Nomina sacra

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In Christian scribal practice, nomina sacra (singular: nomen sacrum, Latin for 'sacred name') is the abbreviation of several frequently occurring divine names or titles, especially in Greek manuscripts of the Bible. A nomen sacrum consists of two or more letters from the original word spanned by an overline.

Two nomina sacra are highlighted, ΙΥ and ΘΥ, representing of/from Jesus and of/from God (as these are genitives) respectively, in this passage from John 1 in Codex Vaticanus (B), 4th century.

Biblical scholar and textual critic Bruce M. Metzger lists 15 such words treated as nomina sacra from Greek papyri: the Greek counterparts of God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Son, Spirit, David, Cross, Mother, Father, Israel, Savior, Man, Jerusalem, and Heaven.[1]: 36–37  These nomina sacra are all found in Greek manuscripts of the 3rd century and earlier, except Mother, which appears in the 4th. All 15 occur in Greek manuscripts later than the 4th century.[2]

Nomina sacra also occur in some form in Latin, Coptic, Armenian (indicated by the pativ), Gothic, Old Nubian, Old Irish and Cyrillic (indicated by the titlo).

Origin and development

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Nomina sacra ΙϹ ΧϹ, from the Greek ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Jesus Christ — the letter Ϲ on the icon being koine Greek Σ). Detail from an icon at the Troyan Monastery in Bulgaria. See complete icon

Nomina sacra are consistently observed in even the earliest extant Christian writings, along with the codex form rather than the roll, implying that when these were written, in approximately the second century, the practice had already been established for some time. However, it is not known precisely when and how the nomina sacra first arose.

The initial system of nomina sacra apparently consisted of just four or five words, called nomina divina: the Greek words for Jesus, Christ, Lord, God, and possibly Spirit. The practice quickly expanded to a number of other words regarded as sacred.[3]

In the system of nomina sacra that came to prevail, abbreviation is by contraction, meaning that the first and last letter (at least) of each word are used. In a few early cases, an alternate practice is seen of abbreviation by suspension, meaning that the initial two letters (at least) of the word are used; e.g., the opening verses of Revelation in 𝔓18 write Ἰησοῦς Χριστός (Jesus Christ) as ΙΗ ΧΡ. Contraction, however, offered the practical advantage of indicating the case of the abbreviated noun.

It is evident that the use of nomina sacra was an act of reverence rather than a purely practical space-saving device,[4]: 100, 104-106  as they were employed even where well-established abbreviations of far more frequent words such as and were avoided,[4]: 101  and the nomen sacrum itself was written with generous spacing.[4]: 100  Furthermore, early scribes often distinguished between mundane and sacred occurrences of the same word, e.g. a spirit vs. the Spirit, and applied nomina sacra only to the latter (at times necessarily revealing an exegetical choice), although later scribes would mechanically abbreviate all occurrences.

Scholars have advanced a number of theories on the origin of the nomina sacra. Biblical scholar Larry Hurtado has suggested Greek numerals as the origin of the overline spanning the nomen sacrum, with ΙΗ, the ordinary way of writing "18", being taken as reminiscent of a suspended form of ΙΗΣΟΥΣ (Jesus).[5] In some Greek Scripture manuscripts the Hebrew tetragrammaton (transliterated as YHWH) is found unabbreviated in the Greek text. The Septuagint manuscript Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 1007 even uses an abbreviated form of the tetragrammaton: two Greek zetas with a horizontal line through the middle, imitating two Paleo-Hebrew yodhs (𐤉‬𐤉).[4][6]

Greek culture also employed a number of ways of abbreviating even proper names, though none in quite the same form as the nomina sacra. Inspiration for the contracted forms (using the first and last letter) has also been seen in Revelation, where Jesus speaks of himself as "the beginning and the end" and "the first and the last" as well "the Alpha and the Omega".[7]

Linguist George Howard argues that κς (κύριος) and θς (θεός) were the initial nomina sacra, created by non-Jewish Christian scribes who "found no traditional reasons to preserve the tetragrammaton" in copies of the Septuagint. Hurtado, following Colin Roberts, rejects that claim in favour of the theory that the first was ιη (Ἰησοῦς), as suggested in the Epistle of Barnabas, followed by the analogous χρ (Χριστός), and later by κς and θς, at about the time when the contracted forms ις and χς were adopted for the first two.[8]

Cilliers Breytenbach and Christiane Zimmermann report that by the end of the 2nd century nomina sacra occur even in Christian tomb inscriptions in Greek in Lycaonia (modern central Turkey).[9]

List of Greek nomina sacra

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Source:[1]

 
Papyrus 111 (3rd century AD), with the nomen sacrum ΙΗΥ (indicating genitive 'of Jesus', Ἰησοῦ) visible at bottom
English meaning Greek word Nominative (Subject) Genitive (Possessive)
God Θεός, Theos ΘΣ ΘΥ
Lord Κύριος, Kyrios ΚΣ, ΚΣ ΚΥ, ΚΥ
Jesus Ἰησοῦς, Iēsous ΙΣ, ΙΗΣ ΙΥ, ΙΗΥ
Christ/Messiah Χριστός, Christos ΧΣ, ΧΡΣ ΧΥ
Son Υἱός, Huios ΥΣ ΥΥ
Spirit Πνεῦμα, Pneuma ΠΝΑ ΠΣ, ΠΝΣ, ΠΝΟΣ
David Δαυίδ, Dauid ΔΑΔ
Cross Σταυρός, Stauros ΣΤΣ ΣΤΥ
Mother Μήτηρ, Mētēr ΜΗΡ, ΜΡ ΜΡΣ
Father Πατήρ, Patēr ΠΗΡ, ΠΡ ΠΡΣ
Israel Ἰσραήλ, Israēl ΙΗΛ
Savior Σωτήρ, Sōtēr ΣΗΡ ΣΡΣ
Human Ἄνθρωπος, Anthrōpos ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΟΥ
Jerusalem Ἱερουσαλήμ, Ierousalēm ΙΛΗΜ
Heaven/Heavens Οὐρανός, Ouranos ΟΥΝΟΣ ΟΥΝΟΥ

New Testament Greek manuscripts containing nomina sacra (before 300 CE)

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Source:[10]

Greek manuscript Manuscript date Nomina sacra used
𝔓1 (P. Oxy. 2)
~250
ΙΥ ΙΣ ΧΥ ΥΥ ΚΥ ΠΝΣ
𝔓4 (Suppl. Gr. 1120)
150–225
ΘΣ ΘΥ ΚΥ ΚΣ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΟΣ ΠΝΑ ΧΣ ΙΥ ΙΣ
𝔓5 (P. Oxy. 208 + 1781)
~250
ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΘΥ
𝔓9 (P. Oxy. 402)
~250
ΘΣ ΧΡΣ
𝔓12 (P. Amherst. 3b)
~285
ΘΣ
𝔓13 (P. Oxy. 657 + PSI 1292)
225–250
ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΙΣ ΙΝ ΙΥ ΚΣ ΚΥ
𝔓15 (P. Oxy. 1008)
200–300
ΚΩ ΚΥ ΧΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΠΝΑ ΘΝ ΚΜΟΥ
𝔓16 (P. Oxy. 1009)
250–300
ΘΥ ΙΥ ΧΩ
𝔓17 (P. Oxy. 1078)
~300
ΘΩ ΠΝΣ
𝔓18 (P. Oxy. 1079)
250–300
ΙΗ ΧΡ ΘΩ
𝔓20 (P. Oxy. 1171)
200–250
ΠΝΣ ΚΝ ΘΥ
𝔓22 (P. Oxy. 1228)
200–250
ΠΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΑ ΙΗΣ ΑΝΟΣ
𝔓24 (P. Oxy. 1230)
~300
ΠΝΑ ΘΥ
𝔓27 (P. Oxy. 1395)
200–250
ΘΥ ΚΩ
𝔓28 (P. Oxy. 1596)
255–300
ΙΣ ΙΝ
𝔓29 (P. Oxy. 1597)
200–250
ΘΣ ΘΝ
𝔓30 (P. Oxy. 1598)
200–250
ΚΥ ΚΝ ΘΩ ΙΗΥ
𝔓32 (P. Rylands 5)
150–200
ΘΥ
𝔓35 (PSI 1)
~300
ΚΣ ΚΥ
𝔓37 (P. Mich. Inv. 1570)
~260
ΚΕ ΙΗΣ ΠΝΑ ΙΗΣΥ
𝔓38 (P. Mich. Inv. 1571)
~225
ΧΡΝ ΠΝΑ ΚΥ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΥ ΠΝΤΑ
𝔓39 (P. Oxy. 1780)
200–300
ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΙΗΣ
𝔓40 (P. Heidelberg G. 645)
200–300
ΘΣ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΙΥ ΧΩ ΧΥ
𝔓45 (P. Chester Beatty I)
~250
ΚΕ ΚΣ ΚΝ ΚΥ ΙΗ ΙΥ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΙ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΘΣ
ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΠΝΑ ΥΝ ΥΕ ΥΣ ΥΩ Σ⳨Ν Σ⳨ΝΑΙ ΧΥ
𝔓46 (P. Chester Beatty II
+ P. Mich. Inv. 6238)
175–225
ΚΕ ΚΝ ΚΥ ΚΩ ΚΣ ΧΡΩ ΧΡΥ ΧΡΝ ΧΝ ΧΣ ΧΩ ΧΥ ΧΡΣ ΙΗΥ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ ΘΩ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΘΣ

ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΥΙΥ ΥΙΝ ΥΙΣ ΥΝ ΣΤΡΕΣ ΣΤΡΝ ΣΤΡΩ ΣΤΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΟΥ ΕΣΤΡΟΝ ΕΣΤΡΑΙ

ΕΣΤΑΝ ΣΤΟΥ ΑΙΜΑ ΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΟΝ ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΟΙΣ ΠΡΙ ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΙΥ

𝔓47 (P. Chester Beatty III)
200–300
ΘΥ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΑΘΝ ΚΣ ΚΕ ΚΥ ΕΣΤΡΩ ΠΝΑ ΧΥ ΠΡΣ
𝔓48 (PSI 1165)
200–300
ΥΣ
𝔓49 (P. Yale 415 + 531)
200–300
ΚΩ ΘΥ ΘΣ ΙΥ ΠΝ ΧΣ ΧΥ ΧΩ
𝔓50 (P. Yal 1543)
~300
ΙΛΗΜ ΠΝΑ ΑΝΟΣ ΘΣ ΘΥ
𝔓53 (P. Mich. inv. 6652)
~250
ΠΡΣ ΙΗΣ ΠΕΡ ΚΝ
𝔓64 (Gr. 17)
~150
ΙΣ ΚΕ
𝔓65 (PSI XIV 1373)
~250
ΧΥ ΘΣ
𝔓66 (P. Bodmer II +
Inv. Nr. 4274/4298)
150–200
ΚΣ ΚΥ ΚΕ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΙΣ ΙΝ ΙΥ ΧΣ ΧΝ ΧΥ ΥΣ ΥΝ ΥΩ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ

ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΙ ΠΕΡ ΠΡΕΣ ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΟΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΑΝΟΙΣ ΑΝΟΥΣ Σ⳨Ω Σ⳨ΟΝ Σ⳨ΟΥ Σ⳨ΘΗ Σ⳨ΑΤΕ Σ⳨ΩΣΩ ΕΣ⳨ΑΝ ΕΣ⳨ΘΗ

𝔓69 (P. Oxy. 2383)
~200
ΙΗΝ
𝔓70 (P. Oxy. 2384 +
PSI Inv. CNR 419, 420)
250–300
ΥΝ ΙΣ ΠΗΡ
𝔓72 (P. Bodmer VII and VIII)
200–300
ΙΥ ΙΗΥ ΙΗΝ ΧΡΥ ΧΡΝ ΧΡΣ ΧΡΩ ΘΥ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΠΡΣ ΠΑΡ ΠΤΡΑ ΠΡΙ ΠΝΣ

ΠΝΑ ΠΝΑΙ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΤΙ ΚΥ ΚΣ ΚΝ ΚΩ ΑΝΟΙ

𝔓75 (P. Bodmer XIV and XV)
175–225
ΙΣ ΙΗΣ ΙΥ ΙΗΥ ΙΝ ΙΗΝ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΚΣ ΚΝ ΚΥ ΚΩ ΚΕ ΧΣ ΧΝ ΧΥ

ΠΝΑ ΠΝΣ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΟΣ ΠΝΤΑ ΠΝΑΣΙ ΠΝΑΤΩΝ ΠΡΣ ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΙ ΠΡΟΣ ΠΡ

ΥΣ ΥΝ ΥΥ ΙΗΛ ΙΛΗΜ Σ⳨ΟΝ ΣΤ⳨ΟΝ Σ⳨ΩΘΗΝΑΙ

ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΟΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΟΙ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΑΝΟΥΣ ΑΝΟΙΣ ΑΝΕ

𝔓78 (P. Oxy 2684)
250–300
ΚΝ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΝ ΧΡΝ
𝔓90 (P. Oxy 3523)
150–200
ΙΗΣ
𝔓91 (P. Mil. Vogl. Inv. 1224 + P. Macquarie Inv. 360)
~250
ΘΥ ΘΣ ΠΡΣ ΧΡΝ ΙΗΝ
𝔓92 (P. Narmuthis 69.39a + 69.229a)
~300
ΧΡΩ ΚΥ ΘΥ
𝔓100 (P. Oxy 4449)
~300
ΚΥ ΚΣ
𝔓101 (P. Oxy 4401)
200–300
ΥΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ
𝔓106 (P. Oxy 4445)
200–250
ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΧΡΣ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ
𝔓108 (P. Oxy 4447)
175–225
ΙΗΣ ΙΗΝ
𝔓110 (P. Oxy. 4494)
~300
ΚΣ
𝔓111 (P. Oxy 4495)
200–250
ΙΗΥ
𝔓113 (P. Oxy. 4497)
200–250
ΠΝΙ
𝔓114 (P. Oxy. 4498)
200–250
ΘΣ
𝔓115 (P. Oxy. 4499)
225–275
ΙΗΛ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΣ ΘΩ ΘΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΠΝΑ ΟΥΝΟΥ ΟΥΝΟΝ ΚΥ ΘΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΟΥΝΩ
𝔓121 (P. Oxy. 4805)
~250
ΙΣ ΜΗΙ
𝔓137 (P. Oxy. 5345)
100-200
ΠΝΙ
0162 (P. Oxy 847)
~300
ΙΗΣ ΙΣ ΠΡΣ
0171 (PSI 2.124)
~300
ΚΣ ΙΗΣ
0189 (P. Berlin 11765)
~200
ΑΝΟΣ ΠΝΑ ΚΥ ΚΩ ΙΛΗΜ ΘΩ ΙΣΗΛ
0220 (MS 113)
~300
ΚΝ ΙΥ ΙΝ ΧΥ ΘΥ

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Metzger, Bruce Manning (1981). Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Palaeography. Oxford University Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-19-536532-0. In the developed Byzantine usage the fifteen nomina sacra in their nominative and genitive forms are as follows: [...] Scholars differ in accounting for the origin and development of the system of nomina sacra.
  2. ^ Comfort, Philip Wesley; Barrett, David (2001). Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (2 ed.). Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers. pp. 34–35. ISBN 0-8423-5265-1.
  3. ^ Charlesworth, S. D. (2006). "Consensus standardization in the systematic approach to nomina sacra in second- and third-century gospel manuscripts". Aegyptus. 86: 37–38.
  4. ^ a b c d Hurtado, Larry Weir (2006). The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 0802828957.
  5. ^ Hurtado, Larry Weir (1998). "The Origin of the Nomina Sacra: A Proposal". Journal of Biblical Literature. 117: 655–673.
  6. ^ Wilkinson, Robert J. (2015). Tetragrammaton: Western Christians and the Hebrew Name of God: From the Beginnings to the Seventeenth Century. Netherlands: Brill. p. 55.
  7. ^ Roberts, Colin Henderson (1979). Manuscript, Society, and Belief in Early Christian Egypt. London: Oxford University Press. p. 37. ISBN 0-19-725982-0.
  8. ^ Larry W. Hurtado (2017). "The origin of the Nomina Sacra". Texts and Artefacts: Selected Essays on Textual Criticism and Early Christian Manuscripts, The Library of New Testament Studies. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 127. ISBN 978-0567677709.
  9. ^ Breytenbach, Cilliers; Zimmermann, Christiane (2018). Early Christianity in Lycaonia and Adjacent Areas: From Paul to Amphilochius of Iconium. Leiden: Brill. p. 14. ISBN 9789004352520.
  10. ^ All nomina sacra and dates of manuscripts taken from Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts - Philip Comfort and David Barrett (2001)

Further reading

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  • Don C. Barker, "P.Lond.Lit. 207 and the origin of the nomina sacra: a tentative proposal", Studia Humaniora Tartuensia 8.A.2, 2007, 1–14.
  • Philip Comfort, Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography and Textual Criticism, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005, pp. 199–253.
  • A.H.R.E. Paap, Nomina Sacra in the Greek Papyri of the First Five Centuries, Papyrologica Lugduno-Batava VIII (Leiden 1959).
  • Ludwig Traube. Nomina Sacra. Versuch einer Geschichte der christlichen Kürzung, Munich 1907.