E03818: Fragmentary document recording some form of agreement, perhaps mentioning a shrine of *Ioulianos (if so, probably the martyr of Cilicia, S00305), perhaps one of *Dios (possibly the martyr of Caesarea in Cappadocia, S01043), and possibly a monastery named after a saint whose name is lost. Written on papyrus. Found in Petra (Roman province of Palaestina III). Probably after 544.

Under no. 12, the editors of the Petra Papyri publish 30 very small fragments of multi-layer assemblies from a papyrus roll, c. 1.23 m long. The document was written transversa charta (across the fibres), and records an agreement, possibly an exchange, confirmed by a notary and probably involving Theodoros, son of Obodianos, deacon of the Church of Petra. As toponyms are mentioned, the editors suppose that the agreement referred to a transfer of landed property. A total number of eleven different hands are tentatively identified. The document probably postdates AD 544 when (or soon after) Theodoros was ordained deacon.

From among the fragments our attention was drawn by the following three:

Fragment 27, line 2 (hand 2): [- - -]α ἁγιωτ(άτης) ἐκλησίας δίου (?)

The editors are puzzled by the last word, δίου, which, they say, 'is probably an epithet ('divine') of a saint or a martyr to whom the church was dedicated, but the word is perhaps too literary.' They allow other possible explanations, but cannot offer any specific conclusions. In fact, the epithet 'divine' was normally expressed in Greek as θεῖος. If the reading is correct, δίου could be the genitive of the month Dios, or of the name Dios, and therefore perhaps refers to the martyr Dios of Caesarea in Cappadocia, mentioned in the Syriac Martyrology (E01513, E01514), in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum ($XXXXX), and in an inscription (E01025), or to another homonymous person (for Apa Dios, venerated in Egypt, see E02471, E02472).

Fragment 41, line 1 (hand 3): [- - -]γίου Ἰουλιαν[οῦ

The editors note that one could readily restore here the name of a patron saint of a church or monastery: ἁ]γίου Ἰουλιαν[οῦ/'of Saint Ioulianos'. They note, however, that there is no evidence for the cult of any Ioulianos in Petra and its territory. Therefore, they suggest a different possibility, that we have here the name of an ordinary man, e.g. Sergios or Georgios, followed by the patronym: Σερ]γίου Ἰουλιαν[οῦ or Γεωρ]γίου Ἰουλιαν[οῦ. The passage is indeed very obscure, and we cannot judge whether the martyr Ioulianos is really mentioned here. Ioulianos, martyr of Anazarbos in Cilicia was venerated in Palestine: in Jerusalem (E03164; $E03184; possibly E02709), and in Syria: in Antioch on the Orontes (E02105; E02544), and near Apamea or Emesa (E01628).

Fragment 58, line 1 (hand 8): [- - -]υμενος ἁγι[- - -]

The editors rightly note that the first word can be plausibly restored as ἡγο]ύμενος/'abbot'. The second word is certainly a form of ἅγιος/'saint', it could refer to the holy eponym of our abbot's monastery, or be a mere epithet of that monastery or church (e.g. ἁγιωτ(άτης) μονῆς or ἐκκλησίας, ἁγίου τόπου, etc.). In both cases, however, one would expect the definite article between the two words, here apparently lacking.

Text: P.Petra I 12.