New Testament amulet explained

A New Testament amulet (also called a talisman) is an ancient hand-written portion of the New Testament, commonly worn as a charm. The Lord's Prayer is the most common text found on amulets. Also commonly found are the opening verses of each of the four New Testament gospels.

The numbering system begun by Ernst von Dobschütz for New Testament Greek Amulets assigned each recovered Amulet a Blackletter character ' (indicating Talisman) followed by a superscript number. Von Dobschütz continued the list through ⁹. The additional numbers assigned below continue this numbering in the order suggested by Brice C. Jones.^[1]

• Digital images are referenced with direct links to the hosting web pages. The quality and accessibility of the images is as follows:

Gold color indicates high resolution color images available online.
Light gray color indicates black/white or microfilm images available online.
Light pink color indicates amulet destroyed.

List of New Testament Amulets

Dobs.#	Date	Contents	Script	Material	Publication	Owner	City, State	Country	Images
1 = 0152	4th	–13	ΑΩ	Ostrakon		National Archaeological Museum, Inv. 12227	Athens	Greece
2	6th–7th	–24	ΑΩ	Parchment	The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Vol. VIII 1077[2]	Trexler Library, Muhlenberg College, T 888.01 O98; P.oxy.1077	Allentown, PA	USA	MC,[3] BJ[4]
3	6th	6:9–13;	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Heidnisches und Christliches aus Ägypten[5]
4	6th	Matthew 1:1; 6:9; –2; ;	ΑΩ/αω	Papyrus	Papiri greci e latini[6]	Laurentian Library, PSI VI 719	Florence	Italy	BML[7]
5	8th		ΑΩ	Wood tablet		University of Heidelberg, Egyptian Collection, Inv. 761; P.Bad. 4.60	Heidelberg	Germany	p.249
6	5th–6th	Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 9:37; 11:1b-2	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Papyri Iandanae[8]	University of Giessen, P.Iand. 1.6	Gießen, Hesse	Germany	UoG[9]
7	14th	Matthew 6:9–13; Mark 1:1–8, Luke 1:1–7; John 1:1–17	αω	Parchment	A Descriptive Catalogue of Greek New Testament...[10]	The University of Chicago Library, Ms. 125 (Goodspeed)	Chicago, IL	USA	TUOCL[11]
						Pierpont Morgan Library, Ms. M. 499	New York, NY	USA	PML[12]
8	5th–6th	John 2 1a-2; –2	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Die Leipziger Papyrusfragmente der Psalmen [13]	Austrian National Library, G 3212	Vienna	Austria	ANL[14]
9	5th	, 3	ΑΩ	Papyrus	The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. VIII[15]	University of Glasgow, P. Oxy. 1151	Glasgow	UK	OP[16]
10	5th–6th	Matthew 1:1; 4:23; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1; John 1:1–2	ΑΩ	Parchment	Altchristliche Texte im Berliner Museum[17]	Berlin State Museums, P. 6096	Berlin	Germany	BerlPap[18]
11	5th–6th	/9:35; Matthew 8:15/Mark 1:31	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Vier Berliner Zaubertexte[19]	Berlin State Museums, P. 21230	Berlin	Germany	BerlPap[20]
12	5th–6th	, 11	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Papyri in the Princeton University Collections[21]	Princeton University Library, P.Princ. 2.107	Princeton, NJ	USA	PUL[22]
13	6th–7th	Matthew 6:9–13	ΑΩ	Papyrus	A Greek Papyrus Amulet…[23]	Duke University, P.Duke inv. 778	Durham, NC	USA	DU[24]
14 = 0324	5th	–6, 8–12	ΑΩ	Parchment	Columbia Papyri XI[25]	Columbia University, P.Col. 11.293	New York, NY	USA	CU[26]
15	6th–8th	Matthew 6:9–13	ΑΩ/αω	Papyrus	The Lord’s Prayer and ΧΜΓ[27]	Yale University, P.CtYBR inv. 4600	New Haven, CT	USA	YU[28]
16	4th–5th	Matthew 6:9–13; 2 Corinthians 13:13?	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Christian Papyri from the Oslo Collection[29]	University of Oslo, P.Oslo inv. 1644	Oslo	Norway
						Schøyen Collection, MS 244/4	Oslo	Norway
17	3rd–4th	–12	ΑΩ	Papyrus	The Antinoopolis Papyri, pt. 2[30]	Sackler Library, P.Ant. 2.54	Oxford	UK	p.233
18	6th	–13	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Kölner Papyri[31]	University of Cologne, P.Köln 8.336	Cologne	Germany	UOC[32]
19	5th	Matthew 6:11–13	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Kölner Papyri[33]	University of Cologne, P.Köln 4.171	Cologne	Germany	UOC[34]
20 =	5th–6th	–64; 28:2–5	ΑΩ	Papyrus	The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. LXIV[35]	Papyrology Rooms, Sackler Library, P. Oxy. 4406	Oxford	UK	OP,[36] CSNTM, INTF
21	3rd–4th	Mark 1:1–2	ΑΩ	Papyrus	The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. LXXVI[37]	Papyrology Rooms, Sackler Library, P. Oxy. 5073	Oxford	UK	OP[38]
22	5th–6th	John 1:1–12	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Kölner Papyri[39]	University of Cologne, P.Köln 8.340	Cologne	Germany	UOC[40]
23	6th–7th	John 1 5–6	ΑΩ	Parchment	Griechische literarische Papyri christlichen Inhaltes II, vol. 1[41]	Austrian National Library, G 29831	Vienna	Austria	ANL[42]
24	6th–7th	John 1:29, 49	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Ein apokryphes Evangelienfragment[43]	Berlin State Museums, Inv. 11710	Berlin	Germany	BerlPap[44]
25	6th	2 Corinthians 10 4; 1 Thessalonians 5:8/Ephesians 6:16	ΑΩ	Papyrus	Die Leipziger Papyrusfragmente der Psalmen [45]	Austrian National Library, G 26034 + 30453	Vienna	Austria	ANL[46]
26 = 0262	7th	1 Timothy 1 15–16	ΑΩ/αω	Parchment	Neue neutestamentliche Fragmente der Berliner Papyrussammlung[47]	Berlin State Museums, P. 13977	Berlin	Germany	BerlPap,[48] INTF, CSNTM
27 =	3rd–4th	Jude 4–5, 7–8	ΑΩ	Papyrus	The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Vol. XXIV[49]	Papyrology Rooms, Sackler Library, P. Oxy. 2684	Oxford	UK	OP[50] CSNTM, INTF
28	4th–5th	Colossians 3 9–10	ΑΩ	Papyrus	A Christian Amulet Containing Colossians 3:9–10[51]	Petrie Egyptian Museum, UC 32070	London	UK	PEM[52]
29	3rd–4th	Acts 9 1	ΑΩ	Papyrus	An Amulet Containing Acts 9:1[53]	Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham[54]	Birmingham	UK
30	5th–6th		ΑΩ	Papyrus	A Greek Papyrus Fragment with a Citation of Matthew 1:20[55]	University of Michigan, P.Mich. inv. 4944b	Ann Arbor, MI	USA	BJ[56]

See also

Other lists of New Testament manuscripts

• List of New Testament papyri
• List of New Testament uncials
• List of New Testament minuscules
• List of New Testament lectionaries
• List of New Testament Latin manuscripts
• List of New Testament Church Fathers
• List of the Syriac New Testament manuscripts

Other articles

• List of Egyptian papyri by date
• Novum Testamentum Graece
• Palaeography
• Biblical manuscript
• Textual criticism

References

• Book: Aland, Kurt . Kurt Aland

. Kurt Aland . Barbara Aland . Translated by Erroll F. Rhodes . The Text of The New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism . 2nd . 1995 . . Grand Rapids, Michigan . 0-8028-4098-1.

• T.S. de Bruyn & H.F. Dijkstra, “Greek Amulets and Formularies from Egypt Containing Christian Elements,” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 48 (2011) 163–216.
• Peter Head, ‘Additional Greek Witnesses to the New Testament (Ostraca, Amulets, Inscriptions, and Other Sources)’ in The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis. Second Edition (eds M.W. Holmes & B.D. Ehrman; NTTSD 42; Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2012), 429–460.
• Brice C. Jones, New Testament Texts on Greek Amulets from Late Antiquity and Their Relevance for Textual Criticism, April 2015.

Notes and References

1. Web site: New Testament Texts on Greek Amulets from Late Antiquity and Their Relevance for Textual Criticism. Concordia University, Canada. Brice C. Jones. 2019-08-05.
2. Web site: Amulet: St. Matthew's Gospel. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. 1898. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. 2019-07-01.
3. Web site: P. Oxy. 1077: Amulet: St. Matthew's Gospel, iv.. Artstor. Muhlenberg College. 2019-07-01.
4. Web site: P.Oxy. 8.1077 (LDAB 2959). Concordia University, Canada. Brice Jones. 2019-07-01.
5. Ulrich Wilken, “Heidnisches und Christliches aus Ägypten,” APF 1 (1901): 396–436, at 431–436.
6. G. Vitelli, Pubblicazioni della Società Italiana per la ricerca dei papiri greci e latini in Egitto: Papiri greci e latini, vol. 6 (Florence: Pubblicazioni della Società Italiana, 1920), no. 719 (=151–152).
7. Web site: PSI VI 719. PSIonline. Laurentian Library. 2019-07-01.
8. Ernest Schäfer, Papyri Iandanae, Vol. 1: Voluminum codicumque fragmenta graeca cum amulet christiano (Leipzig: Teubner, 1912), no. 6 (=18–32).
9. Web site: Inv. 14. University of Giessen. University of Giessen. 2019-07-01.
10. Kenneth W. Clark, A Descriptive Catalogue of Greek New Testament Manuscripts in America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1937), pp. 226–227.
11. Web site: Ms. 125, Talismanic Scroll (D'Hendecourt Scroll). Greg. T7.. Goodspeed Library, University of Chicago. The University of Chicago Library. 2019-08-06.
12. Web site: Miscellany. The Morgan Library. 13 July 2017. The Morgan Library and Museum. 2019-08-06.
13. Heinrici, Die Leipziger Papyrusfragmente der Psalmen (Beiträge zur Geschichte und Erklärung des Neuen Testaments 4; Leipzig, 1903), 31–32.
14. Web site: Inventarnummer: G 02312 Pap. Austrian National Library. Austrian National Library. 2019-08-05.
15. A.S. Hunt (ed.), Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. VIII (London: Egypt Exploration Fund, 1911), §1151 (251–253).
16. Web site: P.Oxy. VIII 1151. University of Glasgow. University of Glasgow. 2019-08-04.
17. F. Krebs, Altchristliche Texte im Berliner Museum, Nachr. Gesell. Göttingen, 1892, 118–120, Nr. IV; C. Schmidt – W. Schubart, BKT VI 7.1; C. Wessely, Les plus anciens monuments du christianisme II, Patrologia orientalis 18, 1924, 412–413.
18. Web site: P. 6096: Christliches Amulett. BerlPap. Berliner Papyrusdatenbank. 2019-07-01.
19. William Brashear, “Vier Berliner Zaubertexte,” ZPE 17 (1975): 25–33, at 31–33.
20. Web site: P. 21230: Christliches Amulett. BerlPap. Berliner Papyrusdatenbank. 2019-07-01.
21. Edmund Harris Kase, Jr., ed., Papyri in the Princeton University Collections (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1936), no. 107 (102–103).
22. Web site: Amulet. Gnostic fever amulet (both pagan and Christian). Princeton University. Princeton University Libraries. 2019-07-01.
23. Csaba A. La’da and Amphilochios Papathomas, “A Greek Papyrus Amulet from the Duke Collection with Biblical Excerpts,” BASP 41 (2004): 93–113.
24. Web site: Amulet (P.Duk.inv. 778). Duke University Library. Duke University. 2019-07-01.
25. Timothy M. Teeter, Columbia Papyri XI (ASP 38; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998), no. 293 (=1–7).
26. Web site: Biblical Text [V AD]]. papyri.info. Columbia University. 2017-08-12.
27. Brent Nongbri, “The Lord’s Prayer and ΧΜΓ: Two Christian Papyrus Amulets,” HTR 104 (2011): 59–68.
28. Web site: Amulet with Lord's Prayer. Yale University Library. Yale University. 2019-07-01.
29. Leiv Amundsen, “Christian Papyri from the Oslo Collection,” Symbolae Osloenses 24 (1945): 121–147, at 141–147
30. J.W.B. Barns, H. Zilliacus, and C.H. Roberts (eds.), The Antinoopolis Papyri, pt. 2 (London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1960), no. 54 (6–7)
31. Michael Gronewald, “Vaterunser,” in Kölner Papyri (P. Köln), vol. 8 (eds. Michael Gronewald, Klaus Maresch, and Cornelia Römer; Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1997), 48–49
32. Web site: Inv. 03583, Köln, Papyrussammlung. University of Cologne. University of Cologne. 2019-08-01.
33. Cornelia Römer, “171. Christliches Amulett,” in Kölner Papyri (P. Köln), vol. 4 (eds. Bärbel Kramer, Cornelia Römer, and Dieter Hagedorn; Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1982), 31–34
34. Web site: Inv. 03302, Köln, Papyrussammlung. University of Cologne. University of Cologne. 2019-08-01.
35. J. David Thomas, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. LXIV (eds. E.W. Handley et al.; London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1997), §4406.
36. Web site: P.Oxy.LXIV 4406. Oxyrhynchus Online. Oxyrhynchus Online. 2017-08-28.
37. Geoffrey S. Smith and Andrew E. Bernhard, “5073,” in The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. LXXVI (eds. D. Colomo and Juan Chapa; London: Egypt Exploration Society, 2011), 19–23.
38. Web site: P.Oxy.LXXVI 5073. Oxyrhynchus Online. Oxyrhynchus Online. 2019-08-04.
39. Franco Maltomini, “340. Amuleto con NT Ev. Jo. 1, 1–11,” in Kölner Papyri (P. Köln), ed. Michael Gronewald, Klaus Maresch, and Cornelia Römer (vol. 8; Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1997), 82–95.
40. Web site: P.Köln 8.340. University of Cologne. University of Cologne. 2019-08-05.
41. Kurt Treu and Johannes Diethart, Griechische literarische Papyri christlichen Inhaltes II, vol. 1 (MPER N.S. XVII; Vienna: Hollinek, 1993), no. 10 (23).
42. Web site: Amulett mit Joh. 1, 5–6. Inventarnummer: G 29831 Pap. Austrian National Library. Austrian National Library. 2019-08-05.
43. H. Lietzmann, “Ein apokryphes Evangelienfragment,” ZNW 22 (1923): 153–154
44. Web site: P. 11710: Christliches Amulett (?) in Kodexform. BerlPap. Berlin State Museums. 2019-08-05.
45. Heinrici, Die Leipziger Papyrusfragmente der Psalmen (Beiträge zur Geschichte und Erklärung des Neuen Testaments 4; Leipzig, 1903), 31–32.
46. Web site: Neues Testament : G 30453 Phylakterion (?) mit Epistola ad Corinthios II 10, 4 und Epistola ad Thessalonicenses I 5, 8.. Inventarnummer: G 26034 Pap. Austrian National Library. Austrian National Library. 2019-08-05.
47. Kurt Treu, “Neue neutestamentliche Fragmente der Berliner Papyrussammlung,” APF 18 (1966): 23–38, at 36–37.
48. Web site: P. 13977: Amulett mit Textstellen aus Paulus, 1. Brief an Timotheus. BerlPap. Berliner Papyrusdatenbank. 2017-08-09.
49. P.J. Parsons, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. XXXIV (eds. L. Ingrams, et al.; London: Egypt Exploration Society, 1968), §2684.
50. Web site: P.Oxy.XXXIV 2684. Oxyrhynchus Online. Oxyrhynchus Online. 2017-08-28.
51. Thomas A. Wayment, A Christian Amulet Containing Colossians 3:9–10, Vigiliae Christianae Volume 69: Issue 5 (2015)
52. Web site: A Christian Amulet Containing Colossians 3:9–10 (Wayment). Evangelical Textual Criticism. 3 December 2015. Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. 2019-08-06.
53. Lincoln H Blumell, An Amulet Containing Acts 9:1, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, Volume 54: (2017) pp. 31–43.
54. Web site: New Testament Papyrus Discovered in Birmingham!. University of Birmingham. University of Birmingham. 2019-08-06.
55. Brice C. Jones, A Greek Papyrus Fragment with a Citation of Matthew 1:20, Journal of Biblical Literature, Volume 137, Number 1: (2018) pp. 169–174.
56. Web site: New Greek Papyrus with a Citation of Matthew 1:20. Brice C. Jones. Brice Jones. 2019-08-01.