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 →
A letter to a high-ranking official reporting that a woman who stole the holy treasures of the church of Aspidas has taken refuge with them in the village of Kegethis, whose headman refuses to surrender either the objects or the woman. The writer asks the official to order their return and urges him to come back soon. It dates to the 5th-6th century AD, from Oxyrhynchus.
The 'meizon' (headman) was a village official in Late Antique Egypt. 'Holy treasures' (keimelia) refers to church valuables such as liturgical vessels.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter concerning a Theft). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
[r] παρὰ […]α ἡ κλέψασα τὰ ἅγια κειμήλια τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Ἀσπιδᾶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Κεγῆθιν τὴν κώμην ἔχουσα ταῦτα, καὶ ὁ μείζων τῶν ἐκεῖ οὐκ ἀνέχεται οὐδὲ τὰ ἅγια κειμήλια δοῦναι οὐδὲ τὴν γυναῖκα παραδοῦναι. παρακληθῇ οὖν ἡ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοπρέπεια καὶ ἐμοὶ χαρίσασθαι καὶ ἑαυτὴν καὶ ἐν …
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