Nomina sacra

Nomina sacra (singular: nomen sacrum) means "sacred names" in Latin, and can be used to refer to traditions of abbreviated writing of several frequently occurring divine names or titles in early Greek language Holy Scripture. Bruce Metzger's book Manuscripts of the Greek Bible lists 15 such expressions from Greek papyri: the Greek counterparts of God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Son, Spirit, David, cross, Mother, Father, Israel, Savior, Man, Jerusalem, and Heaven. The nomen sacrum for mother did not appear until the 4th century CE,[1] but all other Nomina Sacra have been found in Greek manuscripts from the 1st - 3rd Centuries CE. The contractions were indicated with overlines.

There has been a dispute about the nature of Nomina sacra, whether they represent a mere shorthand or these overlined words indeed bear a sacred meaning.[2]

Starting in the 2nd century the nomina sacra were sometimes shortened by contraction in Christian inscriptions, resulting in sequences of Greek letters such as IH (iota-eta), IC (iota-sigma), or IHC (iota-eta-sigma) for Jesus (Greek Iēsous), and XC (chi-sigma), XP (chi-ro) and XPC (chi-rho-sigma) for Christ (Greek Christos). Here "C" represents the "lunate" form of Greek sigma; sigma could also be transcribed into the Latin alphabet by sound, giving IHS and XPS.[3]

This tradition is also observed in Old Nubian and Cyrillic manuscripts. See titlo.

Contents

List of Greek Nomina Sacra

English Meaning Greek Word Nominative (Subject) Genitive (Possessive)
God Θεός ΘΣ ΘΥ
Lord Κύριος ΚΣ ΚΥ
Jesus Ἰησοῦς ΙΣ ΙΥ
Christ/Messiah Χριστός ΧΣ ΧΥ
Son Υἱός ΥΣ ΥΥ
Spirit/Ghost Πνεῦμα ΠΝΑ ΠΝΣ
David Δαυὶδ ΔΑΔ
Cross Σταυρός ΣΤΣ ΣΤΥ
Mother Μήτηρ ΜΗΡ ΜΗΣ
Father Πατήρ ΠΗΡ ΠΡΣ
Israel Ἰσραήλ ΙΗΛ
Savior Σωτήρ ΣΗΡ ΣΡΣ
Human being Ἄνθρωπος ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΟΥ
Jerusalem Ἱερουσαλήμ ΙΛΗΜ
Heaven/Heavens Οὐρανός ΟΥΝΟΣ ΟΥΝΟΥ

New Testament Greek manuscripts containing Nomina Sacra (100 AD - 300 AD)[4]

Greek manuscript Manuscript date Nomina Sacra used
\mathfrak{P}1 (P. Oxy. 2)
~250
 ΙΥ ΙΣ ΧΥ ΥΥ ΚΥ ΠΝΣ
\mathfrak{P}4 (Suppl. Gr. 1120)
150–225
 ΘΣ ΘΥ ΚΥ ΚΣ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΟΣ ΠΝΑ ΧΣ ΙΥ ΙΣ
\mathfrak{P}5 (P. Oxy. 208 + 1781)
~250
 ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΘΥ
\mathfrak{P}9 (P. Oxy. 402)
~250
 ΘΣ ΧΡΣ
\mathfrak{P}12 (P. Amherst. 3b)
~285
 ΘΣ
\mathfrak{P}13 (P. Oxy. 657 + PSI 1292)
225–250
 ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΙΣ ΙΝ ΙΥ ΚΣ ΚΥ
\mathfrak{P}15 (P. Oxy. 1008)
200–300
 ΚΩ ΚΥ ΧΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΠΝΑ ΘΝ ΚΜΟΥ
\mathfrak{P}16 (P. Oxy. 1009)
250–300
 ΘΥ ΙΥ ΧΩ
\mathfrak{P}17 (P. Oxy. 1078)
~300
 Θ
\mathfrak{P}18 (P. Oxy. 1079)
250–300
 ΙΗ ΧΡ ΘΩ
\mathfrak{P}20 (P. Oxy. 1171)
200–250
 ΠΝΣ ΚΝ ΘΥ
\mathfrak{P}22 (P. Oxy. 1228)
200–250
 ΠΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΑ ΙΗΣ ΑΝΟΣ
\mathfrak{P}24 (P. Oxy. 1230)
~300
 ΠΝΑ ΘΥ
\mathfrak{P}27 (P. Oxy. 1395)
200–250
 ΘΥ ΚΩ
\mathfrak{P}28 (P. Oxy. 1596)
255–300
 ΙΣ ΙΝ
\mathfrak{P}29 (P. Oxy. 1597)
200–250
 ΘΣ ΘΝ
\mathfrak{P}30 (P. Oxy. 1598)
200–250
 ΚΥ ΚΝ ΘΩ ΙΗΥ
\mathfrak{P}32 (P. Rylands 5)
150–200
 ΘΥ
\mathfrak{P}35 (PSI 1)
~300
 ΚΣ ΚΥ
\mathfrak{P}37 (P. Mich. Inv. 1570)
~260
 ΚΕ ΙΗΣ ΠΝΑ ΙΗΣΥ
\mathfrak{P}38 (P. Mich. Inv. 1571)
~225
 ΧΡΝ ΠΝΑ ΚΥ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΥ ΠΝΤΑ
\mathfrak{P}39 (P. Oxy. 1780)
200–300
 ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΙΗΣ
\mathfrak{P}40 (P. Heidelberg G. 645)
200–300
 ΘΣ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΙΥ ΧΩ ΧΥ
\mathfrak{P}45 (P. Chester Beatty I)
~250
 ΚΕ ΚΣ ΚΝ ΚΥ ΣΡΝΑΙ ΙΗ ΙΥ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΙ ΘΥ
ΘΝ ΘΩ ΘΣ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΠΝΑ ΥΝ ΥΕ ΥΣ ΥΩ ΣΡΝ ΧΡ
\mathfrak{P}46 (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
\mathfrak{P}47 (P. Chester Beatty III)
200–300
 ΘΥ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΑΘΝ ΚΣ ΚΕ ΚΥ ΕΣΤΡΩ ΠΝΑ ΧΥ ΠΡΣ
\mathfrak{P}48 (PSI 1165)
200–300
 ΥΣ
\mathfrak{P}49 (P. Yale 415 + 531)
200–300
 ΚΩ ΘΥ ΘΣ ΙΥ ΠΝ ΧΣ ΧΥ ΧΩ
\mathfrak{P}50 (P. Yal 1543)
~300
 ΙΛΗΜ ΠΝΑ ΑΝΟΣ ΘΣ ΘΥ
\mathfrak{P}53 (P. Mich. inv. 6652)
~250
 ΠΡΣ ΙΗΣ ΠΕΡ ΚΝ
\mathfrak{P}64 (Gr. 17)
~150
 ΙΣ
\mathfrak{P}65 (PSI XIV 1373)
~250
 ΧΥ ΘΣ
\mathfrak{P}66 (P. Bodmer II +
Inv. Nr. 4274/4298
150–200
 ΚΣ ΚΥ ΚΕ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΙΣ ΙΝ ΙΥ ΧΣ ΧΝ ΧΝ ΥΣ ΥΝ ΥΩ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ

ΠΡΙ ΠΕΡ ΠΡΕΣ ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΟΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΑΝΟΙΣ ΑΝΟΥΣ ΣΡΩ ΣΡΟΝ ΣΡΟΥ ΣΡΘΗ ΣΡΑΤΕ ΣΡΩΣΩ ΕΣΡΑΝ ΕΣΡΘΗ
\mathfrak{P}69 (P. Oxy. 2383)
~200
 ΙΗΝ
\mathfrak{P}70 (P. Oxy. 2384 +
PSI Inv. CNR 419, 420)
250–300
 ΥΝ ΙΣ ΠΗΡ
\mathfrak{P}72 (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
\mathfrak{P}75 (P. Bodmer XIV and XV)
175–225
\mathfrak{P}78 (P. Oxy 2684)
250–300
 ΚΝ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΝ ΧΡΝ
\mathfrak{P}90 (P. Oxy 3523)
150–200
 ΙΗΣ
\mathfrak{P}91 (P. Mil. Vogl. Inv. 1224 + P. Macquarie Inv. 360)
~250
 ΘΥ ΘΣ ΠΡΣ ΧΡΝ ΙΗΝ
\mathfrak{P}92 (P. Narmuthis 69.39a + 69.229a)
~300
 ΧΡΩ ΚΥ ΘΥ
\mathfrak{P}100 (P. Oxy 4449)
~300
 ΚΥ ΚΣ
\mathfrak{P}101 (P. Oxy 4401)
200–300
 ΥΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ
\mathfrak{P}106 (P. Oxy 4445)
200–250
 ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΧΡΣ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ
\mathfrak{P}108 (P. Oxy 4447)
175–225
 ΙΗΣ ΙΗΝ
\mathfrak{P}110 (P. Oxy. 4494)
~300
 ΚΣ
\mathfrak{P}111 (P. Oxy 4495)
200–250
 ΙΗΥ
\mathfrak{P}113 (P. Oxy. 4497)
200–250
 ΠΝΙ
\mathfrak{P}114 (P. Oxy. 4498)
200–250
 ΘΣ
\mathfrak{P}115 (P. Oxy. 4499)
225–275
 ΙΗΛ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΣ ΘΩ ΘΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΠΝΑ ΟΥΝΟΥ ΟΥΝΟΝ ΚΥ ΘΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΟΥΝΩ
\mathfrak{P}121 (P. Oxy. 4805)
~250
 ΙΣ ΜΗΙ
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

References

  1. ^ Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts - Philip Comfort and David Barett (1999) pp.34-35
  2. ^ Institute for Religious Research: The Tetragrammaton and the Christian Greek Scriptures, Appendix K: Nomina SacraPDF (28.1 KiB)
  3. ^ David Trobisch, Die Endredaktion des Meuen Testaments, NTOA 31 (Goettinge 1996), 16-31
  4. ^ All Nomina Sacra and dates of manuscripts taken from Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts - Philip Comfort and David Barett (1999)

Further reading