1077. Amulet: St. Matthew's Gospel iv. Find an explanation of the colors displayed in the Greek text here.
6 x 11.1 cm.	Sixth century
This curious relic contains verses 23-4 (both, but especially the latter, reduced by omissions) of the fourth chapter of St. Matthew, written out most probably as an amulet. Verse 23, "And Jesus went about all Galilee," &c., is preceded by the title 'The gospel of healing according to Matthew'; cf. Berliner Klassikertexte, VI. vii. i. 17-20, where this same twenty-third verse is incorporated in an amulet containing the opening words of the four gospels besides other biblical citations, and 1151. In the present case the words are inscribed on an oblong piece of thin vellum in five columns, and are so arranged as to assume the form of a series of small crosses, which in the first and last column are emphasized by a surrounding border. Each column contains three such crosses except the central one, where in the place of the second cross a human bust has been roughly drawn. A further attempt at ornament has been made by cutting out small rectangles between the columns and by notching the edges in such a way that the spaces on which the crosses stand are given an octagonal shape. The disposition is not quite symmetrical, for the first cross has a line more and the last a line less than the others. The date may be as late as the sixth century.
Col. i. ϊα μα τικον  ευ αγγελιο̅ κα τα Ματ θαι ϗ περι ηγεν ο Ις̅̅ ολη̅ τη̅ Γαλιλε αν δι Col. ii. δα σκω̅ και κη ρυσ σω̅ --- το ευ αγγελι ον της --- βα σει λειας ϗ θερα πευ Col. iii. ων πα σαν νοσο̅ και πα --- σαν νο σον ϗ πα σαν μα Col. iv. λα κια̅ εν τω λα ω ϗ α --- πηλ θεν η ακοη αυ του --- εις ολη̅ την Συρι αν και Col. v. προσ ηνεν καν αυ τω τους κα κως εχοντας και εθε ρα πευ σεν αυτους ο Ις̅̅ ---
'Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching [in their syngagogues] and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, [those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics,] and he cured them.' (Source: New Revised Standard Version: St. Matthew 4: 23-24)
11. ο Ι(ησου)ς : so אCD, after Γαλιλαιαν EKM, &c., T(extus)-R(eceptus); om. B, W(estcott)-H(ort). 12-15. ολην την Γαλιλ<αι>αν : so אbDEKM, &amp;c., T-R; εν ολη (om. א*) τη Γαλιλαια א*BC, W-H. 16-18. εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτων is omitted after διδασκων. 38-40. The dittography of νοσον κ(αι) πασαν was no doubt due to the recurrence of πασαν. 46-8. απηλθεν: so BDEKM, &c., T-R, W-H; εξηλθεν אC. 53. ολην: πασαν א. 61. τους: παντας τους MSS. 64. After εχοντας the ordinary text continues ποικίλαις νόσοις καὶ βασάνοις συνεχομένους [καὶ] διαμονιζομένους καὶ σεληνιαζομένους καὶ παραλιτικούς. 70. ο Ι(ησου)ς : om. MSS.