Object of the Month

P. 8977 (SPP III2.2 129) The exhibit gives an example, how surviving textual witnesses refer to daily and common procedures and nonetheless include peculiarities which bring up questions unsolved. Its provenance, the Nubian Gebelên, was guaranteed by the notation of… Read More→

P. 11529 V The calculation of surface areas, diagonals and volumes did not only cause problems at school today, because mathematics was an important part of teaching even in ancient times. Therefore, tasks with accompanying solutions were always welcome. For… Read More→

BGU II 611 (P. 8507) Watching an emperor at work: On this papyrus there is a copy of two senatorial speeches of the Roman Emperor Claudius, which deal with reforms of the Roman law courts. Claudius, who was born on… Read More→

BGU II 423 (P. 7950) This letter from a soldier to his father is something very special. He was found in Egypt, but originally comes from Italy. Since there is no date in the text, it can only be dated… Read More→

BKT III, S. 22–26 (P. 9764) How should a doctor and above all a surgeon be trained? This is the question which is being treated in this fragment of a papyrus scroll that contains an otherwise unknown treatise on the… Read More→

O.Wilck. 1148 = BKT V.1, S. 78f. (P. 4757) Even in ancient times writing had to be learned. But then people did not use pen and paper, but e.g. a potsherd (now called ostracon) and a kalamos, as can be… Read More→

P. 16985 Homer is one of the most famous Greek poets of all time. Everyone has heard of his two works, the Iliad and the Odyssey. On these fragments of papyrus, of which only some of the larger ones can… Read More→

BGU II 610 (P. 7428) Latin Texts are quite rare on papyri. This papyrus is a nice example of this. It is inscribed on only one side and contains a list of veterans of a legion with names and rank… Read More→

BGU VIII 1730 (P. 13802) This papyrus contains a royal decree which regulates Alexandria’s supply with wheat and legumes. It is especially striking to see the draconic penalties for those who disobey these regulations. The text on this papyrus contains… Read More→

SB XIV 11876 (P. 7216) This papyrus contains a decision of the Roman Emperor Caracalla from the years shortly after 215 AD, which deals with a disputed tax issue that has been brought to him by his legal adviser Egnatius… Read More→