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KYPRIANOS M437

Sigla: question mark icon Modern names for the manuscript, including inventory and publication numbers.

PGM Christian 15a
Tbilisi, Museum Dzanasia 24
P. Zereteli-Tiflis 24

Category: question mark icon Classification of the contents, e.g. magical (formulary or applied), alchemical, liturgical, documentary or medical.

Magical (applied ?)
Contents:

1. Ro ll. 1-33: Applied amulet for protection from headless powers.
See all texts in this manuscript.

Language(s):

Greek
Script(s):

Greek
Dialect:
Language/dialect notes:
Date: question mark icon Dates are CE unless preceded by a minus sign <->, in which case they are BCE. 501 – 700
Date notes:

6th or 7th century according to Zellmann-Rohrer 2020: p. 67; 6th century according to TM (11/2/2019) and Preiendanz 1931: p. 203.
Archive/collection: question mark icon Larger collection to which manuscript belongs.
Archive name:
State of edition:

Published.
Image:

Form:

Sheet
Material:

Papyrus
Dimensions (cm): Height: 24 Width: 5 Depth:
Dimensions (notes):

Preisendanz 1931: p. 202.
Folding pattern:
State of preservation:

Complete.
Pages/Columns: question mark icon Total surviving columns in the manuscript for rolls, sheets and rotuli; total number of pages for codices.

1
Pages/Columns (notes):

1 column recto (→), 33 lines.
Hand:

Findspot:

Fayum, Egypt (?)

(TM places ID: 332)
Place of purchase:

Cairo, Egypt

(TM places ID: 2740)
Writingspot:

Fayum, Egypt (?)

(TM places ID: 332)
Present Location:

Tbilisi, Georgian National Museum
Collection History:

Acquired fro Egyptian in Cairo in 1910 by Alexandrovitch Turayev (Preisendanz 1931: p. 202; Zellmann-Rohrer 2020: p. 66).
Trismegistos collection: question mark icon Page on the database Trismegistos collections for the institution which currently houses the manuscript. 852
Collection website:

Notes/Discussion:

Oval in shape

Bibiliography
Editions:

Preisendanz, Karl. Papyri Graecae Magicae: Die Griechischen Zauberpapyri. Vol. 2. Leipzig–Berlin: Teubner, 1931, p. 203-204, no. 15a.

Zetereli, Grigorij F. Papyri russischer und georgischer Sammlungen. Literarische Texte. Vol. 1. Tiflis: Universitätslithographie, 1925, no. 24.

★ Zellmann-Rohrer, Michael. “Lawsuits with Headless Foes: A Greek Incantation Motif”, Archiv für Religionsgeschichte 21-22.1 (2020): 51-83.
Translations:

Frankfurter, David. “The Threat of Headless Beings: Constructing the Demonic in Christian Egypt,” in Fairies, Demons, and Nature Spirits: ‘Small Gods’ at the Margins of Christendom, edited by Michael Ostling. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, p. 57-78.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 47, no. 23.
General:

Trismegistos ID:

65106

 PAThs:
PGM: question mark icon Papyri Gracae Magicae

Christian 15a

 SM: question mark icon Supplementum Magicum GEMF: question mark icon Greek and Egyptian Magical Formularies (forthcoming) ACM: question mark icon Ancient Christian Magic

23
Bélanger Sarrazin: question mark icon Bélanger-Sarrazin. “Catalogue des textes magiques coptes” AKZ: question mark icon Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte CBd: question mark icon Campbell-Bonner Magical Gems Database Mert.-Pack: question mark icon Mertens-Pack online database
Van H: question mark icon van Haelst, Catalogue des papyrus littéraires

972

 Bruyn-Dijkstra: question mark icon de Bruyn and Dijkstra, “Greek Amulets and Formularies (Checklist)"

32

 TheDefix: question mark icon Thesaurus Defixionum To Zodion:
Edit History:

MPS (8/2/2019); MPS (11/2/2019); MPS (3/7/2019); KD (29/9/2021)

How to cite:
Korshi Dosoo & Markéta Preininger (principal editors). "KYP M437," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/manuscript/kyp-m437. Accessed on 28/10/2025

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