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On the front of the shaft is an epigram of three hexameter verses, neatly engraved on a slightly sunk panel, every letter of which is unmistakably legible. The panel is 27·5 cm. high and 11 cm. broad, and the letters are 1·5 cm. in height. The script shows the influence of the cursive writing in the ‘lunar’ forms of ΕСΩ the slight prolongation of the right-hand stroke of ΑΔΛ above the top of the left-hand stroke, and the curved form of Μ but the letters are not tall, narrow, and crowded, as is often the case with the cursive script. A has an unbroken cross-bar, the straight stroke of ⊖ touches the circumference on both sides, and the horizontal stroke of Θ extends to right and left considerably beyond the verticals. All letters are represented except ΖΞΦΨ The ends of many strokes are thickened so as to form rudimentary serifs. The syllabic division of words is strictly observed, though this has necessitated the introduction of a leaf-ornament to fill the vacant space at the end of 1. 5 and the continuation of 1. 8 beyond the edge of the panel. A mark of punctuation like a Greek colon indicates the close of the first metrical verse.
1 
occurs in Kretschmer, P. and Locker, E., Rückläufiges Wörterbuch, 508, but this word is not recognised by Liddell and Scott, who give only ‘χρυσέμπαικτος,ον, inlaid with gold, BGU 781 iv 1 (i a. D.)’, a word also recorded by Kretschmer and Locker. In his copy of BGU A. S. Hunt underlined -κτος and wrote ‘= στος’ in the margin, but I am uncertain whether he regarded στος as the true reading of the papyrus or as a possible synonym. No other -παικτος compounds are known, and this would be more naturally derived from παίƷω than from ταίω.
2 Since writing the above I have consulted Prof. G. W. H. Lampe, who has kindly filled some of the gaps in my knowledge. He points out that πίστεις, meaning ‘works of faith’, occurs in the LXX, Prov. xiv. 22, xv. 27, coupled with 
and that Procopius of Gaza, commenting on the former passage, speaks of 
(Patrol. Gracc. 871, 1365A); also that εύχή is very frequently used bythe Fathers with the meaning ‘prayer’, as in Origen's homily 
and that γνώμη too is common in patristic literature with a wide variety of senses—indeed, John of Damascus asserts that 
(Patrol. Graec. 94. 1045B). Prof. Lampe's impression of the epigram is that it is neither pagan nor fully Christian, but betrays either a ‘sub-Christian’ religious attitude or Jewish thought as expressed in Ecclesiasticus and other similar Jewish writings.
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