Where did you put those manuscripts?

I just finished reading the following article:
AnneMarie Luijendijk, 'Papyri from the Great Persecution: Roman and Christian Perspectives' in The Journal of Early Christian Studies 16:3 (Fall, 2008): 341–369.

The article contrasts two pieces of documentary evidence with the patristic accounts of Diocletian's persecution. The first papyrus (P.Oxy. XXXIII 2673) speaks of the confiscation of church property and the second (P.Oxy XXXI 2601) preserves evidence of Christians circumventing demands for imperial worship.

Dr Luijendijk (LOY[as in boy]-EN-DIKE[as in bike]) mentions another text which is of particular interest. The Gesta apud Zenophilum contains an excerpt from a text titled the Acta of Munatius Felix which documents the confiscation of the goods of a Numidian (modern Algeria) church in the first decade of the 4th century. Numerous gold, silver and bronze items were turned over in addition to clothing and other goods. When the authorities searched the premises, they found further valuables including a codex. When the homes of church readers were searched, 37 manuscripts turned up.

These naughty Christians had neglected to submit their biblical manuscripts to the authorities.

In the first P.Oxy text, only a few bronze items are relinquished to the authorities. Are the Christians in this Fayumic town also hiding their manuscripts and other goods? Are the authorities looking the other way? This article poses a number of provocative questions concerning how the persecution played out and the ways in which Christians learned to avoid legal punishment. The second P.Oxy text demonstrates how an early Christian escaped offering tribute in a forensic setting. The ancient author's Christian faith is marked by the isopsephy of a final Ϟθ' which apparently is code for "Amen".

Romans 13:3 from 4-5 c.

During this past summer we (Biblical Language Center) had Greek students in a semi-immersion environment where we visited a few interesting sites together. At Caesarea in a seven-room office for administrative records (taxes?) we find two mosaics that repeat a verse from Romans 13:3, presumably to encourage cooperation. They are only one verse, repeated in two of the rooms. They do not add to our text type information, but they should be preserved in NT textual databases.

In the spelling of one of the mosaic inscriptions ΦΟΒΙΣΘΑΙ was thoughfully spelled by the ancient mason/artist so that Erasmians would pronounce the word correctly. (OK, -smile- maybe that wasn't his motive.)

Since the inscription makes use of a NT text we may be reasonably confident that it is post-Constantine and pre-Islam, say 325-600 CE. Archaeologically the area is dated to 300-600CE.


There are several other short inscriptions of general interest around the city and still in situ, one is a house blessing for Sivanus "for the salvation of Sivanus (spelled ΣΗΛΒΑΝΟΥ) and Nonia". (see attached images 3 and 4, with sea in background)

Another is a note of thanks (where 'they give thanks' is ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΝΤΕ, not uploaded), and there is a general prayer for the continued peace for Christians ΔΙΑΜΕΙΝΗ Η ΕΙΡΗΝΗ ΤΩΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΩΝ. (also attached)