Scriptural Incipits on Amulets from Late Antique Egypt: Text, Typology, and Theory (Studien Und Texte Zu Antike Und Christentum / Studies And Te)

"The use of biblical and parabiblical texts on amulets and other apotropaic objects was ubiquitous in late antique Egypt. Among the passages most frequently cited were the opening lines (incipits) of the Gospels, the Psalms, and other scriptural texts. Scholars have repeatedly observed the apotropaic use of such incipits, but have yet to subject them to thorough and focused analysis. In the present volume, Joseph E. Sanzo addresses this scholarly need by offering the first sustained study of the scriptural incipits on Greek and Coptic amulets and other apotropaic objects from late antique Egypt. In addition to providing a catalog and edition of these texts, the author draws on insights from cognitive linguistics, ritual studies, and the history of the book to establish a typology of the incipits and to determine their ritual functions."-- Publisher's website Cover Preface Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Critical Signs Introduction I. Survey of Scholarship II. Toward a New Approach to the Scriptural Incipits III. Rethinking the Category “Christian” Amulets IV. Section and Chapter Summaries Section 1: A Typology of Scriptural Incipits Chapter 1: On the Relation pars pro toto I. Pars pro toto, Metonymy, and Synecdoche II. Meronymic Relations II. 1. Meronymy and the Scriptures II. 2. Larger Scriptural Units II. 2. a. The Meronymic Status of the “Bible” II. 2. b. The Meronymic Status of the Gospels II. 2. c. Conclusions: The “Bible” and Its Sub-Corpora II. 3. Smaller Scriptural Units II. 3. a. The Meronymic Status of Biblical Psalms II. 3. b. The Meronymic Status of the Lord’s Prayer II. 3. c. Conclusions: Smaller Scriptural Units III. Conclusions Chapter 2: The Use of Scripture on Amulets: Relevance and the Power of Precedent I. The Hierarchical Approach to the Scriptures on Amulets I. 1. “Relevance” and Scriptural Passages in Demonic Struggle I. 2. The Hierarchical Approach to Literature and the Late Antique Miscellany II. Hierarchy and Historiolae: The Power of Precedent and Paradigm III. Conclusions Excursus: The Hierarchical View of Scripture and Ritual Authority Section 2: A Collection of Scriptural Incipits Chapter 3: Potential Incipits of Multiunit Corpora I. The Gospel Incipits I. 1. Ritual Artifacts with at least the Four Gospel Incipits I. 2. Ritual Artifacts with Two or Three Gospel Incipits I. 3. Ritual Artifacts with One Gospel Incipit II. Other Possible Incipits of Multiunit Corpora III. Patterns and Trends IV. Conclusions Chapter 4: Potential Incipits of Single-unit Texts I. Psalmic Incipits I. 1. Incipits of LXX Ps 90 I. 2. Other Psalmic Incipits II. Incipits of Other Single-unit Texts II. 1. Incipits of the Lord’s Prayer II. 2. Other Incipits III. Single-unit or Multiunit Incipits? IV. Patterns and Trends V. Conclusions Chapter 5: Identifying an Incipit I. Incipits in the Extant Amuletic Record II. Implications II. 1. The Limited Selection of Incipits in the Extant Record II. 2. Incipits, Faithfulness to Protocols, and Ritual Efficacy III. Conclusions Section 3: A Theory of Scriptural Incipits Chapter 6: A Theory of Incipits of Multiunit Corpora and Single-unit Texts I. Toward a Theory of the Gospel Incipits: A Representative Case of Incipits of Multiunit Corpora I. 1. The Scope of Material Invoked by the Gospel Incipits I. 2. Metonymy and Incipits of Multiunit Corpora: Not pars pro toto, but pars pro partibus I. 3. The Gospel Incipits and the Ritual Use of “Gospels” in the Literary Record II. Toward a Theory of Incipits of Single-unit Texts III. The Distinction between Incipits of Multiunit Corpora and Incipits of Single-unit Texts: The Incipits on PSI VI 719 as a Test Case IV. The Incipits and Continuity and Innovation in the Ancient Mediterranean V. Conclusions Conclusions Bibliography Primary Sources and Major Corpora of Ritual Artifacts Secondary Literature Index of Sources Hebrew Bible New Testament Ancient Authors and Literary Sources Ancient Manuscripts and Artifacts Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects