‘Keep Me, Lord, as the Apple of Your Eyes’: An Early Christian Child's Amulet

Abstract

Among the Greek papyri in the John Rylands Library is a small, 5th century papyrus fragment, inscribed on both sides with non-continuous scriptural texts. Arthur S. Hunt, who catalogued this portion of the collection, described Papyrus Rylandensis 8 as a ‘liturgical fragment’ designed for ‘private devotional purposes.’ Several features of this papyrus, however, (its size, content, decoration, irregular orthography, use of nomina sacra, and possible fold pattern) suggest that it may have been an amulet designed for use by children. Although few such amulets have been securely identified, the writings of contemporary clerics attest to the widespread use of protective charms by Christians. Given that P. Ryl. 8 corresponds in many details to what we assume these amulets would have looked like, it should be reclassified as ‘probably an amulet.’

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