Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67)
Three scraps of Matthew 26 once claimed to be 'eyewitness-era' — the claim did not hold
Found 1901 — Bought at Luxor in 1901 by Charles B. Huleatt and given to Magdalen College, Oxford; published by Colin Roberts (1953); Carsten Peter Thiede's redating 1994
Where Egypt (bought at Luxor) (Egypt)
Dates from c. 200 CE (Thiede's claim of c. 60–70 CE rejected) · Roman Egypt · Passion narrative of Matthew
Now at Magdalen College Library, Oxford (P64); Fundación Sant Lluc Evangelista, Barcelona (P67)
How Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67) was found
Huleatt, a chaplain, acquired the fragments in Egypt. In 1994 Thiede announced in The Times that the handwriting matched 1st-century documents, causing worldwide headlines. Two fragments in Barcelona (P67) belong to the same codex.
What it is
Three small fragments (the largest about 4 by 1.5 cm) of a papyrus codex written in a formal 'biblical uncial' hand, with parts of Matthew 26:7–8, 10, 14–15, 22–23, 31–33. The names of Yeshua and Kyrios are written as sacred abbreviations (nomina sacra).
Why it matters for the Bible
If Thiede were right, P64 would be a copy of Matthew from the lifetime of the apostles. Almost every papyrologist who examined the fragments disagreed: the hand is a developed book script of about 200 CE, and the codex form and nomina sacra fit that date. The case is a useful lesson in how manuscript dates are decided, and P64 remains one of the earliest witnesses to Matthew's account of the anointing at Bethany and Judas's bargain.
The Hebrew word: mah-SHEE-ach
מָשִׁיחַ
מָשִׁיחַ is pronounced mah-SHEE-ach and means anointed one — the anointing scene preserved in the fragment (Strong's H4899 / G5547).
People this discovery connects to
- Jesus — יֵשׁוּעַ (yeh-SHOO-ah) — YHVH saves (Greek Iesous)
- Judas Iscariot — יְהוּדָה אִישׁ־קְרִיּוֹת (ye-hoo-DAH eesh-ke-ree-YOT) — Judah, man of Kerioth
Places
- Bethany — בֵּית עַנְיָה (bet ahn-YAH) — house of the poor / of Ananiah
Events
Anointing at Bethany · Judas agrees to betray Yeshua
Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67) in Scripture
Matthew 10:4 First mention of Judas Iscariot in Scripture.
Matthew 26:7-8 The woman's alabaster jar at Bethany — the first lines preserved.
Matthew 26:14-15 Judas and the thirty pieces of silver — on the fragment.
Questions people ask
What is Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67)?
Three small fragments (the largest about 4 by 1.5 cm) of a papyrus codex written in a formal 'biblical uncial' hand, with parts of Matthew 26:7–8, 10, 14–15, 22–23, 31–33. The names of Yeshua and Kyrios are written as sacred abbreviations (nomina sacra).
When was Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67) discovered?
It was found in 1901 by Bought at Luxor in 1901 by Charles B. Huleatt and given to Magdalen College, Oxford; published by Colin Roberts (1953); Carsten Peter Thiede's redating 1994, at Egypt (bought at Luxor).
Where is Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67) today?
Magdalen College Library, Oxford (P64); Fundación Sant Lluc Evangelista, Barcelona (P67).
Which Bible verses does Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67) relate to?
Matthew 10:4, Matthew 26:7-8, Matthew 26:14-15.
Is Magdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67) authentic?
The fragments are genuine; Thiede's 1st-century date is rejected by nearly all specialists, who date the hand to around 200 CE or later.
Related discoveries
- אֱמֶתPapyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457)The earliest surviving scrap of the New Testament — John 18 on a card-sized fragment
- אִגֶּרֶתPapyrus P46 (Chester Beatty II)The oldest collection of Paul's letters, a single codex from about 200 CE
- דְּבָרִיםOxyrhynchus Papyri and the Gospel of Thomas FragmentsA rubbish-heap of Roman Egypt yielding the earliest 'Sayings of Yeshua' and dozens of New Testament pieces
- גַּת שְׁמָנִיםGethsemane: First-Century Mikveh and Byzantine ChurchA ritual bath from the days of Yeshua beside the Garden of Gethsemane (2020)
- נִשְׁתְּוָןArsames Correspondence (Bodleian Aramaic Letters)Leather letters of a Persian satrap of Egypt written in the same official Aramaic as Ezra
- שְׁמַעNash PapyrusThe Ten Commandments and the Shema on one sheet, the oldest Hebrew biblical text known before the Dead Sea Scrolls
Sources
- C. P. Thiede, 'Papyrus Magdalen Greek 17 (Gregory-Aland P64): A Reappraisal', ZPE 105 (1995)
- Wikipedia, 'Papyrus 64'