L'inno al Padre delle luci in P. Kell. Gr. 92: Analisi delle problematiche del testo alla luce del suo contesto culturale e delle evidenze materiali

We propose the reading of a short fragmentary hymn in Greek, found on a papyrus belonging to the Manichaean community of the Roman site of Kellis, and we try to place it in its complex cultural and historical-religious context. The attribution of the text is due to the place of discovery, common to other texts certainly Manichaean, and to extratextual elements (miniature writing) that characterize its production in that area. The text presents itself as a hymn of praise to the figure of the Father, celebrated in his attributes of greatness and transcendence with respect to the faithful who supplicate him, and insists on his uniqueness in the role of organizer of the cosmos. Although it does not use a technical vocabulary, the analysis of the text attentive to doctrinal questions, and the discovery of parallels with Coptic and Iranian poetic texts has contributed to shedding light on the theological meaning of the text and the historical-religious categories underlying it. Furthermore, the material condition in which the text was transmitted, as well as the cultural context of Kellis, have proven to be essential elements of analysis for understanding the text.