Collections.

        One of the papyri found at Oxyrhynchus and dating from the second century (Oxyrhynchus Papyrus xviii. 2192) clearly shows how such collections would come into existence.

        “Make copies,” its unknown author writes, “of Books VI and VII of Hypsicrates' Characters in Comedy and send them to me. For Harpocration says that they are among Potion's books. But it is likely that others also have acquired them. He also has prose epitomes of Thersagoras' worlc On Tragic Myths.[97] According to Harpocration, Demetrius the bookseller has them. I have instructed Apollonides to send me certain books of my own which you will hear of, in good time, from Seleucus himself. If you find any, apart from those I have acquired, make copies and send them to me. Diodorus and his friends also have some which I have not acquired.”

        As the editors point out, this letter reflects the activities of a group of friends at Oxyrhynchus, all interested in building their libraries by hiring copyists and, occasionally, buying books. Such libraries were often cataloged, and among the papyri quite a few booklists have been found. Indeed, an Oxford papyrus of the early fourth century gives a partly legible list of Christian books in the library of some individual or community.[98] The manuscrips in the collection include the “Shepherd” (of Hermas), “Origen” (title lost), “Leviticus,” “Job and…” (the rest is lost), “Acts of the Apostles,” “Apa Bal” (?), “Song of Songs,” “Origen on John,” “Wxodus-Numbers,” and the “Great Book” (probably the Four Gospels).