New Testament papyrus

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Verso of Papyrus 37

A New Testament papyrus is a copy of a portion of the New Testament made on papyrus. To date, over one hundred and twenty such papyri are known. In general, they are considered the earliest and best witnesses to the original text of the New Testament.<ref>Nestle-Aland 1996</ref>

This elite status among New Testament manuscripts only began in the 20th century. The grouping was first introduced by Caspar René Gregory, who assigned papyri texts the Blackletter character <math>\mathfrak{P}</math> followed by a superscript number. Before 1900, only 9 papyri manuscripts were known, and only one had been cited in a critical apparatus (<math>\mathfrak{P}</math>¹¹ by Constantin von Tischendorf). These 9 papyri were just single fragments, except for <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>¹⁵, which consisted of a single whole leaf.<ref>Aland 1996, pp. 83-84, 87</ref> The discoveries of the twentieth century brought about the earliest known New Testament manuscript fragments.<ref><math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁵², <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁹⁰, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁹⁸, and <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>¹⁰⁴ all dating to the 2nd century</ref> Kenyon in 1912 knew 14 papyri,<ref>Kenyon, F. G., Handbook to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, London², 1912, p. 129.</ref> Aland in his first edition of Kurzgefasste... in 1963 - enumerated 76 papyri, in 1989 - were known 96 papyri, and in 2008 - 124 papyri.

Discoveries were also made of more complete manuscripts, which allowed scholars to examine the textual character of these early manuscripts.<ref><math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁶⁶, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁷², and <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁷⁵ of the Bodmer Papyri are notable in this regard. In fact, the preservation level of <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁶⁶ surprised scholars because the first 26 leaves were basically fully intact, and even the stitching of the binding remained.</ref>

Not all of the manuscripts are simply New Testament texts: <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁵⁹, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁶⁰, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁶³, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁸⁰ are texts with commentaries, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>², <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>³, and <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁴⁴ are lectionaries, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁵⁰, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁵⁵, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁷⁸ are talismans, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁴²; <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>¹⁰, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>¹², <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁴², <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁴³, <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁶², <math>\mathfrak{P}</math>⁹⁹ belong to other miscellaneous texts, such as writing scraps, glossaries, or songs.<ref>Aland 1996, p. 85</ref>

Every papyrus is cited in Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece.

List of all registered New Testament papyri

• The P-numbers are the standard system of Gregory-Aland.
• Dates are estimated to the nearest 50 year increment.
• Content is given to the nearest chapter; verses are not listed. Thus, many of the papyri are small fragments, not whole chapters. For instance, 𝔓⁵² contains 8 verses out of the 40 verses in John chapter 18.

Manuscripts in beige rows belong to the Oxyrhynchus Papyri

Manuscripts in light cyan rows belong to the Bodmer Papyri

Manuscripts in light pink rows belong to the Chester Beatty Papyri

Name	Date	Content	Institution	Ref #	City, State	Country
1	250	Matthew 1	University of Pennsylvania	P. Oxy. 2; E 2746	Philadelphia Pennsylvania	U.S.
2	550	John 12	National Archaeological Museum	Inv. 7134	Florence	Italy
3	600	Luke 7, 10	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 2323	Vienna	Austria
4	175-250	Luke 1-6	National Library of France	Suppl. Gr. 1120	Paris	France
5	250	John 1, 16, 20	British Library	P. Oxy. 208. 1781; Inv. 782. 2484	London	UK
6	350	John 10, 11	Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire	Pap. copt. 379. 381. 382. 384	Strasbourg	France
7	300(?)	Luke 4	Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine	Petrov 553	Kiev	Ukraine
8	350	Acts 4-6	Staatliche Museen zu Berlin	Inv. 8683	Berlin	Germany
9	250	1 John 4	Houghton Library, Harvard	P. Oxy. 402; Inv. 3736	Cambridge Massachusetts	U.S.
10	350	Romans 1	Houghton Library, Harvard	P. Oxy. 209; Inv. 2218	Cambridge Massachusetts	U.S.
11	550	1 Corinthians 1-7	Russian National Library	Gr. 258A	Saint Petersburg	Russia
12	250	Hebrews 1	Morgan Library & Museum	Pap. Gr. 3; P. Amherst 3b	New York City	U.S.
13	250	Hebrews 2-5,10-12	British Library Laurentian Library	P. Oxy. 657; Inv. 1532 v PSI 1292	London Florence	UK Italy
14	450	1 Corinthians 1-3	Saint Catherine's Monastery	14	Sinai	Egypt
15	250	1 Corinthians 7-8	Egyptian Museum	P. Oxy. 1008; JE 47423	Cairo	Egypt
16	300	Philippians 3-4	Egyptian Museum	P. Oxy. 1009; JE 47424	Cairo	Egypt
17	350	Hebrews 9	Cambridge University Library	P. Oxy. 1078; Add. 5893	Cambridge	UK
18	300	Revelation 1 †	British Library	P. Oxy. 1079; Inv. 2053v	London	UK
19	400	Matthew 10-11 †	Bodleian Library	P. Oxy. 1170; Gr. bibl. d. 6 (P)	Oxford	UK
20	250	James 2-3 †	Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library	P. Oxy. 1171; AM 4117	Princeton New Jersey	U.S.
21	400	Matthew 12 †	Muhlenberg College	P. Oxy. 1227; Theol. Pap. 3	Allentown Pennsylvania	U.S.
22	250	John 15-16 †	Glasgow University Library	P. Oxy. 1228; MS 2-X.I	Glasgow	UK
23	250	James 1 †	University of Illinois	P. Oxy. 1229; G. P. 1229	Urbana, Illinois	U.S.
24	350	Revelation 5-6 †	Franklin Trask Library Andover Newton Theological School	P. Oxy. 1230; OP 1230	Newton Massachusetts	U.S.
25	350	Matthew 18-19 †	Staatliche Museen zu Berlin	Inv. 16388	Berlin	Germany
26	600	Romans 1 †	(Joseph S) Bridwell Library Southern Methodist University	P. Oxy. 1354	Dallas, Texas	U.S.
27	250	Romans 8-9 †	Cambridge University Library	P. Oxy. 1355; Add. 7211	Cambridge	UK
28	250	John 6 †	Palestine Institute Museum Pacific School of Religion	P. Oxy. 1596; Pap. 2	Berkeley California	U.S.
29	250	Acts 26 †	Bodleian Library	P. Oxy. 1597; Gr. bibl. g. 4 (P)	Oxford	UK
30	250	1 Ths 4-5; 2 Ths 1	Ghent University Library	P. Oxy. 1598; Inv. 61	Ghent	Belgium
31	650	Romans 12 †	John Rylands University Library	P. Ryl. 4; Gr. P. 4	Manchester	UK
32	200	Titus 1-2 †	John Rylands University Library	P. Ryl. 5; G. P. 5	Manchester	UK
33	550	Acts 7 †	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 17973, 26133, 35831, 39783	Vienna	Austria
34	650	1 Co 16; 2 Co 5,10-11	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 39784	Vienna	Austria
35	350(?)	Matthew 25	Medici Library	PSI 1	Florence	Italy
36	550	John 3	Medici Library	PSI 3	Florence	Italy
37	300	Matthew 26	University of Michigan	P. Mich. 137; Inv. 1570	Ann Arbor Michigan	U.S.
38	300	Acts 18-19	University of Michigan	P. Mich. 138; Inv. 1571	Ann Arbor Michigan	U.S.
39	250	John 8	Ambrose Swasey Library	P. Oxy. 1780; Inv. 8864	Rochester New York	U.S.
40	250	Romans 1-4,6,9	Institute for Papyrology University of Heidelberg	P. Bad. 57; Inv. 45	Heidelberg	Germany
41	750	Acts 17-22	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. K. 7541-48	Vienna	Austria
42	700	Luke 1-2	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. K. 8706	Vienna	Austria
43	600	Revelation 2,15-16	British Library	Inv. 2241	London	UK
44a	600	John 10	Metropolitan Museum of Art	Inv. 14. 1. 527, 1 fol	New York City	U.S.
44b	600	Matthew 17-18,25; John 9,12	Metropolitan Museum of Art	Inv. 14. 1. 527	New York City	U.S.
45	250	Mt 20-21,25-26; Mk 4-9,11-12; Lk 6-7,9-14; Jn 4-5,10-11; Acts 4-17	Chester Beatty Library Austrian National Library	P. Chest. B. I Pap. g. 31974	Dublin Vienna	Ireland Austria
46	200	Ro 5-6,8-16; 1 Co; 2 Co; Gal; Eph; Php; Col; 1 Th; Heb	Chester Beatty Library University of Michigan	P. Chest. B. II Inv. 6238	Dublin Ann Arbor, Michigan	Ireland U.S.
47	250	Revelation 9-17	Chester Beatty Library	P. Chest. B. III	Dublin	Ireland
48	250	Acts 23	Medici Library	PSI 1165	Florence	Italy
papyrus 4949	250	Ephesians 4-5	Yale University Library	P. 415	New Haven Connecticut	U.S.
50	400	Acts 8,10	Yale University Library	P. 1543	New Haven Connecticut	U.S.
51	400	Galatians 1	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 2157	Oxford	UK
52	150	John 18,31-33.37-38	John Rylands University Library	Gr. P. 457	Manchester	UK
53	250	Matthew 26; Acts 9-10	University of Michigan	Inv. 6652	Ann Arbor Michigan	U.S.
54	500	James 2-3	Princeton University Library	P. Princ. 15; Garrett Depots 7742	Princeton New Jersey	U.S.
55	600	John 1	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 26214	Vienna	Austria
56	500	Acts 1	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 19918	Vienna	Austria
57	400	Acts 4-5	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 26020	Vienna	Austria
58	550	Acts 15 †	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 17973, 26133, 35831, 39783	Vienna	Austria
59	650	John 1-2,11-12,17-18,21	Morgan Library & Museum	P. Colt 3	New York City	U.S.
60	650	John 16-19	Morgan Library & Museum	P. Colt 4	New York City	U.S.
61	700	Ro 16; 1 Co 1,5; Php 3; Col 1,4; 1 Th 1; Tit 3; Phm	Pierpont Morgan Library	P. Colt 5	New York City	U.S.
62	350	Matthew 11	Oslo University Library	Inv. 1661	Oslo	Norway
63	500	John 3-4	Staatliche Museen zu Berlin	Inv. 11914	Berlin	Germany
64	200	Matthew 3,5,26	Magdalen College Fundación Sant Lluc Evangelista	Gr. 18 Inv. I	Oxford Barcelona	UK Spain
65	250	1 Thessalonians 1-2	Girolamo Vitelli Papyrological Institute	PSI 1373	Florence	Italy
66	200	John	Bodmer library	P. Bodmer II	Cologny, Geneva	Switzerland
67	200	Matthew 3,5,26	Magdalen College Fundación Sant Lluc Evangelista	Gr. 18 Inv. I	Oxford Barcelona	UK Spain
68	650(?)	1 Corinthians 4-5	Russian National Library	Gr. 258B	Saint Petersburg	Russia
69	250	Luke 22	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 2383	Oxford	UK
70	250	Matthew 2-3,11-12,24	Ashmolean Museum Girolamo Vitelli Papyrological Institute	P. Oxy. 2384 CNR 419, 420	Oxford Florence	UK Italy
71	350	Matthew 19	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 2385	Oxford	UK
72	300	1 Peter; 2 Peter; Jude	Bodmer library	P. Bodmer VII, VIII	Cologny, Geneva	Switzerland
73	650	Matthew 25-26	Bodmer library	P. Bodmer L	Cologny, Geneva	Switzerland
74	650	Acts; James; 1 Pe 1-3; 2 Pe 2-3; 1 Jo; 2 Jo; 3 Jo	Bodmer library	P. Bodmer XVII	Cologny, Geneva	Switzerland
75	175-225	Luke 3-18,22-24; John 1-15	Vatican Apostolic Library	P. Bodmer XIV, XV	Vatican City	Vatican City
76	550	John 4	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. G. 36102	Vienna	Austria
77	200	Matthew 23	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 2683	Oxford	UK
78	300	Jude	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 2684	Oxford	UK
79	650	Hebrews 10	Staatliche Museen zu Berlin	Inv. 6774	Berlin	Germany
80	250	John 3	Fundación Sant Lluc Evangelista	Inv. 83	Barcelona	Spain
81	350	1 Peter 2-3	Professor Sergio Daris, University of Trieste	Inv. 20	Trieste	Italy
82	400	Luke 7	National and University Library of Strasbourg	Gr. 2677	Strasbourg	France
83	550	Matthew 20,23-24	Catholic University of Leuven Library	P. A. M. Kh. Mird 16, 29	Leuven	Belgium
84	550	Mark 2,6; John 5,17	Catholic University of Leuven Library	P. A. M. Kh. Mird 4, 11	Leuven	Belgium
85	400	Revelation 9-10	Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire	Gr. 1028	Strasbourg	France
87	350	Matthew 5	Institut für Altertumskunde University of Cologne	Theol. 5516	Cologne	Germany
87	250	Philemon	Institut für Altertumskunde University of Cologne	Theol. 12	Cologne	Germany
88	350	Mark 2	Catholic University of the Sacred Heart	Inv. 69.24	Milan	Italy
89	350	Hebrews 6	Medici Library	PL III/292	Florence	Italy
90	150	John 18-19 †	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 3523; 65 6 B. 32/M (3-5)a	Oxford	UK
91	250	Acts 2:30-37; 2:46-3:2	Università degli Studi di Milano Macquarie University	P. Mil. Vofl. Inv. 1224 P. Macquarie inv. 360	Milan Sydney	Italy Australia
92	300	Ephesians 1; 2 Thessalonians 1	Egyptian Museum	PNarmuthis 69.39a/229a	Cairo	Egypt
93	450	John 13 †	Girolamo Vitelli Papyrological Institute	PSI 108	Florence	Italy
94	500	Romans 6	Egyptian Museum	P. Cair. 10730	Cairo	Egypt
95	250	John 5	Medici Library	PL II/31	Florence	Italy
96	550	Matthew 3	Österreichische Nationalbibliothek	Pap. K 7244	Vienna	Austria
97	600	Luke 14	Chester Beatty Library	p. Chester B. XVII	Dublin	Ireland
98	150(?)	Revelation 1	Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale	P. IFAO inv. 237b	Cairo	Egypt
99	400	Glossary, words and phrases from: Ro, 2 Co, Gal and Eph	Chester Beatty Library	P. Chester B. Ac. 1499, fol 11-14	Dublin	Ireland
100	300	James 3-5	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4449	Oxford	UK
101	250	Matthew 3-4	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4401	Oxford	UK
102	300	Matthew 4	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4402	Oxford	UK
103	200	Matthew 13-14	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4403	Oxford	UK
104	150	Matthew 21	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4404	Oxford	UK
105	500	Matthew 27-28	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4406	Oxford	UK
106	250	John 1	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4445	Oxford	UK
107	250	John 17	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4446	Oxford	UK
108	250	John 17/18	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4447	Oxford	UK
109	250	John 21	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4448	Oxford	UK
110	300	Matthew 10:13-15,25-27	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4494	Oxford	UK
111	250	Luke 17	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4495	Oxford	UK
112	450	Acts 26-27	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4496	Oxford	UK
113	250	Romans 2	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4497	Oxford	UK
114	250	Hebrews 1	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4498	Oxford	UK
115	300	Revelation 2-3,5-6,8-15	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4499	Oxford	UK
116	600	Hebrews 2-3	Austrian National Library	P. Vindob. G 42417	Vienna	Austria
117	400	2 Corinthians 7	State Museum	Inv. 1002	Hamburg	Germany
118	250	Romans 15-16	Institut für Altertumskunde University of Cologne	Inv. 10311	Cologne	Germany
119	250	John 1	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4803[]	Oxford	UK
120	350	John 1	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4804<v>	Oxford	UK
121	250	John 19	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4805[]	Oxford	UK
122	400	John 21	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4806[]	Oxford	UK
123[]	350	1 Corinthians 14-15	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4844	Oxford	UK
124[]	550	2 Corinthians 11	Ashmolean Museum	P. Oxy. 4845	Oxford	UK

Distribution based on content

Distribution of Papyri Witness for each New Testament book

NT Book	Total	Early	NT Book	Total	Early
Matthew	23	11	1 Timothy	0	0
Mark	3	1	2 Timothy	0	0
Luke	10	6	Titus	2	1
John	30	19	Philemon	2	1
Acts	14	7	Hebrews	8	4
Romans	10	5	James	6	4
1 Corinthians	8	3	1 Peter	3	1
2 Corinthians	4	2	2 Peter	2	1
Galatians	2	1	1 John	2	1
Ephesians	3	3	2 John	1	0
Philippians	3	2	3 John	1	0
Colossians	2	1	Jude	3	2
1 Thessalonians	4	3	Revelation	7	4
2 Thessalonians	2	2

Note: "Early" manuscripts are manuscripts from the fourth century or earlier. Roughly half of the papyri are "early". Some manuscripts contain content from more than one New Testament book, so the numbers above do not directly correspond to the total number of manuscripts.<ref>NOT Aland 1996, p. 85</ref>

See also

Lists

• Categories of New Testament manuscripts
• List of artifacts significant to the Bible
• List of Egyptian papyri by date
• List of New Testament uncials
• List of New Testament minuscules
• List of New Testament lectionaries
• List of New Testament Latin manuscripts
• List of New Testament Church Fathers

Other articles

• Novum Testamentum Graece
• Oxyrhynchus papyri
• Palaeography
• Papyrology
• Textual criticism

References

• "Continuation of the Manuscript List" INTF, University of Münster. Retrieved April 9, 2008
• Nestle-Aland. Novum Testamentum Graece. 27th ed. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Druck: 1996, p. 57-63, 684-689
• Seid, Timothy. "A Table of Greek Manuscripts". Interpreting Ancient Manuscripts. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
• Waltz, Robert. "New Testament Manuscripts: Papyri". A Site Inspired By: The Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism. Retrieved on June 22, 2007.
• Willker, Wieland. "Complete List of Greek NT Papyri" Last Update: 9 June 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2008.

External links

• A Table of Greek Manuscripts
• Peter M. Head Early Greek Bible Manuscript Project: NT Mss. on Papyrus
• New Testament Transcripts Prototype
• Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels: Fragmentary papyri
• Images of manuscripts
• Institut für Altertumskunde