An Unidentified Theological Fragment from the Fifth Century in a Private Collection in Cambridge (De Hamel Ms 373)

Abstract

[No original abstract; first and final paragraphs follow] This small fragment of a Christian text was purchased early in 2003 along with other small portions of Greek manuscripts on parchment which all turned out to be manuscripts of the Greek Bible. Like the other texts, it appears to have been cut and re-used in the binding or repair of other manuscripts. This small square piece of text measures slightly less than 4 by 3 centimetres, and has only four clear lines of text (with some traces of a line above the first readable one), without any extant margin or edge. Most of the text is easily readable (at least on one side). The vocabulary and the use of a nomen sacrum for κύριος suggest Christian content, possibly involving a discussion of church order, or a list of offices or church personnel. Repeated and varied searches on the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae: A Digital Library of Greek Literature, where searches on different word or letter combinations in association can be attempted on virtually all ancient Greek literature, have failed to turn up any match.