[split] f28v

[-JKP-]

The problem with such a discussion is that it goes from A to Z to Omega to IHS. It takes me too much time to comment properly, which I will not attempt.

@JKP. I state you are incorrect regarding capital Omega. What bold statements you make often, based on your own experience or knowledge but there are no references. Your Images from things, although very nice, are not proof of such. 
Your findings are probably based on LATIN MANUSCRIPTS. I have many Coptic and Greek manuscripts where Latin was NOT used. In those manuscripts Latin characters were very uncommon, but it does not mean that Latin was very uncommon in that period and place!

David, I'm not sure what you mean. I think you might be completely misunderstanding my intention.

I only stated how it could be read in Latin because I see this as a brainstorming thread. I was not debating your post. I was adding to the list.

We don't know what it is, so I try to get out as many different ideas as possible. This way we have a record of all the possibilities, including how it would be read in Latin.

You stated the Greek interpretation, so I added the Latin one. If I can think of one in old Russian (which used a few of the Coptic Greek shapes, but not the exact same scribal conventions), I'll add that too. If there's one that works in Amharic, I'll add that too. It doesn't mean that I'm arguing against the Greek one, of course it's more likely to be in Greek if the Greek letter is used. But we should also include some of the possibilities that are a little less obvious.


I am not even convinced it is text. The person might have started drawing something in the middle and then changed his or her mind or was interrupted. But I believe in keeping an open mind and exploring the possibility that it is text.

I also have spent a lot of time looking at (and reading) Greek manuscripts. I can't read them very well, I only know a tiny bit of Greek, but if it's a subject I know, like plants or calendars, I can figure out a little more. I've spent a lot of time looking at plant labels in Greek and have translated many of them.

If you look at my previous post, you'll see that I argued FOR the idea that if it is Greek omega, then it would have to be someone more familiar with Greek culture than the average person. It was unusual for the uppercase omega to be used in the Middle Ages. The examples I posted from Greek manuscripts all used the lowercase form, not the uppercase form. This might be important! If it turned out to be omega, this might help localize the manuscript, because we happen to know where the significant Greek colonies were at the time.

Of course, if it's not omega, if it's a Leo symbol, or a drawing, or IHS, none of this will be relevant. THAT'S why I think it's important to get a LIST of ideas, so we have Plan B and Plan C and Plan D if Plan A doesn't work out. That's why I believe in brainstorming rather than forming theories too soon.