Re: IAW Kurios Pantokrator = Jehovah/YHWH?

From: Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Date: Thu Aug 07 1997 - 18:25:33 EDT


At 05:57 PM 8/7/97 -0400, LegoMan07@aol.com wrote:
>While researching in BAGD under "Eimi," there was a reference to PMich 155,3
>(2nd century) hO QEOS hO IAW KURIOS PANTOKRATOR. I think that IAW was a
>Greek transliteration of YHWH in the Koine period as "Jehovah" is an English
>transliteration.
>
>I do not have a reference to PMich. 155 and was hoping that someone could
>give me a reference to where I could find a commentary on this citation.

I don't have a commentary either, but it may interest you to know that PMich
155,3 is available on the Web! I found this description at
"http://www.hti.umich.edu/exhibit/magic/rb.display.html":

4. PMich 3, 155 (=inv. 193) = PGM LXXI

                         Egypt
                         2nd or 3rd century A.D.
                         Papyrus

Text: An amulet: Great heavenly one who turns the universe, the God who is,
Ia™, Lord, ruler of all, ablanathalaabla, grant, grant me favor. I shall
have the name of the great God in this amulet; and protect me from every
evil thing, me whom NN bore, NN begot.

This individual Greek spell was to be written on an amulet (Gk.
"phylaktrion," whence our "phylactery"), and the client's identity would
have been specified in place of the NN. It was an all-purpose amulet. Note
the appeal to Ia™ (probably pronounced Iaho), the Jewish God, as well as the
(misspelled) "ablanathanalba" palindrome (a word which reads the same
forwards and backwards), one of the commonest voces magicae in late antique
magic -- see nos. 5, 7, and 40.

>Also, where can I find more information on the Greek word IAW, it's origin
>and use? I am aware that it was later used in an ignominious fashion by
>certain groups, but did it have honorable origins?

Well, the above text says a little about the meaning, but I can't tell you
anything beyond that.

>References to any commentaries, reference works, or scholarly opinion would
>be appreciated.
 
You can also see the papyrus itself at this URL:
"http://www.hti.umich.edu/exhibit/magic/images/04.jpg". I always find
papyrii really hard to read, but interesting to look at ;->

Jonathan

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