Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457)
The earliest surviving scrap of the New Testament — John 18 on a card-sized fragment
Found 1920 — Acquired in Egypt in 1920 by Bernard P. Grenfell; identified and published by Colin H. Roberts in 1935
Where Egypt (exact findspot unknown) (Egypt)
Dates from c. 125–175 CE (some argue up to 200+) · Roman Egypt · Yeshua before Pilate (John 18)
Now at John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester, UK
How Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457) was found
Bought on the Egyptian antiquities market (probably from the Fayum or Oxyrhynchus) and left unnoticed in the John Rylands Library collection until Roberts recognised the text of John's Gospel.
What it is
A fragment of a papyrus codex page about 9 by 6 cm, written on both sides, with parts of seven lines of John 18:31–33 on the front and 18:37–38 on the back. The two-sided writing proves it came from a book (codex), not a scroll.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the oldest known copy of any New Testament text, from within a few decades of when the Gospel of Yochanan (John) was written. Its presence in provincial Egypt shows the Gospel had already travelled far from Ephesus. It also undercut older theories that John was written late in the 2nd century. The words include Pilate's question, 'What is truth?' and Yeshua's 'For this I was born.'
The Hebrew word: eh-MET
אֱמֶת
אֱמֶת is pronounced eh-MET and means truth — Pilate's 'What is truth?' (Greek aletheia) survives on the fragment (Strong's H571 / G225).
People this discovery connects to
- Jesus — יֵשׁוּעַ (yeh-SHOO-ah) — YHVH saves (Greek Iesous)
- Pilate — פִּילָטוֹס (pee-LAH-tos) — Latin Pontius Pilatus
- John — יוֹחָנָן (yo-chah-NAHN) — YHVH is gracious
Events
Trial of Yeshua before Pilate · Early copying and spread of John's Gospel
Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457) in Scripture
Matthew 27:2 First mention of Pilate in Scripture.
John 18:31-33 The lines on the front: the Jews' words to Pilate and his question to Yeshua.
John 18:37-38 The lines preserved on the back of the fragment, including 'What is truth?'
Questions people ask
What is Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457)?
A fragment of a papyrus codex page about 9 by 6 cm, written on both sides, with parts of seven lines of John 18:31–33 on the front and 18:37–38 on the back. The two-sided writing proves it came from a book (codex), not a scroll.
When was Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457) discovered?
It was found in 1920 by Acquired in Egypt in 1920 by Bernard P. Grenfell; identified and published by Colin H. Roberts in 1935, at Egypt (exact findspot unknown).
Where is Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457) today?
John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester, UK.
Which Bible verses does Papyrus P52 (Rylands Greek 457) relate to?
Matthew 27:2, John 18:31-33, John 18:37-38.
Related discoveries
- מָשִׁיחַMagdalen Papyrus P64 (with P67)Three scraps of Matthew 26 once claimed to be 'eyewitness-era' — the claim did not hold
- בְּשׂוֹרָהBodmer Papyri P66 and P75Near-complete early codices of John, and of Luke with John, from a Christian library in Upper Egypt
- 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
- כְּלֵי אֶבֶןCana: Khirbet Qana and Kafr KannaTwo candidates for the village of the water-into-wine sign
- הִתְגַּלּוּתPatmos and the Cave of the ApocalypseThe exile island of Revelation and its traditional grotto of vision
Sources
- C. H. Roberts, An Unpublished Fragment of the Fourth Gospel in the John Rylands Library (1935)
- Wikipedia, 'Rylands Library Papyrus P52'