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Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part I Bernard S. Grenfell and Arthur S. Hunt (Eds,)
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Theological Fragments: Nos. 1-6 (1st-6th c. AD)
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No. 1 ΛΟΓΙ͂Α IHCOY "Logia of Jesus" 15 x 9.7 cm. Late 1st-early 2nd c.AD
To
summarize the literature evoked by the publication of the ‘Logia,’ and
to answer the criticisms directed against the view which we suggested,
is far too large a task to be entered on here, though perhaps we may
attempt it on some future occasion. The reader will find a useful
bibliography of the literature, and a lucid exposition of the different
explanations of the text and theories of its origin in Two Lectures on
the ‘Sayings of Jesus,’ by Professors Lock and Sanday (Clarendon Press,
1897), though from some of their conclusions we should dissent.
Fig.1: Greek text of Papyrus 1, "Logia of Jesus" [p.3]
We
confine ourselves here to noting briefly those points connected with
reading and interpretation in which we consider that criticism has made
a definite advance, and to giving a revised text and translation.
In
Logion II the parallels adduced from Clement of Alexandria by Mr. J. B.
Mayor leave little room for doubt that νηστεύειν τὸν κόσμον is to be
taken metaphorically.Many critics have wished to connect τὴν
πτωχείαν, our Logion IV, with the preceding saying. Of the various
conjectures, we prefer Dr. Taylor’s βλέ [πουσιν αὐτῶν τὴν ταλαι |
πωρίαν καὶ τ]ὴν πτωχείαν. But we must enter a protest against the
current view that there is an ὦ prior probability in favour of only one
line being lost at the bottom of the verso. The lacuna may have
extended to five or even ten lines; cf. introd. to xxii. Since there is
nothing whatever to show [p.2] the extent of the lacuna, any attempt to fill
it up must be purely hypothetical. And a conjecture which presupposes a
definite number of lines lost is thereby rendered very doubtful.
The
difficulties of the fifth Saying have not yet been surmounted. Of the
numerous restorations of the three mutilated lines we on the whole
prefer that of Blass, [λέγ]ει [Ἰησοῦς ὅπ]ου ἐὰν ὦσιν | [B, οὐκ] ε[ἰσὶ]ν
ἄθεοι" καὶ | [δ]που [Ts] ἐστιν μόνος, | [λέ]γω, ἐγώ εἰμι μετ’ αὐτ[οὔ],
though neither the cipher βὶ nor λέγω are very satisfactory (but cf.
ii. γέσίο g for ἃ number in the text written in figures). With regard
to the last part of the Saying ‘Raise the stone, &c.', we do not
think that the pantheistic meaning is in itself either probable or
relevant to the context, though it might have been imported into it at
a later period when the original meaning had been lost sight of. We
incline to the view that raising the stone and cleaving the wood are
meant to typify the difficult work of life, see Heinrici (Theol. Literaturzeitung, Aug. 21, 1897); but we are of opinion that the reference to Ecclesiastes x.
9, in which Professors Swete and Harnack find the key to the problem,
raises difficulties greater than those it can solve. The objections to
it have been excellently stated by Lock (of. cit. p. 24). Though unable
to offer any better suggestion, we are somewhat less confident than we
were about the correctness of the reading ἔγειρον. The o seems to be
joined by a ligature to the preceding letter, which we should therefore
expect to be o rather than p. But the apparent ligature might be
accounted for by supposing that the o was badly written.
Alone
of restorations Swete’s ἀκούεις [e]is τὸ ἐν ὠτίον σοῦ τὸ [δὲ ἕτερον
συνέκλεισας (or some such word) in the eighth Saying is quite
convincing. The sense is ‘Thou hearest with one ear, but the other thou
hast closed,’ i.e. ‘thou attendest imperfectly to my message.’
Lastly,
with regard to the questions of origin and history, we stated in our
edition our belief in four points: (1) that we have here part of a
collection of sayings, not extracts from a narrative gospel; (2) that
they were not heretical; (3) that they were independent of the Four
Gospels in their present shape; (4) that they were earlier than 140
A.D., and might go back to the first century. These propositions,
especially the first, have, as is natural, been warmly disputed.
Attempts have been made to show that the ‘Logia’ were extracts from the
Gospel according to the Egyptians (Harnack), the Gospel according to
the Hebrews (Batiffol), or the Gospel of the Ebionites (Zahn); and
Gnostic, mystic, Ebionite, or Therapeutic tendencies, according to the
point of view, have been discovered in them. On the other hand our
position has received the general support of critics such as Swete,
Rendel Harris, Heinrici, and Lock; and so far the discussion has tended
to confirm us in our original view.
I. "Sayings of Jesus" (translation) [p.3]
Logion I, verso 1-4. "... and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye."
Logion
II, 4-11. " Jesus saith, Except ye fast to the world, ye shall in no
wise find the kingdom of God; and except ye make the sabbath a real
sabbath, ye shall not see the Father."
Logion III, 11-21. "
Jesus saith, I stood in the midst of the world and in the flesh was I
seen of them, and I found all men drunken, and none found I athirst
among them, and my soul grieveth over the sons of men, because they are
blind in their heart, and see not..."
Logion IV, recto 1. "... poverty."
Logion
V, 2-9. " Jesus saith, Wherever there are two, they are not without
God, and wherever there is one alone, I say, 1am with him. Raise the
stone, and there thou shalt find Me, cleave the wood and there am I."
Logion
VI, 9-14. "Jesus saith, A prophet is not acceptable in his own country,
neither doth a physician work cures upon them that know him. "
Logion VII, 15-20. "Jesus saith, A city built upon the top of a high hill and stablished, can neither fall nor be hid."
Logion VIII, 20-22. " Jesus saith, Thou hearest with one ear (but the other ear thou hast closed)."
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No.2 St. Matthew’s Gospel, Ch. I 14.7 x 15 cm 3rd c. AD
Part
of a sheet from a papyrus book, which had been folded originally to
make two leaves. Of one of these only a small portion is left,
containing on the recto the beginnings of three lines written in good
sized uncials :
— ΕΓΕΝΙ TIAP[ MHT|
The other leaf,
which is tolerably complete and is written on both sides in a smaller
and probably different uncial hand, with an occasional tendency towards
cursive, contains vv. 1-9, 12, 14-20 of the first chapter of St.
Matthew's Gospel. This papyrus was found near that containing the ‘
Logia,’ a day or two afterwards. Though the writing is somewhat later
in style than that of the ‘Logia,’ there is no likelihood of its being
subsequent to the beginning of the fourth century, and it may with
greater probability be assigned to the third. It may thus claim to be a
fragment of the oldest known manuscript of any part of the New
Testament.
Plate 1: Verso side of Papyrus II, St. Mathew's Gospel, Ch.1.
As the arrangement in the quire of the two leaves
forming the sheet is wholly uncertain, the question what relation, if
any, the beginnings of the three lines on the other leaf have to the
St. Matthew fragment cannot be determined. The difference in the
handwriting and the greater margin above the three broken lines
distinguish them from the text of St. Matthew, though they may have
formed a title of some kind. A facsimile of the verso is given in the
frontispiece. The condition of the recto is not so good, the writing
being entirely effaced in some parts.
We give a collation with the T(extus) R(eceptus) and the W(estcott)-H(ort) text.
Verso.
1 ΔΑΥΙΔ: Δανείδ W-H., Δαβίδ T.R.; so in 16, and recéo g.
2. ETENNHCEN : so W-H. and throughout. ἐγέννησε T.R.
6. ZAPE: Zapa W-H., T.R. Ζαρέ B.
9. AMMINAAAB: Αμιναδάβ W-H., T.R.
12. BOEC: so W-H., and in 13. Bodg ΤΙ.
13. 1WBHA: so W-H., and in 14. ’Q8n8 T.R.
16. AE EFENNHCEN: so W-H. δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐγέννησε T.R.
17. COAOMW@NA: so W-H. Σολομῶντα TLR. OYPEIOY: Οὐρίου W-H., ΤΙ. Ovdpeiou B.
19. ABEIA: ᾿Αβιά W-H., T.R.
Fig.2b: Greek text of Papyrus 2.
20.
ACAd: so W-H. ᾿Ασά T.R. 24-27. The amount lost between this fragment
and the preceding is uncertain. If our proposed restoration is correct
it would extend to six lines.
26. The vestiges of a letter at the end of this line are blurred by an ink-spot.
Recto.
4. MAθθAN: so W-H. Ματθάν ΤΙ.
6. IWCH?: τὸν Ἰωσήφ W-H., ΤΙ.
8. ΓΕΝΕΑΙ : al yeveai W-H., T.R.
9. ἴδ: δεκατέσσαρες W-H., T.R.; so in 10 and 12. |
12.
TOY AE IY XY: so T.R. Westcott inclines to the reading of the Western
text τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ, Hort to that of B τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ. ΓΕΝΕΟΙΟ:
so Ν᾽ -Η. γέννησις T.R.
13. MNHCTEYθEICHC: so W-H. μρνηστευθείσης γάρ T.R.
14. The sign over H represents a (wrongly placed) rough breathing.
17. There is barely room for TTAPA at the end of the line. δειγματίσαι W-H. παρα- δειγματίσαι T.R.
18. AEIFMA[TI€[ICAI: perhaps AEITMAT[ICAI ; but the doubtful letter is more like €.
23.
MAPIAN: so W-H. in text, with Μαριάμ in margin. Μαριάμ T.R. 25. ME[:
probably the beginning of μεθερμηνεύομενον or μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν in verse 23.
To
sum up the results of the collation, the papyrus clearly belongs to the
same class as the Sinaitic and Vatican codices, and has no Western or
Syrian proclivities. Except in the cases where it has a reading
peculiar to itself alone, the papyrus always agrees with those two MSS.
where they are in agreement. Where they differ, the papyrus does not
consistently follow either of them, but is somewhat nearer to the
Vatican codex, especially in matters of spelling, though in one
important case (τοῦ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ) it agrees with the Codex
Sinaiticus.
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No.3 St. Mark’s Gospel, Ch. x. 50, 51; xi. 11,12. 4.5 x 8.3 cm. 5th-6th C.AD [p.7]
Fragment
of an early vellum codex containing part of St. Mark x. 50, 51, Xi. II,
12 in a calligraphic uncial hand, probably of the fifth or sixth
century AD. The MS. to which the fragment belonged was of the same
class as the Codex Alexandrinus, and the part preserved agrees with the Textus Receptus.
Recto.
2. ANACTAC: so AC and others. ἀναπηδήσας W-H., following NBD and others. 4-5. ΛEΓEΙ AYTῷ Ο IC: so A and most later MSS. αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν W-H., following SBCD and others.
Fig.2: Greek text of Papyrus 3.
5. ΤΙ θEΛEIC πOIHCῷ COI: so AD and most later MSS. τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω W-H., following SBC and others. :
Verso.
1. ΚΑΊ Εἰς TO: so AD and others. W-H., following NBCL and others, omit καί.
3. OVIAC: so AB and most MSS. W-H., following NCL and others, read ὀψέ.
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No.4, verso. Theological Fragment. 12-7 x 7-2 cm. Frag. (a). early 4th c. AD
Fragment
of a theological work, probably Gnostic in character, concerning the
‘upper’ and ‘lower’ soul. The contraction ΘΟ occurs. The verso of the
papyrus is written in a medium-sized sloping uncial, - resembling the
Plato papyrus (Plate VI). On the recto are the beginnings and ends of a
few lines in third or early fourth century cursive. The writing on the
verso is probably early fourth century.
Fragment (a) notes:
8. 1. φΛvapa?
12. φYAAKH: the ‘prison’ of the body.
Fig.3: Greek text of Papyrus 4.
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No.5 Early Christian Homily Fragment. 12 x 11.4 cm. 3rd-4th c. AD
Fragment of a Christian homily or treatise on the
spirit of prophecy. The papyrus, which is a leaf out of a book, is
written in a good-sized informal uncial hand of the late third or early
fourth century AD. The ordinary biblical contractions TINA, KC, 1C, ΧΟ
occur. The recto is in much better condition than the verso, the top
layer of which has to a considerable extent peeled off.
Recto. ἡ. 1. βόνλετα. 8. 1. ἔσται. Verso. τ. Probably [ἅγι[0]Ίν. 14. δαυιδ᾽ Pap.
Translation:
4.ff.."... and that man being filled with the Holy Spirit speaks as the Lord
wills, the spirit of the Divine nature will thus be manifest. For the
spirit of prophecy is the essence of the prophetic order, which is the
body of the flesh of Jesus Christ, which was mingled with human nature
through Mary. "
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No. 6 Acts of Paul and Thecla. 7.3 X 6.7 cm. 5th c. AD
Vellum
leaf from a book containing the Acts of Paul and Thecla, the part
preserved containing portions of chapters viii and ix. The leaf is
written in a small, somewhat irregular uncial of probably about the
fifth century AD. The verso is much stained. Stops are occasionally
used, and the space at the end of short lines is filled by ). The text
of this MS. varies a good deal from the others, which are all later
than it by five centuries or more. We append a collation with
Tischendorf’s text (Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha).
1. ΘΑΊΜΥΡΙΔΙ : om. T(ischendorf).
2. ΘEWPHMA: διήγημα, Θάμυρι Τ.
3. HMEPAI k.t.l.: καὶ γὰρ ἡμέρας τρεῖς καὶ νύκτας τρεῖς Θέκλα ἀπὸ τῆς θυρίδος οὐκ ἐγείρεται T.
Fig.5: Greek text of Papyrus 6
Footnotes:
1. See separate publication, AOTIA IHCOY, Sayings of Our Lord, edited by B. P. Grenfell and A. 5. Hunt. H. Frowde 1897.
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