Bible Lexicons

BGU IV. 1002.16 (B.C. 55, a copy of a demotic bill of sale ";μεθηρμηνευμένης κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν ";) has ἀποστασίου συνγραφή, ";bond of relinquishing"; (the sold property). The phrase is found as early as B.C. 258 in P Hib I. 96.3, ";a contract of renunciation"; between two military settlers, one of whom at least was a Jew. The editors remark, ";This expression has hitherto always been found in connexion with the translations of demotic deeds concerning the renunciation of rights of ownership, the (συγγραφὴ) ἀποστασίου being contrasted with the πρᾶσις, the contract concerning the receipt of the purchase-price; cf. Wilcken, Archiv ii. p. 143 and pp. 388–9"; [and now iv. p. 183]. This note does not seem to cover the passage in P Grenf I. 11ii. 19 (B.C. 157) καὶ ἀποστασίου ἐγράψατο τῶι Πανᾶϊ μὴ ἐπελεύσεσθαι, μήθ᾽ ἄλλον μηθένα τῶν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ";he had a bill of ejectment drawn against Panas, that neither he nor any person connected with him should trespass on the property."; We may add P Ryl II. 160.9 (A.D. 28–9) πρᾶ [σ ]ις καὶ ἀπωστα [σίου ] μέρη (l. μερῶν) κτλ, ";sale and cession of two parts out of five"; (Edd.).—so other documents in this set : also P Tebt II. 561 (early i/A.D.) πρᾶ ]σις καὶ ἀποστασίου δούλου. ., and Preisigke 995 (B.C. 245–4) συνγραφή, ἣν ἐποιήσατο Κᾶπις Ταστῖτι ἀποστασίου περὶ ὧν ἐν [εκά ]λει αὐτῆι. In P Giss I. 36.21 (ii/B.C.) we have καὶ ἀνενη ]νόχατε συγγρα (φὰς) ὠνῆς καὶ ἀποστασίου κατ᾽ αὐτῶν, and in BGU III. 919.28 (ii/A.D.) we have ἀκολ [ο ]ύθως ᾧ π [α ]ρεθ [έ ]μ (ην) ῢ ̣̣μ ̣ι ̣̑[ν ἀ ]ντιγρ (άφῳ) ἀποστασίου τ [οῦ πα ]τρός μου Ὀνησικράτους κληρον [όμου τ ]ῶν προγεγρα (μμένων) μου ἀδελφῶν τετ [ελ (ευτηκότων)]. In this last instance ἀποστασίου may be short for συγγραφῆς ἀποστασίου, or it may be the gen. of ἀποστάσιον used as in Matthew 5:31, an abbreviation of the fuller phrase. (It might even be conjectured that in Mt l. c. the original reading was ἀποστασίου and not –ον : in its presumed original, Deuteronomy 24:1, βιβλίον was expressed.) A good parallel for this kind of abbreviation is ἡ ἀπερίσπαστος in P Oxy VI. 898.18 (A.D. 123), for what is called in .15 γράμματα ἀπερ [ισπ ]άστου : it is ";a deed of indemnification, distinguished by the formula ἀπερίσπαστον παρέξεσθαι or an equivalent phrase"; (Edd.)—just as we talk of nisi prius actions. The specializing of this term for divorce is not paralleled in our documents, but it was clearly the nearest word to use to represent the Hebrew phrase. See also Wilcken Archiv iv. p. 456.

It may be added that in Coptic Ostraca 72 (ed. Crum), as translated on p. 13, we find an abbreviation of ἀποστάσιον used with reference to ";a deed of divorce"; in an episcopal circular.

 

αποστάσει αποστάσεις αποστασίαι αποστασιον αποστάσιον ἀποστάσιον αποστασιου αποστασίου ἀποστασίου αποστάται αποστάτας αποστατείτε αποστάτην αποστατήσαι αποστάτιν αποστάτις αποστατούντας apostasion apostásion apostasiou apostasíou