Fifth-century Christian text turns up under floor in Egypt,

[Primus Pilus]

A year after the Romans packed up their shields in AD410 and left Britain to the mercy of the Anglo-Saxons, a scribe in Edessa, in what is modern day Turkey, was preparing a list of martyrs who had perished in defence of the relatively new Christian faith in Persia.

 

In a margin he dated the list November 411. Unfortunately for the martyrs, history forgot them. At some point, this page became detached from the book it belonged to. Since 1840, the volume has been one of the treasures of the British Library. It is known only by its catalogue code: ADD 12-150...

 

The Independent

[Nephele]

"Many of the names on this list we have not come across before. So it gives us a lot of clues about that half of that century."

 

I do hope they publish what they've been able to get off the fragments.

 

-- Nephele

[DecimusCaesar]

I't would be great to have a look at the list - especially considering the influence that Sassanid persecution of Christians had on the Roman psyche. These religious persecutions got very bad during the reign of Heraclius during the Byzantine Period. At one time the Persians had whipped the people of Jerusalem up into rebellion after the ill treatment they had suffered at the hands of the Romano-Byzantines.

[Melvadius]

I'd be a bit happier about the accuracy of this news story if the correct book reference number had been listed.

 

The British Library on-line reference search didn't bring up anything for "ADD 12-150" however with a search on other sites it appears that the correct reference may actually be "BM Add 12.150" and using that there are two works in the British Library listed under "add.12150". I suppose we now wait to see what is published in the appropriate scientific journals for more informaiton on what has actually been found.