Translating Oriental Words into Greek - A Papyrus Glossary from the 1st Century CE

The glossary preserved in the first- century CE papyrus P.Oxy 1802 + 4812 stands out as an exception: along with items clearly stemming from dialects (Doric, Rhodian, Euboean, etc.), it carries several entries that are said to belong to “Persian” (Old Persian), “Babylonian” (Akkadian), or “Chaldaean” (probably Aramaic). Arranged in strict alphabetical order, and committed to no apparent thematic choice (several items, though by no means all, concern ritual, myth, or natural history), the glossary embraces words occurring in other written sources—indeed, most entries are equipped with the indication of the source-text in which they appear.