Bible Lexicons

";seal."; In P Oxy VI. 932.6 (late ii/A.D.) ἂν ἔρχῃ ἄφες ἀρτάβας ἓξ ἰς τοὺς σάκκους σφραγίσας λαχανοσπέρμου ἵνα πρόχιροι ὦσι, ";if you come, take out six artabae of vegetable-seed, sealing it in the sacks in order that they may be ready"; (Edd.), we have clear confirmation of Deissmann’s view (BS p. 238 f.) that by Paul’s καρπὸν σφαγίζεσθαι in Romans 15:28 we are to understand the Apostle as meaning that all the proper steps had been taken with regard to the collection. ";If the fruit is sealed, then everything is in order : the sealing is the last thing that must be done prior to delivery."; Cf. also P Hib I. 39.15 (B.C. 265) where with reference to the embarkation upon a government transport of a quantity of corn, instructions are given that the shipmaster is to write a receipt, and further—δεῖγμα σφραγισάσ [θ ]ω, ";let him seal a sample,"; obviously to prevent the corn from being tampered with during its transit (Edd.).

Other exx, of the verb with varied applications are BGU I. 248.23 (i/A.D.) πέμψας μοι διὰ Σαβείνου ἐσφραγισμένας δραχμὰς εἴκοσι, P Oxy I. 116.17 (ii/A.D.) ἔπεμψα ὑμεῖν. . . κ [ί ]στην σταφυλῆς λείαν καλῆς καὶ σφυρίδα φοίνικος καλοῦ ἐσφραγι (σμένας), ";I send you a box of very excellent grapes and a basket of excellent dates under seal"; (Edd.), ib. III. 528.16 (ii/A.D.) ἔδωκα τῇ ι ̄β ̄ μετὰ τῶν σῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἐσ íσ ýφραγιζμένα, ";I gave the letter sealed (to the messenger) on the 12th together with letters for you (?)"; (Edd.), ib. VI. 929.13 (ii/iii A.D.) ταῦτα δὲ πάντα σ ̣υν ̣ενῆι εἰς τὸν χιτῶνα τὸν καροῖνον, καὶ ἐσφραγίσθη γῇ λευκῇ, ";all these were inside the brown tunic, and it was sealed with white clay"; (Edd.) (cf. Job 38:14), P Tebt II. 413.6 (ii/iii A.D.) τὸ χαρτάριν ἔλαβεν Σερηνίων ἐσ íσ ýφραγισμένον, ";Serenion took the papyrus sealed,"; P Lond 171 b.15 (iii/A.D.) (= II. p. 176) διέθετό μοι διαθήκην α [ὐ ]τοῦ ἐσφραγισμένην, and P Oxy XIV. 1677.7 (iii/A.D.) τὸ ἐντολικὸν Πτολεμαΐτος ὡς ἔδ [ω ]κεν ̣ μοι ἐσφραγισμένον, ";the order for Ptolemais sealed as he gave it to me"; (Edd.). From the idea of sealing for security, it is an easy transition to ";seal up,"; ";hide,"; ";conceal,"; as in Revelation 10:4; Revelation 22:10. Again, the verb passes into the sense ";distinguish,"; ";mark,"; as when, in P Tebt II. 419.5 (iii/A.D., an agent is instructed—πέμψον τὴν ὄνον ὅπως σφραγισθῇ, ";send the ass to be branded"; (cf. Revelation 7:3 ff), and from this again into ";confirm,"; ";authenticate,"; as in Chrest. I. 89.5 (A.D. 149), where it is certified regarding an animal for sacrifice—κ ]αὶ δοκιμάσας ἐσφράγισα ὡς ἔστιν καθαρός (cf. John 6:27).

The compd. ἐπισφραγίζω occurs in P Oxy III. 471.17 (ii/A.D.) ὁ μὲν γὰρ τελευταῖος ὑπομνημα [τ ]ισμὸς [ἐ ]πισφραγίζει τὴν δούλην αὐτοῦ, ";for the last memorandum confirms (the question of) his slave (?)"; (Edd.), and συνσφραγίζω in BGU IV. 1204.3 (B.C. 28) ̣τ ̣α ̣π ̣ρ ̣ο, ̣ς ̣Π ̣α ̣νίσκον γράμματα συνεσφράγισμαι ὑμεῖν, and P Ryl II. 90.9, .44 (early iii/A.D.).

In his Ant. Kunstprosa ii. p. 477 Norden advocates a connexion of the Pauline σφραγίζεσθαι with the language of the Greek mysteries, but see Anrich, Das Mysterienwesen, p. 120 ff.

Fine specimens of sealed rolls may be soen in the table attached to the edition of the Elephantine Papyri issued along witli the Berlin Urkunden. Cf. also Archiv v. p. 384, No. 76. On sealing as a protection against falsification in the case of written documents, Erman’s important art. in Mélanges Nicole, p. 126 ff. should be consulted.

 

συναναβάντες συναναβασαι συναναβάσαι συναναβᾶσαι συναναβασιν συναναβάσιν συναναβᾶσιν συναναβήναι συναναβήσεται συνανέβη συνανέβησαν sunanabasai sunanabasin synanabasai synanabâsai synanabasin synanabâsin