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Document Details :

Title: The Second Life of the El Hibeh Literary Papyri
Subtitle: A Case Study
Author(s): MALTOMINI, Francesca
Journal: Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists
Volume: 56    Date: 2019   
Pages: 145-160
DOI: 10.2143/BASP.56.0.3286652

Abstract :
The unusually high percentage of literary texts among the papyri extracted from the El Hibeh cartonnages has attracted scholarly attention since their editio princeps, and the possibility that these papyri come from a discarded library suggests an interesting picture. However, a careful analysis of their material features is needed to verify whether these literary texts share a common provenance. What is more, a considerable number of El Hibeh papyri bear writing on the verso as well, providing evidence of a second (documentary) life that needs to be further investigated. A case study will show how this reuse can yield information that helps reconstruct the path followed by this important group of texts.

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