A Bilingual Papyrus Of A Protocol - Egyptian National Library Inv. No. 61, 86-96 AH / 705-715 CE

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First Composed: 5th September 2000

Last Modified: 20th December 2005

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Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:

(a)

(b)

Figure: (a) Picture of the papyrus and (b) the content of the papyrus.

[] encloses letters supplied to fill a lacuna.

Date

86-96 AH / 705-715 CE.

Size

35.8 cm. x 21.3 cm. It has Arabic and Greek text.

It is a light brown, strong papyrus. The text of the protocol, written in blackish brown ink, occupies the whole first sheet of the roll, 18.4 cm. high; the annexed second sheet of the roll, of which a piece, 17.4 cm. high, still survives, bears eight lines of a Coptic document written in black ink across the horizontal fibres. More than half of the protocol has disappeared from the right hand side.

Accession No.

Inv. No. 61.

Contents

The translation of the document is given below. The Arabic text is in italics:

  1. In [the name of God, the]
  2. Compassio[nate and Merciful]
  3. [In the name of God], the Compassionate and Merciful.
  4. There is [no god but God alone,]
  5. Maame[t is the Apostle of God]
  6. [There is no god but God alone], Muḥammad is the Messenger of God.
  7. The servant of God A[lulid],
  8. Commander of the f[aithful].

Location

Egyptian National Library, Cairo, Egypt.

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References

[1] A. Grohmann, Arabic Papyri In The Egyptian Library, Volume I, 1934, Egyptian Library Press: Cairo, No. 2, pp. 10-11.

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