Nomina sacra means "sacred names" in Latin, and can be used to refer to traditions of abbreviated writing of several frequently occurring divine names or titles in early Greek language

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 Holy Scripture. Bruce Metzger's book Manuscripts of the Greek Bible lists 15 such expressions from Greek papyri: the Greek counterparts of God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Son, Spirit, David, cross, Mother, Father, Israel, Savior, Man, Jerusalem, and Heaven. The nomen sacrum for mother did not appear until the 4th century CE, but all other Nomina Sacra have been found in Greek manuscripts from the 1st - 3rd Centuries CE. The contractions were indicated with overline

Overline

An overline or overbar or overscore , refers to the typographical feature of a line drawn immediately above the text, for example used to indicate medieval sigla. Specifically, a line drawn over one symbol is a macron, and a line over a collection of symbols is a vinculum...

s.

There has been a dispute about the nature of Nomina sacra, whether they represent a mere shorthand or these overlined words indeed bear a sacred meaning.

Starting in the 2nd century the nomina sacra were sometimes shortened by contraction in Christian inscriptions, resulting in sequences of Greek letters such as IH (iota-eta), IC (iota-sigma), or IHC (iota-eta-sigma) for Jesus (Greek Iēsous), and XC (chi-sigma), XP (chi-ro) and XPC (chi-rho-sigma) for Christ (Greek Christos). Here "C" represents the "lunate" form of Greek sigma; sigma could also be transcribed into the Latin alphabet by sound, giving IHS and XPS.

This tradition is also observed in Old Nubian and Cyrillic

Cyrillic alphabet

The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...

 manuscripts. See titlo

Titlo

Titlo is an extended diacritic symbol initially used in old Cyrillic manuscripts, e.g., in Old Church Slavonic and Old East Slavic languages. The word is a borrowing from the Greek "", "title"...

.

List of Greek Nomina Sacra

English Meaning	Greek Word	Nominative (Subject)	Genitive (Possessive)
God	Θεός	ΘΣ	ΘΥ
Lord	Κύριος	ΚΣ	ΚΥ
Jesus		ΙΣ	ΙΥ
Christ/Messiah		ΧΣ	ΧΥ
Son		ΥΣ	ΥΥ
Spirit/Ghost		ΠΝΑ	ΠΝΣ
David		ΔΑΔ
Cross/Stake	Σταυρός	ΣΤΣ	ΣΤΥ
Mother	Μήτηρ	ΜΗΡ	ΜΗΣ
Father	Πατήρ	ΠΗΡ	ΠΡΣ
Israel		ΙΗΛ
Savior/Saviour		ΣΗΡ	ΣΡΣ
Man		ΑΝΟΣ	ΑΝΟΥ
Jerusalem		ΙΛΗΜ
Heaven/Heavens		ΟΥΝΟΣ	ΟΥΝΟΥ

New Testament Greek manuscripts containing Nomina Sacra (100 AD - 300 AD)

Greek manuscript	Manuscript date	Nomina Sacra used
1 (P. Oxy. Oxyrhynchus Papyri The Oxyrhynchus Papyri are a very numerous group of manuscripts discovered by archaeologists including Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt at an ancient rubbish dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt . The manuscripts date from the 1st to the 6th century AD. They include thousands of Greek and...  2)	~250	ΙΥ ΙΣ ΧΥ ΥΥ ΚΥ ΠΝΣ
4 Papyrus 4 Papyrus 4 is an early New Testament papyri of the Gospel of Luke in Greek. It is dated as being a late 2nd/early 3rd century manuscript.- Description :...  (Suppl. Gr. 1120)	150–225	ΘΣ ΘΥ ΚΥ ΚΣ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΟΣ ΠΝΑ ΧΣ ΙΥ ΙΣ
5 (P. Oxy. 208 + 1781)	~250	ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΘΥ
9 (P. Oxy. 402)	~250	ΘΣ ΧΡΣ
12 (P. Amherst. 3b)	~285	ΘΣ
13 Papyrus 13 Papyrus 13, designated by siglum in the Gregory-Aland numbering, is a fragmented manuscript of the New Testament in Greek. It was copied on papyrus in the 3rd century at approximately 225-250 CE.- Description :...  (P. Oxy. 657 + PSI 1292)	225–250	ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΙΣ ΙΝ ΙΥ ΚΣ ΚΥ
15 (P. Oxy. 1008)	200–300	ΚΩ ΚΥ ΧΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΠΝΑ ΘΝ ΚΜΟΥ
16 (P. Oxy. 1009)	250–300	ΘΥ ΙΥ ΧΩ
17 (P. Oxy. 1078)	~300	Θ
18 (P. Oxy. 1079)	250–300	ΙΗ ΧΡ ΘΩ
20 (P. Oxy. 1171)	200–250	ΠΝΣ ΚΝ ΘΥ
22 Papyrus 22 Boom! Boom! The Explosion of Irish Comedy was a four-part Irish television programme broadcast on RTÉ One in 2008. Presented by Colm Meaney it focused on the positive changes that occurred in Irish comedy during the Celtic Tiger years...  (P. Oxy. 1228)	200–250	ΠΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΑ ΙΗΣ ΑΝΟΣ
24 Papyrus 24 Madí is an international abstract art movement initiated in Buenos Aires in 1946 by the Hungarian-Argentinian artist and poet Gyula Kosice and the Uruguayans Carmelo Arden Quin and Rhod Rothfuss.-Concrete art:...  (P. Oxy. 1230)	~300	ΠΝΑ ΘΥ
27 Papyrus 27 "Appelle mon numéro" is a 2008 song recorded by French singer Mylène Farmer. Released on 3 November 2008, it was the second single from her seventh studio album, Point de Suture. It received generally positive reviews from critics and was more aired on radio and television than Farmer's previous...  (P. Oxy. 1395)	200–250	ΘΥ ΚΩ
28 Papyrus 28 Harry Jarman was a Welsh international forward who played club rugby for Newport and Pontypool. He won four caps for Wales and also played for the British Isles in their 1910 tour of South Africa...  (P. Oxy. 1596)	255–300	ΙΣ ΙΝ
29 (P. Oxy. 1597)	200–250	ΘΣ ΘΝ
30 (P. Oxy. 1598)	200–250	ΚΥ ΚΝ ΘΩ ΙΗΥ
32 (P. Rylands 5)	150–200	ΘΥ
35 (PSI 1)	~300	ΚΣ ΚΥ
37 (P. Mich. Inv. 1570)	~260	ΚΕ ΙΗΣ ΠΝΑ ΙΗΣΥ
38 (P. Mich. Inv. 1571)	~225	ΧΡΝ ΠΝΑ ΚΥ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΥ ΠΝΤΑ
39 (P. Oxy. 1780)	200–300	ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΙΗΣ
40 (P. Heidelberg G. 645)	200–300	ΘΣ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΙΥ ΧΩ ΧΥ
45 Papyrus 45 Papyrus 45 is an early New Testament manuscript which is a part of the Chester Beatty Papyri. It was probably created around 250 in Egypt. It contains the texts of Matthew 20-21 and 25-26; Mark 4-9 and 11-12; Luke 6-7 and 9-14; John 4-5 and 10-11; and Acts 4-17...  (P. Chester Beatty Chester Beatty Papyri The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri or simply the Chester Beatty Papyri are a group of early papyrus manuscripts of biblical texts. The manuscripts are in Greek and are of Christian origin. There are eleven manuscripts in the group, seven consisting of portions of Old Testament books, three...  I)	~250	ΚΕ ΚΣ ΚΝ ΚΥ ΣΡΝΑΙ ΙΗ ΙΥ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΙ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΘΣ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΠΝΑ ΥΝ ΥΕ ΥΣ ΥΩ ΣΡΝ ΧΡ
46 (P. Chester Beatty II + P. Mich. Inv. 6238)	175–225	ΚΕ ΚΝ ΚΥ ΚΩ ΚΣ ΧΡΩ ΧΡΥ ΧΡΝ ΧΝ ΧΣ ΧΩ ΧΥ ΧΡΣ ΙΗΥ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ ΘΩ ΘΥ ΘΝ ΘΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΥΙΥ ΥΙΝ ΥΙΣ ΥΝ ΣΤΡΕΣ ΣΤΡΝ ΣΤΡΩ ΣΤΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΟΥ ΕΣΤΡΟΝ ΕΣΤΡΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΝ ΣΤΟΥ ΑΙΜΑ ΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΟΝ ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΟΙΣ ΠΡΙ ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΙΥ
47 (P. Chester Beatty III)	200–300	ΘΥ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΑΘΝ ΚΣ ΚΕ ΚΥ ΕΣΤΡΩ ΠΝΑ ΧΥ ΠΡΣ
48 (PSI 1165)	200–300	ΥΣ
49 (P. Yale 415 + 531)	200–300	ΚΩ ΘΥ ΘΣ ΙΥ ΠΝ ΧΣ ΧΥ ΧΩ
50 (P. Yal 1543)	~300	ΙΛΗΜ ΠΝΑ ΑΝΟΣ ΘΣ ΘΥ
53 (P. Mich. inv. 6652)	~250	ΠΡΣ ΙΗΣ ΠΕΡ ΚΝ
64 Magdalen papyrus The "Magdalen" papyrus was purchased in Luxor, Egypt in 1901 by Reverend Charles Bousfield Huleatt , who identified the Greek fragments as portions of the Gospel of Matthew and presented them to Magdalen College, Oxford, where they are cataloged as P. Magdalen Greek 17 and whence they have their...  (Gr. 17)	~150	ΙΣ
65 (PSI XIV 1373)	~250	ΧΥ ΘΣ
66 Papyrus 66 Papyrus 66 is a near complete codex of the Gospel of John, and part of the collection known as the Bodmer Papyri.-Description:...  (P. Bodmer Bodmer Papyri The Bodmer Papyri are a group of twenty-two papyri discovered in Egypt in 1952. They are named after Martin Bodmer who purchased them. The papyri contain segments from the Old and New Testaments, early Christian literature, Homer and Menander. The oldest, P66 dates to c. 200. The papyri are kept at...  II + Inv. Nr. 4274/4298	150–200	ΚΣ ΚΥ ΚΕ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΥ ΘΩ ΙΣ ΙΝ ΙΥ ΧΣ ΧΝ ΧΝ ΥΣ ΥΝ ΥΩ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΣ ΠΗΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΠΡΙ ΠΕΡ ΠΡΕΣ ΑΝΟΣ ΑΝΟΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΑΝΩ ΑΝΟΙΣ ΑΝΟΥΣ ΣΡΩ ΣΡΟΝ ΣΡΟΥ ΣΡΘΗ ΣΡΑΤΕ ΣΡΩΣΩ ΕΣΡΑΝ ΕΣΡΘΗ
69 Papyrus 69 Papyrus 69 is a small fragment from the Gospel of Luke dating to the 3rd century.- Description :...  (P. Oxy. 2383)	~200	ΙΗΝ
70 (P. Oxy. 2384 + PSI Inv. CNR 419, 420)	250–300	ΥΝ ΙΣ ΠΗΡ
72 Papyrus 72 Papyrus 72 is an early New Testament papyrus. It contains all the text of 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude. Paleographically it had been assigned to the 3rd or 4th century.- Description :...  (P. Bodmer VII and VIII)	200–300	ΙΥ ΙΗΥ ΙΗΝ ΧΡΥ ΧΡΝ ΧΡΣ ΧΡΩ ΘΥ ΘΣ ΘΝ ΘΩ ΠΡΣ ΠΑΡ ΠΤΡΑ ΠΡΙ ΠΝΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΑΙ ΠΝΙ ΠΝΤΙ ΚΥ ΚΣ ΚΝ ΚΩ ΑΝΟΙ
75 Papyrus 75 Papyrus 75 is an early Greek New Testament papyrus.- Description :Originally '[it] contained about 144 pages ... of which 102 have survived, either in whole or in part.' It 'contains about half the text of ... two Gospels' – Luke and John in Greek...  (P. Bodmer XIV and XV)	175–225
78 (P. Oxy 2684)	250–300	ΚΝ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΝ ΧΡΝ
90 (P. Oxy 3523)	150–200	ΙΗΣ
91 (P. Mil. Vogl. Inv. 1224 + P. Macquarie Inv. 360)	~250	ΘΥ ΘΣ ΠΡΣ ΧΡΝ ΙΗΝ
92 (P. Narmuthis 69.39a + 69.229a)	~300	ΧΡΩ ΚΥ ΘΥ
100 (P. Oxy 4449)	~300	ΚΥ ΚΣ
101 (P. Oxy 4401)	200–300	ΥΣ ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ
106 (P. Oxy 4445)	200–250	ΠΝΑ ΠΝΙ ΧΡΣ ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ
108 (P. Oxy 4447)	175–225	ΙΗΣ ΙΗΝ
110 (P. Oxy. 4494)	~300	ΚΣ
111 (P. Oxy 4495)	200–250	ΙΗΥ
113 (P. Oxy. 4497)	200–250	ΠΝΙ
114 (P. Oxy. 4498)	200–250	ΘΣ
115 Papyrus 115 Papyrus 115 is a fragmented manuscript of the New Testament written in Greek on papyrus. It consists of 12 fragments of a codex containing parts of the Book of Revelation. It dates to the 3rd century, ca. 225-275 AD...  (P. Oxy. 4499)	225–275	ΙΗΛ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΣ ΘΩ ΘΥ ΑΝΩΝ ΠΝΑ ΟΥΝΟΥ ΟΥΝΟΝ ΚΥ ΘΝ ΑΝΟΥ ΟΥΝΩ
121 (P. Oxy. 4805)	~250	ΙΣ ΜΗΙ
0162 Uncial 0162 Codex 0162 , ε 023 , is one vellum leaf of the late third century Greek codex containing John.- Description :...  (P. Oxy 847)	~300	ΙΗΣ ΙΣ ΠΡΣ
0171 Uncial 0171 Uncial 0171 , ε 07 is two vellum leaves of a late third century Greek uncial codex containing fragments Matthew and Luke. In the Berlin Matthew and Florence Luke are taken. Matthew is a part of the Medici Library collection in Florence, Luke – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Uncial 0171 (in the...  (PSI 2.124)	~300	ΚΣ ΙΗΣ
0189 Uncial 0189 Uncial 0189 , is the oldest parchment manuscript of the New Testament.- Description :It consists of a single vellum leaf of a late second or early third century Greek codex, containing only a small part of the Acts of the Apostles.Its history is unknown prior to its current possession by the...  (P. Berlin 11765)	~200	ΑΝΟΣ ΠΝΑ ΚΥ ΚΩ ΙΛΗΜ ΘΩ ΙΣΗΛ
0220 Uncial 0220 Uncial 0220 , is a leaf of a late third century Greek codex containing The Epistle to the Romans.- Description :...  (MS 113)	~300	ΚΝ ΙΥ ΙΝ ΧΥ ΘΥ

Further reading

• Bruce M. Metzger. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible (1981).
• Philip Comfort and David Barett. Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (1999).
• A.H.R.E. Paap, Nomina Sacra in the Greek Papyri of the First Five Centuries, Papyrologica Lugduno-Batava VIII (Leiden 1959).
• Philip Comfort, Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography and Textual Criticism, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005, pp. 199–253.
• Larry W. Hurtado
  Larry W. Hurtado
  Larry Hurtado is a scholar of early Christianity and Emeritus Professor of New Testament Language, Literature and Theology in The University of Edinburgh, Scotland...
  
  , The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins, Cambridge 2006, pp. 95–134.