Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75
Near-complete early codices of John, and of Luke with John, from a Christian library in Upper Egypt
Found 1952 — Found by villagers near Dishna (Jabal Abu Mana), Upper Egypt; bought by Martin Bodmer; P66 edited by Victor Martin (1956), P75 by Martin and Rodolphe Kasser (1961)
Where Near Dishna, Qena Governorate, Egypt (Egypt)
Dates from c. 200–300 CE (some argue 4th century) · Roman Egypt · Transmission of the Gospels
Now at P66: Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cologny (Geneva), Switzerland. P75: Vatican Apostolic Library, Rome (donated 2007 as Hanna Papyrus 1)
How Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75 was found
Part of a hoard of Greek and Coptic codices, probably the library of a Pachomian monastery, that reached the Geneva collector through Cairo dealers. Other pieces went to Chester Beatty and Barcelona.
What it is
P66 is a codex of 156 pages with nearly all of John 1–14 and parts of 15–21, with many corrections by the scribe himself. P75 held Luke and John together; 102 of about 144 pages survive, with Luke 3–24 and John 1–15, in a careful, elegant hand.
Why it matters for the Bible
P75's text is almost identical to the great 4th-century Codex Vaticanus, proving that the careful text later called 'Alexandrian' was not a scholarly invention of the 4th century but was already being copied around 200. Together with P66 it gives readers the Gospel of Yochanan (John) in nearly full form more than a century before Constantine, and shows one Egyptian community owning both Luke and John in a single book.
The Hebrew word: be-so-RAH
בְּשׂוֹרָה
בְּשׂוֹרָה is pronounced be-so-RAH and means good news, gospel (Greek euangelion) (Strong's H1309 / G2098).
People this discovery connects to
- John — יוֹחָנָן (yo-chah-NAHN) — YHVH is gracious
- Luke — לוּקָס (LOO-kahs) — Greek Loukas
Events
Early copying of the Gospels in Egypt
Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75 in Scripture
John 1:1-3 P66 and P75 both preserve the opening of John, among the earliest copies of these verses.
Luke 24:51-53 P75 is a key early witness for the ending of Luke.
John 7:53 Both papyri lack the story of the adulterous woman (7:53–8:11), the earliest evidence that it was added later.
Questions people ask
What is Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75?
P66 is a codex of 156 pages with nearly all of John 1–14 and parts of 15–21, with many corrections by the scribe himself. P75 held Luke and John together; 102 of about 144 pages survive, with Luke 3–24 and John 1–15, in a careful, elegant hand.
When was Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75 discovered?
It was found in 1952 by Found by villagers near Dishna (Jabal Abu Mana), Upper Egypt; bought by Martin Bodmer; P66 edited by Victor Martin (1956), P75 by Martin and Rodolphe Kasser (1961), at Near Dishna, Qena Governorate, Egypt.
Where is Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75 today?
P66: Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cologny (Geneva), Switzerland. P75: Vatican Apostolic Library, Rome (donated 2007 as Hanna Papyrus 1).
Which Bible verses does Bodmer Papyri P66 and P75 relate to?
John 1:1-3, Luke 24:51-53, John 7:53.
Related discoveries
- אֱמֶתPapyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457)The earliest surviving scrap of the New Testament — John 18 on a card-sized fragment
- הִתְגַּלּוּתPatmos and the Cave of the ApocalypseThe exile island of Revelation and its traditional grotto of vision
- דַּעַתNag Hammadi LibraryThirteen Coptic codices of Gnostic and other writings — the 'other side' of early Christian debates
- יוֹחָנָןBasilica of St John and the Tomb of John, AyasulukJustinian's church over the traditional grave of the apostle who wrote Revelation
- פּוֹשֵׁרLaodicea: Lukewarm Water and the Early ChurchCalcified pipes, the Hierapolis hot springs, and a 4th-century church in the city that was 'neither hot nor cold'
- אֱלִילִיםRed Basilica (Temple of the Egyptian Gods), PergamonHadrian's giant brick temple to Serapis and Isis, later a church of St John
Sources
- J. M. Robinson, The Story of the Bodmer Papyri (2011)
- Wikipedia, 'Papyrus 66' and 'Papyrus 75'