having come until […] if you know that he is not willing to come with freedom, as we agreed […] to you that not only him but also if there is anyone, only […] fulfil […] authority, and as I told you, send the hunter. I greet you and all those in your house. May God keep you safe. [back] To my beloved brother Abinnaeus […]

The opening quotes Matthew 10:42 on giving a cup of water to one of the little ones. The meaning of komidaton is uncertain, perhaps a detachment for escort or transport duty.;

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 →

p.abinn.19

Papyri.info — DDbDP (Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri) — text · Mitte IV · Philadelphia? (Arsinoites)

[r,ctr] […]ἀγαπητῷ […]χαίρειν. […]ν εὔχομαι […]σωτηρίας σου […] […]…ς […][…]…ραν […]ποτήριον ὑδατος ἑνὶ τῶν μικρῶν τούτων οὐκ ἀπολεῖ τὸν μισθὸν ἑαυτοῦ. μὴ λυπείσθω δὲ ἡ ψυχή σου ὅτι πονεῖς, πίστευε δὲ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ παύῃ. γράφω σοι δὲ περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τῆς γυναικός μου Ναωμί. υἱός ἐστ…