E02350: Greek declaration, from Oxyrhynchos (Middle Egypt), concerning the theft of a silver plate, mentioning a church of *Thekla (presumably the follower of Paul, S00092), datable to the 6th century.

P.Oxy. 24 2419

This fragmentary document is a declaration concerning the theft of a silver plate. The witness here seems to state that he accompanied someone, possibly the accused party, late in the day to the convent of Ama Juliana. After the accused was admitted, he took hold of a silver plate belonging to the convent, apparently with the help of one of the convent's inmates. The plate was broken up and taken to a silversmith who produced spoons from it.

Lines 2 and 3 read as follows:

καὶ Σερήνου τοῦ εὐλαβε̣σ̣τάτου πρεσβυτέρου τῆς ἁγίας Θέκλας …
[καὶ -ca.?- τοῦ εὐλα]βεστ(άτου) πρεσβυτέρου καὶ οἰκονόμου τῆς αὐτῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας

'… and Serenos the most pious presbyter of Saint Thekla . . . [… the] most pious presbyter and steward of the same holy church ...'


(Summary and text: E. Lobel, C. H. Roberts, E. G. Turner and J. W. B. Barns. Trans.: G. Schenke)

A complete record of the document with images and bibliography can be found at:

http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;24;2419