..please safeguard him from going abroad with the field army

[Ti Cl Nero]

Most probably Abinneus was christian, anyway don't forget the Solar monoteism of Deus Sol Inuictus/Helios/Mithra was still very diffused and confused with the christian worship,

True, but in this circumstance the approach is typically Christian.
More, the first surviving line of the letter :

"[...] a drink of water to one of these little ones shall not lose his reward"

is from Mark's Gospel (ix 41-42), quite an unusual reference to New Testament.

I read this in a more private way - the referral to the family relation and the religious connection makes me think that the writer knew the commander in one way or another

Very good point.
The author of this letter is unknown, but the editors of the collection suggest that this might come from Mios, author of 3 more letters to Abinnaeus from the archive.
In all his 3 other letters Mios treats Abinnaeus as an equal, and he is one of the two only authors to address Abinnaeus as "beloved brother", a Christian type of greeting.
Since the other one is a priest, it is quite likely that this Mios is a local ecclesiastical dignitary too.
It is clear from the other letters they exchanged, that Abinnaeus and Mios had to deal with each other about many different issues, so they certainly knew each other well, at least at an official level, and it sounds plausible that Mios at a certain point decides to ask Abinnaeus for such a personal favour.

Valete

[Tarbicus]

nd he is one of the two only authors to address Abinnaeus as "beloved brother", a Christian type of greeting.

Is it the word "beloved" that makes it christian? Use of familial terms when addressing friends is rife throughout the pre-christian Roman world, and in the military "brother" was a common term to use.

[Ti Cl Nero]

Jim,
I agree with you about general use of this kind of terms (Vindolanda docet!) .
It is the greek form "agapetos adelphos" to be said specifically Christian.
Vale

[Robert Vermaat]

Mios treats Abinnaeus as an equal, and he is one of the two only authors to address Abinnaeus as "beloved brother", a Christian type of greeting.

Christian, sure, but also personal, if the two were related. It just occurred to me that the writer might be related to the commander himself - that would give an even better reason to write such a request. he's not asking a favour for the relative of his wife to someone who knows his wife. More likely, he the link himself, they know each other, and he's asking the commander for a favour on behalf of their relation.

'Beloved brother' could therefore be to a 'brother in the Lord', but also to his own brother.. Or maybe they were friends.

[hoplite14gr]

Hmm.. I do not think that "agapetos adelphos" is used only by Christians.
At least not in this time frame.

Many units if they were old had their origins arround a divinity's shrine where the recruits originally took their oath. Any chance that letter refers to the god patron of their unit?

Kind regards

[Ti Cl Nero]

Hello Stefanos,
many thanks, very interesting note.
I think there are direct references to Christianity, though, particularly the quote from the Gospel, and the sender is not directly related to the unit which Abinnaeus commands, he is a civilian as other letters show.
More, a general study of the whole archive (the study I mentioned in the first post of this topic) seems to show quite conclusively that Abinnaeus was christian, there are too many specific references here and there.
As for the "agapetos adelphos", it is stated in the study that "as it is well known, this epithet is characteristic of christian vocabulary" - the fact that this is stated doesn't necessarily mean that it is true, though, and I am really interetsed in any further comment you may have about that.
Still, this form is used only by another author of letters in the archive, whose christianity is clearly stated.
I am aware, anyway, that this doesn't prove this form to be *only" christian.

Back to what Robert said, it is quite possible, of course, that the two had some kind of deeper relationship.
I think a friendship is more likely - that would be enough.
Or, why not, a relative in law.
In other letters Mios, after dealing with local issues, sends to Abinnaeus "greetings to all in your house individually" , or "greetings to the children and all your household" - which seems to show a good degree of closeness.
Valete