An ostracon, found near the Byzantine church, to the east of the agora.<br><br>Inscription:<br><br>[- - -] ἅγυ ἀπόστολυ τοῦ Χ[ριστοῦ - - -]<br>[- - -] ΜΗΥΟΡΓΟΥ ἡ καλο[υμένη - - -]<br><br>1. ἅγυ (= ἅγ<ι>οι) ἀποστόλυ τοῦ Χ[ριστοῦ Ritti, ἁγυ ἀπόστολυ τ(οῦ) Huttner || ἅγι ὑ ἀπόστολυ τοῦ Arthur || 2. ΜΗΥΟΡΓΟΥ ἡ καλο[υμένη Huttner, μη υοριου (?) ἡ χαλου[μένη Arthur<br><br>'[- - -] the holy Apostles of Christ [- - -] also called [- - -]'<br><br>Text: Arthur 2006, 121, modified.
Evidence ID
E01153Saint Name
Apostles (unspecified) : S00084
Philip the Deacon and Evangelist : S00604
Philip the Apostle, ob. 1st c. : S00109Saint Name in Source
ἀπόστολυType of Evidence
Inscriptions - Inscribed objects
Images and objects - Other portable objects (metalwork, ivory, etc.)Evidence not before
400Evidence not after
1300Activity not before
400Activity not after
1300Place of Evidence - Region
Asia MinorPlace of Evidence - City, village, etc
HierapolisPlace of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Hierapolis
Nicomedia
Νικομήδεια
Nikomēdeia
Izmit
Πραίνετος
Prainetos
NicomediaCult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Prayer/supplication/invocationDiscussion
Paul Arthur, the first editor of the inscription, supposed that it mentioned a single, unnamed Apostle, whom he identified as Philip, since Hierapolis was a major place of his cult. However, Ulrich Huttner rightly points out that the word 'Apostle' in line 1 is in the plural form. Therefore, the inscription refers to a group of unspecified Apostles. The purpose of this fragmentary text is unclear.
We hypothetically suggest that, providing that Huttner's reading is correct, line 2 may contain a quotation of Acts 8:10: οὗτός ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ καλουμένη Μεγάλη/'This man is the power of God called Great', here modified as οὗτός ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ δη]μ<ιου>ργοῦ ἡ καλο[υμένη Μεγάλη/'This man is the power of the Creator called Great', instead of the regular form. A possible connection between our ostracon and the passage from Acts 8 is probable, as this chapter describes the encounter of Philip (probably the Deacon and Evangelist) with Simon the Magician. Another possibility, kindly suggested to us by Francesco Guizzi in a letter, is that line 2 contains a personal name.Bibliography
Edition:
Ritti, T., Storia e istituzioni di Hierapolis. Hierapolis di Frigia IX (Istanbul: Ege Yayınları, 2017), 228 (line 1).
Arthur, P., Byzantine and Turkish Hierapolis (Pamukkale): an archaeological guide (Istanbul: Ege Yayınları, 2006), 121.
Inscriptiones Christianae Graecae database, no. 934: http://www.epigraph.topoi.org/ica/icamainapp/inscription/show/934
