# λάβετε φάγετε· τούτο μού εστι το σώμα το υπέρ υμών κλώμενον



## Xenxoo

Dear members of the Forum,

My family and I have just found this text written on what it's supposed to be an antique plate. We have tried to use our knowledge on ancient greek to translate, but we haven't been able... The plate is a silver one, showing this piece of text around the image of the crucifixion, two angels and two apostols. The text is as shown below (there might some mistakes due to transcription, and we are not sure where the words split from each other). 

We'd be appreciated if anyone could help us!!

"λαρετεφαΓετoΥτoεΣτιΝτοΣωμαμουτουπερυμωνκλωμενονειΣαπεςιναμαρτιων"

Best regards,

Xenxoo


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## ireney

Hello Xenxoo. The actual text (as you may see in the corrected title of the thread) is: "λάβετε φάγετε· τούτο μού εστι το σώμα το υπέρ υμών κλώμενον". It's a quote from Corinthians 11:24. It means (and I'm quoting the new King James translation) "“Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you:"


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## sotos

It's Mattheus 26, 26


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## ireney

Whoops! I'm afraid I have forgotten most of my Bible. I remember  what it says but it looks like I can't be trusted with the quote's place. My apologies, I  should habe looked it up!


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## uress

Λάβετε, φάτε, τούτο ΕΙΝΑΙ το Σώμα μου υπέρ υμών κλώμενον εις άφεσιν αμαρτιών.

*Its actually NOT from the New Testament (only based on it).*

* It IS actually from the (Latin) catholic liturgy (Institution Narrative):*

Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken*** for you for the remission of sins.

(***=or other times, depending on the translation: given)


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## Xenxoo

ireney said:


> Hello Xenxoo. The actual text (as you may see in the corrected title of the thread) is: "λάβετε φάγετε· τούτο μού εστι το σώμα το υπέρ υμών κλώμενον". It's a quote from Corinthians 11:24. It means (and I'm quoting the new King James translation) "“Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you:"


Thank you so much! That's been really helpful! It actually helped us find all data about the plate and trace back its origins. Effectively, it seems to be an old Bizantine plate  (.. we just hope it's not a forgery)

Really appreciate it!

Best regards

Xenxoo


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## sotos

uress said:


> Λάβετε, φάτε, τούτο ΕΙΝΑΙ το Σώμα μου υπέρ υμών κλώμενον εις άφεσιν αμαρτιών.
> 
> *Its actually NOT from the New Testament (only based on it).*
> 
> * It IS actually from the (Latin) catholic liturgy (Institution Narrative):*
> 
> Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken*** for you for the remission of sins.


Did the Catholic Liturgy exist before the New Testament?


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## Αγγελος

uress said:


> Λάβετε, φάτε, τούτο ΕΙΝΑΙ το Σώμα μου υπέρ υμών κλώμενον εις άφεσιν αμαρτιών.
> 
> *Its actually NOT from the New Testament (only based on it).*
> 
> * It IS actually from the (Latin) catholic liturgy (Institution Narrative):*
> 
> Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken*** for you for the remission of sins.
> 
> (***=or other times, depending on the translation: given)



To be pedantically precise:
1. EINAI only means "is" in Modern Greek. In Ancient Greek it was only an infinitive, meaning "to be". So what you say can't be right.
2. In fact, Matthew and Mark give Jesus' words just as "τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου". Luke gives the fuller variant "τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον" (=this is my body, which is being given for you). John does not mention those words.
3. Still, the full sentence "λάβετε φάγετε· τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ σῶμα τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν" (=this is my body, which is being broken for you; do this in my remembrance) DOES come from the New Testament, namely from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 24, in a paragraph that specifically deals with the correct celebration of and participation in the Eucharist.
4. It is this form of Jesus' words (with the addition of the words "εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν" = for the remission of sins) that was taken over into St. Basil's and St. John Chrysostom's Liturgies, used by the Orthodox Church to this day.


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