Bible Lexicons

P Petr II. 11 (1).5 (iii/B.C.) (= Selections, p. 7) ἀπὸ τούτου (a sum of 70 drachmae) τὸ μὲν ἥμυσυ εἰς τὰ δέοντα ὑπελιπόμην : the word is almost always so written in papyri of iii/B.C., while in the two following centuries ἥμυσυ and ἥμισυ occur with almost equal frequency, see Mayser Gr. p. 100 f. Deissmann (BS, p. 186) gives a number of exx. of the gen. ἡμίσους from Imperial times, and cites ἥμισον μέρος from BGU I. 183.41 (A.D. 85) as probably from a vulgar form ἥμισος common in Egypt (cf. Jannaris Gr, § 401b). For neut. plur. ἡμίση see P Lond 265.55 (i/A.D.) (= II. p. 261) εἰς ἡμίση. Other exx. of the word from Imperial times are P Ryl II. 76.5 (late ii/A.D.) τὸ κατ᾽ ἐμὲ ἥμισυ μέρος τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῆς, ib. 168.12 (A.D. 120) κατὰ τὸ ἥμισυ, ";by halves,"; and Meyer Ostr 19.7 (A.D. 170) Μιῦις σεσ ̣η (μείωμαι) γόμ (ον) ἕνα ἥμισυ τρίτον, where ἥμισυ is indeclinable as in the variant τὰ ἥμισυ of Luke 19:8 (cf. LXX Tobit 10:10, and see WH Notes.2, p. 165). Add P Tebt I. 110.5 (B.C. 92 or 59) πυρῶν ἀρτάβας εἴκοσι τέσσαρες ἥμισυ, ";24½ artabae of wheat,"; BGU I. 290.13 (A.D. 150) πυροῦ. . . ἀδόλου ἀρτᾶβην μῖαν ἥμισυ, and ib. III. 920.14 (A.D. 180–1) τῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀρουρῶν τ [ρ ]ιῶν ἥμισυ τετάρτου καθαρῶν. Also P Oxy II. 277.4 f. (B.C. 19), a lease of 36¾ arourae—ἀρούρ (ας) τριάκοντα ἓξ ἥμισυ τέταρτον, the produce of which was to be shared ";equally";—ἐφ᾽ ἡμεσίᾳ (l. ἡμισείᾳ)—between landlord and tenant. Aphaeresis of the initial vowel produces the MGr μισός, μισή, μισό, but in connexion with other numbers (ἥ)μισυ is used, as in P Tebt I. 110 (v. supra).