Papyrus manuscript of a portion of the Gospel of John (Ch. 6:8–12, 17–22).

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Title

Papyrus manuscript of a portion of the Gospel of John (Ch. 6:8–12, 17–22).

Date

ca. 250 CE, Aland no. P28.

Description

This is, most probably, the oldest manuscript fragment of the New Testament in private hands. It was found in Egypt in the late nineteenth century, and is in a semi-uncial hand. The text, from the Gospel of John in the original Greek, tells the stories of two miracles: that of the loaves and fishes and of Jesus walking on water at Capernaeum.

For the past twenty-five years, I have been collecting manuscript fragments that illustrate the different scripts used throughout Europe to preserve and transmit knowledge through text from the ancient world to the invention of printing.

Source

Gifford Combs