Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 208 + 1781

Papyrus $\mathfrak{P}$⁵

New Testament manuscript papyri uncials minuscules lectionaries
Name	P. Oxy. 208
Text	John 1; 16; 20 †
Date	~250
Script	Greek
Found	Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Now at	British Library
Cite	Grenfell & Hunt, Oxyrhynchus Papyri II, 1899, pp. 1 ff; XV, pp. 8-12.
Size	12.5 cm by 25 cm
Type	Western text-type
Category	I
Hand	documentary hand
Note	close to Codex Sinaiticus

Papyrus 5 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), designated by siglum $\mathfrak{P}$⁵, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of John dating palaeographically to the early 3rd century.^[1] The papyrus is housed in the British Library. It has survived in a very fragmentary condition.

The text of the manuscript was reconstructed several times. Textually it is very close to Codex Sinaiticus, but with some exceptions.

Description

The manuscript is a fragment of three leaves, written in one column per page, 27 lines per page.^[1] The surviving text of John are verses 1:23-31.33-40; 16:14-30; 20:11-17.19-20.22-25.^[1]

It was written in a documentary hand, in a round, upright uncial of medium size. It uses the nomina sacra with abbreviations (ΙΗΝ ΙΗΣ ΠΡ ΠΡΑ ΠΡΣ ΘΥ), though not for ανθρωπος.^[2]

There is a tendency to brevity, especially in omitting unnecessary pronouns and conjunctions.^[3]

Text

According to reconstruction of Philip W. Comfort^[4]

[leaf 1 verso (John 1:23-32)] ^[1:23] εγ]ω̣ φ̣ων[η] β̣ο̣[ωντος εν τη ερημω ευ]θ̣υνατ[ε την οδον κυ καθως ει π]ε̣ν ησα[ιας ο προφητης ^[24] και απεσ τ]α̣λμενοι [ησαν εκ των φαρισαι ω]ν ^[25] και ηρ̣ω̣[τησαν αυτον τι ουν βα π̣τ̣ιζεις ει [συ ουκ ει ο χς ουδε ηλιας ουδε ο προ[φητης ^[26] απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιωανν[ης λεγων εγω βαπτιζω εν υ δατι μ[εσος υμων εστηκεν ον υμεις ουκ οιδα[τε ^[27] ο οπισω μου ερχομε ν]ος [ο]υ ο[υκ ειμι αξιος ινα λυσω αυ του τον [ιμαντα του υποδηματος ^[28] ταυτα εν β[ηθανια εγενετο πε ραν του ιο[ρδανου οπου ην ο ιωαν ν]ης βαπτι[ζων ^[29] τη επαυριον βλε πει τον ιην [ερχομενον προς αυτον και λεγει [ιδε ο αμνος του θυ ο αιρω   την αμαρ[τιαν του κοσμου ^[30] ουτος εστιν υπερ [ου εγω ειπον οπισω μου ερχεται α[νηρ ος εμπροσθεν μου γεγον[εν οτι πρωτος μου ην ^[31] καγω ο̣υ̣κ η̣δ̣[ειν αυτον αλλ ινα φανερω θ̣η̣ [τω ισραηλ δια τουτο ηλθον ε γ̣[ω εν υδατι βαπτιζων ^[32] και εμαρτυ [ρησεν ιωαννης λεγων οτι τεθεαμαι] [το πνα καταβαινον ως περιστεραν [εξ ουρανου και εμεινεν επ αυτον]

[leaf 1 recto (John 1:33-41)] ^[33] καγω ουκ ηδειν αυτον] αλλ ο π̣[εμ ψας με βαπτιζειν εν υ]δατ[ι] ε̣[κει νος μοι ειπεν εφ ον αν ι]δης το̣ [πνα καταβαινον και μεν]ον επ αυ[τον ουτος εστιν ο βαπτιζ]ων εν πνι αγιω ^[34] καγω εωρακα και μεμ]αρτυρηκα ο̣ τι ουτος εστιν ο εκλεκτο]ς του θυ   ^[35] τη ε̣ παυριον ιστηκει ο ιωανν]η̣ς και εκ των μαθητων αυτου δ]υ̣ο̣ ^[36] και εμ̣ βλεψας τω ιηυ περιπατο]υντι λεγε[ι ιδε ο αμνος του θυ   ^[37] και εκ]ουσαν οι δ̣υ̣ο̣ μαθηται λαλουντος και η]κολουθη σαν τω ιηυ   ^[38] στραφεις δ]ε ο ιης και θε ασαμενος αυτους ακ]ολοθουντας λεγει αυτοις τι ζητει]τε <οι δε> ειπα̣ν̣ <αυ> <τω> ραββει ο λεγεται ερ]μηνευονε νον διδασκαλε που μεν]εις ^[39] λεγει αυτοις ερχεσθε και οψε]σθε ηλθαν ουν και ειδαν που μενει κ]αι παρ αυτω εμειναν την ημεραν] ε̣κ̣ε̣ι̣ν̣η̣ν̣ ω ρα ην ως δεκατη ^[40] ην ανδ]ρεας ο α δελφος σιμωνος πετρου εις εκ δ]υο των ακουσαντων παρα ιωαννο]υ̣ και α [κολουθησαντων αυτω ^[41] ευρισκει] [ουτος πρωτον τον αδελφον τον ιδιον] [σιμωνα και λεγει αυτω ευρηκαμεν] [τον μεσσιαν ο εστιν ερμηνευομενον]

Fragment of John 16:14-22

Fragment of John 16:22-30

[leaf 2 recto (John 16:14-22)] ^[16:14] οτι εκ του εμου λημψετ]α̣ι και ανα[γ γελει υμειν ^[15] παντα οσ]α̣ εχει ο πρ ε εμα εστιν δια τουτο ειπο]ν οτι εκ τ[ου εμου λαμβανει κα]ι αν[αγ]γ̣ε̣λ̣ε̣ι̣ υμει   ^[16] μεικρον και ουκετι θεωρειτε με κ]αι παλιν μεικρον κ]αι οψεσθε [με ^[17] ειπαν ουν τινες εκ των μ]αθητων αυτου προς αλληλους τι] εστιν τουτο ο λε γει ημειν μεικρον και ου] θεωρει̣τε με και παλιν μεικρον κ]αι οψ]ε̣σ̣θ̣ε̣ μ̣ε̣ κ̣α̣ι̣ [οτ]ι̣ υπαγω προς τον] πρα   ^[18] ελεγον ο̣υ̣ν τι εστιν τουτο] μ̣εικρον ο̣υ̣κ οιδα μεν τι λαλει ^[19] εγ]νω <ο> ιης οτι η̣[θ]ε̣λον αυτον ερωταν] κ̣αι ειπενπ αυτ[ο]ις περι τουτου ζητ]ε̣ιτε με μετ αλληλω[ν οτι ειπον μεικρ]ον και ου θεωρει[τε με και παλιν μεικρο]ν και οψεσθε με ^[20] αμην αμην λεγ]ω υμειν οτ[ι κ]λα[υ σετε και θρηνησ]ετε υμεις ο δε κοσμος χαρησετ]αι υμεις λυπηθη σεσθε αλλ η λυπ]η υμων εις χαραν γενησεται ^[21] η γυν]η οταν τικτη λυ πην εχει οτι ηλθεν] η ωρα αυτης οταν δε γεννηση το] παιδ[ι]ον ουκε̣ τι μνημονευει της θλ]ειψ[ε]ως δι α την χαραν οτι εγενν]ηθ̣η ανθρω πος εις τον κοσμον ] ^[22] και υμεις ουν

[leaf 2 verso (John 16:22-30)] νυν μεν [λυπεν εχετε παλιν δε οψομαι υ[μας και χαρησεται υμων η καρδια [και την χαραν υμων ου δεις αρει [αφ] υμων ^[23] και εν εκεινη τη ημερ̣[α] ε[μ]ε̣ [ουκ ερωτησετε ουδεν [α]μην α̣[μην λεγω υμειν αν τι αιτη[σ]η̣τε [τον πρα δωσει υμειν ^[24] εν τω ον[ο]ματ̣[ι μου αιτειτε και και λημψεσθε ι[να η χαρα υμων η π̣επληρω[μ]ε[ν]η [^[25] ταυτα εν παροι μ̣ιαις λελ[α]ληκα [υ]μειν ερχεται ω̣ρ̣α̣ οτε ο̣υκετ[ι εν παροιμιαις λα λησω υμειν αλλα παρρησια περι του πρς απαγγε[λω υμειν [^[26] εν ε κεινη τη ημερα [εν τω ονοματι μου αιτησεσθε [και ου λεγω υμειν ο]τι εγω ερωτησ[ω τον πρα [^[27] αυτος γ]αρ ο πρ φιλει υμ[ας οτι υμεις εμε πεφιληκα̣τε̣ και [πεπιστευκατε οτι παρα θυ εξηλθ[ον ^[28] εξηλθον παρα του πρς και ε[ληλυθα εις τον κ̣ο̣σ̣μον παλιν α̣[φιημι τον κοσμον και πορευομαι προ[ς τον πρα ^[29] λε γ̣ο̣υ̣σ̣ιν <αυτω> οι μ[αθηται αυτου ιδε νυν εν παρρη̣σια λ[αλεις και παροιμιαν ου δεμιαν λ[εγεις ^[30] νυν οιδαμεν οτι οιδας πα̣[ντα ου χρειαν εχεις

[leaf 3 recto (John 20:9-19)] [^[9] ουδεπω γαρ ηδεισαν την γραφην] [οτι δει αθτον εκ νεκρων αναστηναι] [^[10] απηλθον ουν παλιν προς αυτους οι] [μαθηται ^[11] μαρια δε ειστηκει προς τω] μνημ[ειω εξω κλαιουσα ως ουν εκλαιεν παρεκυ[ψεν εις το μνημειον ^[12] και θεω ρει δυο [αγγελους εν λευκοις καθεζομε ν[ους ενα προς τη κεφαλη και ενα προς τ[οις ποσιν οπου εκειτο το σωμα του ιηυ ^[13] και λεγουσιν αυτη εκεινοι γυναι τι] [κλαιεις λεγει αυτοις οτι ηραν τον κν] μου και ουκ οιδα που εθηκαν αυτον ^[14] ταυτα [ειπουσα εστραφη εις τα οπι σω και [θεωρει τον ιην εστωτα και ου κ ηδει [οτι ιης εστιν ^[15] λεγει αυτη ιης γυναι [τι κλαιεις τινα ζητεις εκεινη δοκου[σα οτι ο κηπουρος εστιν λεγει αυτω [κε ει συ εβαστασας αυτον ειπε μοι π[ου εθηκας αυτον καγω αυτον αρω [^[16] λεγει αυτη ιης μαριαμ στραφει σα εκεινη λεγει αυτω εβραιστι ραβ] β[ουνι [κε μου ^[17] λεγει αυτη ιης μη μ[ου απτου ουπω γαρ αναβεβηκα προς τ̣[ον πρα πορευου δε προς τους αδελ [φους μου και ειπε αυτοις αναβαινω] [προς τον πρα μου και πρα υμων και] [θν μου και θν υμων ^[18] ερχεται μαριαμ] [η μαγδαληνη αγγελλουσα τοις μαθη] [ταις οτι εωρακα τον κν και ταυτα]

[leaf 3 verso (John 20:19-26)] [ειπεν αυτη ^[19] ουσης ουν οψιας τη] [ημερα εκεινη τη μια σαββατων] [και των θυρων κεκλεισμενων] [οπου ησαν οι μαθηται δια τον] φοβον των ιουδαιων] η̣[λθεν ο ιης και εστη εις το μεσο]ν <και> λεγει ειρηνη υμειν ^[20] και τ]ουτ' ειπω   εδειξεν τας χειρας και την πλε]υ ραν εχαρησαν ουν οι μαθητ]αι ι [δοντες τον κν ^[21] ειπεν ουν αυτοις] [ο ις παλιν ειρηνη υμειν καθως] [απεσταλκεν με ο πρ καγω πεμ] [πω υμας ^[22] και τουτο ειπων ενεφυσ ησεν και λεγει αυτοις λαβετε πνα α γιον ^[23] αν τινων αφητε ταςν αμ]αρτιας αφεωνται αυτοις αν τινων] κρατητε κεκρατηνται ^[24] θωμας εις εκ τω]ν δω δεκα ο λεγομενος διδυμος ο]υκ ην μετ αυτων οτε ουν ηλθ]εν ιης ^[25] ελεγον αυτω οι μαθηται εω]ρακα μεν τον κν ο δε ειπεν αυτοι]ς εαν μη ιδω εν ταις χερσιν τον τυ]π̣ο̣ν̣ [των ηλων και βαλω τον δακτυλον] [μου εις τον τυπον των ηλων και] [βαλω μου την χειρα εις την πλευ] [ραν αυτου ου μη πιστυσς ^[26] και [μεθ ημερας οκτω παλιν ησαν εσω]

Scribes and Correctors

In John 1:38 "οι δε" was added superlineary; αυ was deleted by dots above the letters.^[5]

In John 16:19 "ο" was added superlineary.^[6]

In John 16:29 αυτω was added superlineary.^[7]

In John 20:19 και was added superlineary.^[8]

Textual character

In John 1:34 it reads ὁ ἐκλεκτός together with the manuscripts $\mathfrak{P}$¹⁰⁶, א, b, e, ff², syr^{c, s}.

In John 16:17 at line 7 of the recto of the second fragment there appears to be extra space which would require some additional material.^[9]

In John 16:20, λυπηθησεσθε originally read λουπηθησεσθε, to which the scribe corrected to λυπηθησεσθε. In 16:21, λυπην originally read λοιπην, to which the scribe corrected to λυπην. In 16:27, it singularly omits εγω. In 20:19 the scribe originally omitted και, but then added it superlinearly later on.^[8]

At line 19 of the third folio of the recto (John 20:16) the missing fragment is difficult for a reconstruction. Grenfell & Hunt remarked that there is no space for the ordinary reading ο λεγεται διδασκαλε because a line should have 34 letters, which is too long. Grenfell & Hunt rejected another possible reading κε διδασκαλε, which is found in Codex Bezae (possible conflation), and proposed κε alone, because Domine is found in Codex Vercellensis and in Codex Usserianus I,^[10] but in the reconstructed text of the manuscript they did not decide to include this proposed variant to the text:

αρω [λεγει αυτη ιης μαριαμ στραφει

[σα εκεινη λεγει αυτω εβραιστι ραβ

β[ουνι . . . . . . . . . . . λεγει αυτη ιης^[11]

All the editors agree that the space is insufficient for ο λεγεται διδασκαλε (John 20,16) but κε alone is too short and it is not supported by any Greek manuscript. Elliott & Parker have suggested ο λεγεται κε.^[12] It was supported by Peter Head.^[9] Comfort proposed κε μου though this reading is not supported by any known Greek manuscript.^[7] It is close for κε διδασκαλε of Codex Bezae and Old-Latin Magister Domine or Domine.^[13]

The Greek text of this codex is representative of the Western text-type. Aland ascribed it as a "Normal text", and placed it in Category I.^[14] It stays in close agreement with Codex Sinaiticus against Codex Vaticanus (e.g. John 1:27.34; 16:22.27.28; 20:25).^[1] "This agreement is unfortunatelly obscured by mutilation".^[15]

History

The manuscript was discovered at the end of the 19th century by Grenfell and Hunt in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt. The first and third leaves were published in Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part II (1899), no. 208. Gregory classified it under number 5 on his list.^[16] The second leaf (John 16:14-30) was published in 1922 as Oxyrhynchus no. 1781.^[17]

It was examined by Grenfell, Hunt, Wessely,^[18] Schofield, Comfort, and Barrett.

It is currently housed at the British Library (Inv. nos. 782, 2484) in London.^[14][19]

See also

• List of New Testament papyri
• Oxyrhynchus papyri
• Oxyrhynchus Papyri 159 through 207
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 209

References

1. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Incorporated, 2001, p. 73.
2. Peter M. Head, The Habits of New Testament Copyists Singular Readings in the Early Fragmentary Papyri of John, Biblica 85 (2004), 404.
3. B. P. Grenfell & A. S. Hunt, Oxyrhynchus Papyri II, (London, 1899).
4. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Incorporated, 2001, pp. 74-78.
5. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Incorporated, 2001, p. 75.
6. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Incorporated, 2001, p. 76.
7. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Incorporated, 2001, p. 77.
8. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Incorporated, 2001, p. 78.
9. Peter M. Head, The Habits of New Testament Copyists Singular Readings in the Early Fragmentary Papyri of John, Biblica 85 (2004), 405.
10. B. P. Grenfell & A. S. Hunt, Oxyrhynchus Papyri II, (London, 1899), p. 7.
11. B. P. Grenfell & A. S. Hunt, Oxyrhynchus Papyri II, (London, 1899), p. 5.
12. Elliott & Parker, The New Testament in Greek IV. The Gospel according to St. John, volume 1, The Papyri (Leiden: Brill, 1995), 34.
13. UBS3, p. 410.
14. Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
15. B. P. Grenfell & A. S. Hunt, Oxyrhynchus Papyri II, (London, 1899), p. 2.
16. C. R. Gregory, Textkritik des Neuen Testaments III (Leipzig: 1909), p. 1085.
17. Frederic G. Kenyon, "Handbook to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament", London², 1912, p. 42.
18. Karl Wessely, Les plus anciens monuments du christianisme, PO 4/2 (1907), pp. 145–148.
19. "Handschriftenliste". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 13 August 2011.

Further reading

Grenfell and Hunt

Bernard Grenfell		Arthur Hunt

• B. P., Grenfell; Hunt, A. S. (1899). Oxyrhynchus Papyri II. London. pp. 1–8.
• B. P., Grenfell; Hunt, A. S. (1922). Oxyrhynchus Papyri XV. London. pp. 8–12.
• C. R. Gregory, "Textkritik des Neuen Testaments", Leipzig 1909, vol. 3, p. 1085.
• Gregory, Caspar René (1908). Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs’sche Buchhandlung. p. 45.
• Karl Wessely, Les plus anciens monuments du christianisme, PO 4/2 (1907), pp. 145–148.
• Comfort, Philip W.; David P. Barrett (2001). The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers. pp. 73–78. ISBN 978-0-8423-5265-9.

External links

• $\mathfrak{P}$
• $\mathfrak{P}$
• $\mathfrak{P}$
• "Handschriftenliste". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 13 August 2011.