Greek Amulets and Formularies from Egypt Containing Christian Elements: A Checklist of Papyri, Parchments, Ostraka, and Tablets

Abstract

In this article we present an up-to-date list of Greek (and Latin) amulets and formularies from Egypt that contain Christian elements. We first discuss the criteria whereby an item is identified as an amulet or formulary and as containing Christian elements; these criteria are used to classify items as having been certainly, probably, or possibly produced or used as an amulet. We then describe some of the main patterns observed in the corpus: the geographical and chronological distribution of the items, the language in which they were written (Greek versus Latin), the materials on which they were written, the purposes for which they were applied, and the dynamics of continuity and change as Christian forms and elements were introduced into the genre. We conclude with an appendix listing all the items included in the corpus and tabulating a basic set of characteristics for each item.