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A short Coptic letter on an ostracon from a sick man to a revered monastic 'father', asking for a few lampsane greens that he has been craving and asking for his prayers. It comes from western Thebes, probably the Monastery of Epiphanius area, in the first half of the 7th century AD.
Lampsane (Greek lampsanē) is a wild plant, perhaps charlock or a similar edible herb; the exact identification is uncertain. The sender's name in the final line is illegible, followed by the humble epithet 'the least'.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter). 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] ϯπροσκυνεῖν ⲁⲩⲱ ϯἀσπάζεσθαι ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲙⲛⲧⲙⲁⲓⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲓⲏⲩ κατά ⲥⲙⲟⲧ ⲛⲓⲙ ϯπαρακαλεῖν ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲙⲛⲧⲉⲓⲱⲧ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲕⲛⲁⲣ ⲡⲛⲁ ⲛⲙⲁⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩⲓ ϣⲏⲙ ⲛλαμψάνη ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲁⲓἐπιθυμεῖν [v] ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲉⲓϣⲱⲛⲉ ϯⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ γάρ ϫⲉ ⲡⲉⲕⲛⲁ ⲧⲁϩⲟ ⲛⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲛϩⲟⲩⲟ ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϣⲗⲏⲗ ⲉϫⲱⲛ † ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲣⲓⲧ ⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲡⲉ…ἐλάχιστ…
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