OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

P. Mich. Inv. 534 (PGM LVII)

Size:

9.2 cm x 14.3

Lines:

29: 24 (R), 5 (V)

Publication side:

Recto, Verso

Palaeographic description:

One hand. Cryptography. Cipher using distorted forms of the Greek letters. Thin pen.

State of preservation:

Medium brown colour. Thin papyrus, almost transparent at places, with holes and vertical breaks at regular intervals. Torn all around. Vertical kollesis (left over right) 2.2 cm. from the right edge. Overlapping of approximately 0.5 cm. but hardly visible on the back. 2 columns of text. Col. ii joins with ll. 9-11 of P. Mich. inv. 534 (PGM LVII). Intercolumnium 2-2.5 cm. Black ink, faded at places. Lines on the back are very much damaged.

Content

Date:

First half of the IInd century CE

Origin:

Unknown place, Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Paraliterary

Author:

Unknown

Title / Type of text:

Procedure involving the Great Bear / Magical

Content:

Magical ritual involving invocation of the Great Bear, writing the magical name on a piece of papyrus. Formula of invocation. Burning of savin juniper.

Subjects:

Cryptography Magical formulary Prayer to Great Bear Formula Savin juniper Constellation Ritual

Named people:

–

Named places:

–

English translation:

[Rite concerning the Bear: Prepare] an earthen [censer, and] during the 6th hour of the night [offer to the Bear] moss of a savin [in it. Do it before] three days / [after you called on] the Bear nine times after going up to a roof top. Write [on a piece of papyrus] with a mixture of ink and myrrh [concerning everything] which you want, [add] the name, "NEB/[OUTOSOUALETH"] and [show] both the strip of papyrus [and] what is written on [it to the goddess...] within [one hour. Speak with your hands] folded / on your head, [praying in a loud voice to the Bear: "Hail,] O queen of mortals [and of gods. Hail,] heavenly ruler, [queen] of men. Depart ... / I beseech you. ..." (W. C. Grese´s translation in Betz 1996, p. 298)

Provenance:

Cairo, Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased by Samson Eitrem

Acquisition year:

1920

Editions

• Eitrem, S., Mélanges Maspero, 2: Orient grec, romain et byzantine, 1935-1937, pp. 113-117
• Merkelbach, R. and Totti, M., Abrasax: Ausgewählte Papyri Religiösen und Magischen Inhalts, vol. 17/2, 1991, pp. 88-89
• Eitrem, S. and Amundsen, L., P.Oslo III, 1936, pp. 38-40 (no. 75)

Further Literature

Catalogues

TM 63589 / LDAB 4798 / KYP M788

Translations

• Betz, H. D. (Ed.). (1996). The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation Including the Demotic Spells, vol. I (p. 298, no. PGM LXXII). Chicago. (English)
• Preisendanz, K. (Ed). (1974). Papyri Graecae Magicae: Die Griechischen Zauberpapyri, vol. II (p. 204, no. PGM LXXII). Leipzig-Berlin. (German)
• Preisendanz, K. (Ed). (1941). Papyri Graecae Magicae: Die Griechischen Zauberpapyri, vol. III (p. 15, no. PGM LXXII). Leipzig-Berlin. (German)
• Calvo Martínez, J. L. and Sánchez Romero, M. D. (1987). Textos de Magia en Papiros Griegos (p. 388). Madrid. (Spanish)

Discussions

• Bajnok, D. and Pataricza, D. (2003). Comments upon Two Fragments of a Cryptographic Papyrus. Acta Antiqua, 43(3), pp. 345-354.
• Merkelbach, R. and Totti, M. (Eds.). (1991). “Kap. VII: Gebet an Selene-Isis (LXXII+LVII)” (pp. 83-96). In Abrasax: Ausgewählte Papyri Religiösen und Magischen Inhalts, vol. 17/2. Opladen.