The practice of writing texts upon fragments of limestone reappeared during the Byzantine Period (5th-7th centuries AD), after having disappeared during the Graeco-Roman period. This limestone ostrakon is inscribed on both faces with a letter in Coptic. Following the monogram of Christ, the text begins with an invocation to 'the lord, to the god of the apostles, to the prophets, to the martyrs, and to the righteous ones'. The rest is restricted to wishing 'the wisdom of Solomon' and 'the equity of king Ezechias' on the recipient. Given the lack of names of writer and addressee, this text should probably be regarded as a writer's model.
ROUGH-HEWN; WRITTEN WITH A REED PEN/REED WITH SPLIT NIB
Height
8.4 cm
Width
11.7 cm
Depth
1.4 cm
Bibliography
L. Speleers, Recueil des inscriptions égyptiennes des Musées Royaux du Cinquantenaire à Bruxelles, Bruxelles 1923, 101 nº 425
J.-Ch. Balty, e.a., Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis, Brussel, Oudheid - Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Bruxelles, Antiquité - The Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels, Antiquity, Bruxelles 1988, 46
W. Clarysse, in Schrijfkunst uit het Oude Egypte - Écritures de l'Égypte ancienne, Bruxelles 1992, 56-57
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