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A 7th-century letter from the Arsinoite nome addressed to Elias, a notary. The writer explains that a brother has come for him because the brothers want to travel to the Holy Cross, and arranges to meet Elias at Berenikis the next morning, asking him to set out before dawn with an escort.
"The Holy Cross" is understood as a pilgrimage destination, probably the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, though it could be a local church. A symmachos was a courier or armed escort, and "pempte" may mean Thursday (the fifth day) rather than a date.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter Referring to a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem). 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] ἐπειδὴ μεθʼ οὗ ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς μεγαλοπρεπείας ηὗρόν τινα ἀδελφόν μου ἐλθόντα διʼ ἐμὲ χάριν τῶν ἀδελφῶν θελόντων ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τοῦ Τιμίου Σταυροῦ. ἐλθῶ εἰς Ζίννει καὶ εἰδῶ […] τοῦ θεοῦ γὰρ θέλοντος ὥρᾳ τετάρτῃ αὔριον, εἴ τί ἐστιν πέμπτῃ εὑρίσκεις με εἰς Βερενικίδος, ἐὰν κελ…
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