Aphedron
Aphedron is a Greek word for latrine.
Because the word occurs only once in the New Testament (Mark 7:19), and was unknown in classical texts, Martin Luther translated the word as meaning the bowel.[1] Likewise during the 19th Century various scholars assumed it was a euphemism for the human bowel.[2]. However the discovery and publication of an inscription at Pergamos confirmed that the word means latrine [3] [4]
Besides which the Mark 7:19 verse says "out into the afedron, cleaning all meats" which makes no sense if the meat is still lodged in the lower intestine. [5]
Inscription
The following is a transcription and translation of the relevant text from Lex de astynomis Pergamenorum (Law of the town clerks of Pergamos) using the BGreek transliteration scheme.
- 483.220 AFEDRWNWN = Concerning privies.
- OI ASTUNOMOI = the town clerks
EPIMELEIAN = care (f.acc.) POIESQWSAN = shall make TWN TE = of the DHMOSIWN = public AFEDRWNWN = privies, KAI TWN = and of EX AUTWN = out of them UPONOMWN = sewers pl. KAI EAN = and if TINE = some MH STEGANOI = not covers/lids pl. UPARCWSIN = already in existence KAI TWN.... = and of (text broken)
Translation: Concerning WCs. The town clerks shall maintain the public WCs and their outpipes. And if some of them are not covered and of them... (text broken)
References
- ^ Markus 7:19 Denn es gehet nicht in sein Herz, sondern in den Bauch und gehet aus durch den natürlichen Gang, der alle Speise ausfeget. 1545
- ^ Dunglison R, Medical lexicon: a dictionary of medical science 1855 Page 88
- ^ Perseus database
- ^ Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae, ed. W. Dittenberger, Leipzig 1903-5 p.105
- ^ James Hope Moulton and George Milligan The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament