Drei Bischöfe von Syene namens Joseph. Inschriften, Tonlämpchen und ein Strakon

This paper discusses the documentary evidence of the last three known bishops from Late Antique and early Islamic Syene/Aswan (5th/6thto 8th/9th cent. Ad). All three bear the name of Joseph, two of them, Joseph (II) and (III), are known from already published inscriptions. A new bishop, Joseph (I), occurs for the first time in a Greek ostracon from Elephantine, which is edited here for the first time. A bishop Joseph appears, moreover, on a series of pink clay lamps, which were found, among others, in Adulis (modern Eritrea). A lamp mold with the name of a bishop Joseph, excavated by Charles Clermont-Ganneau on Elephantine, permits the allocation of these Joseph-lamps to Syene as well.