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ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID356
TM IDTM 65893
Findspot (DEChriM ID)28   (al-Bahnasā)
ClassTextual
MaterialPapyrus
Writing mediumCodex
Text contentLiterary
LanguageGreek
Description

P.Oxy. LXVI 4494; Gregory-Aland P110; Gregory-Aland 𝔓110

A papyrus fragment containing the Gospel of Matthew verses 10:13-15 and 10:25-27 with several singular readings.

The text is written in a sloping, reformed documentary hand with intermittent adherence to bilinearity; see Blumell / Wayment 2015: 171. The ed. pr. describes the hand as 'handsome' and largely bilinear. The lettering is decorated with serifs, and the text is punctuated by a multiplicity of spaces and points. Additionally, the scribe used several diaereses (l. 3 and 6), breathings (rough breathings in l. 2, 6 and 7 of the verso) and apostrophes (l. 7 recto as well as l. 3 and 6 verso). The ed. pr. notes that there is only one superlinear abbreviation of a nu (αὐτη(ν) of l. 2, verso) and one occurrence of a nomen sacrum (κς in l. 2, recto; κυριός "Lord"). The scribe has also made a couple of corrections in l. 2 (recto), among which he has corrected the sigma to a zeta in Βεελ’ζεβουλ.

The fragment has multiple unique readings, inter alia a genitive absolute construction that is otherwise rendered by a middle participle in the MSS (ἐξερχομένων for ἐξερχόμενοι in Matt 10:14). This construction is further developed by the 2. person plural pronoun ὑμῶν which is absent from other attestations. Other variants include ἐκμάξα[τε] (imp. "wipe!") for ἐκτινάξατε (imp. "shake!") in 10:14, an omission of ὑμῶν in 10:13a, a reversal of word order in 10:25 and a change of preposition in 10:14 from ἐκ to ἀπό, probably influenced by Luke 9:5; see Blumell / Wayment 2015: 172.

Selection criteriaLiterary genre (Biblical), Nomina sacra
Date from300
Date to399
Dating criteria

Palaeography.

Dated to the first half of the 4th c. in the ed. pr. by comparison with P.Chester Beatty I (3rd c.), P.Flor. II 108 (mid-3rd c.), and P.Oxy. XV 1778 (4th c.). The fragment is placed even earlier (first half of the 3rd c.) by Comfort 2005: 76.

For the most recent date (4th c.), see Clarysse / Orsini 2012: 472.

Absolute/relative dateRelative date
Archaeological context


Accession number

Oxford, Sackler Library, Papyrology Rooms, P. Oxy. 4494.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps:

∙ Gonis, N., J. Chapa, W.E.H. Cockle, D. Obbink, P.J. Parsons and J.D. Thomas, et al., eds. 1999. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, part LXVI. Published by the Egypt Exploration Society in Graeco-Roman Memoirs. London. 1-3, no. 4494, plates no. 1 and 2.

Additional bibliography:

∙ Blumell, Lincoln H. and Thomas A. Wayment. 2015. Christian Oxyrynchus: Texts, Documents and Sources. Waco, Texas. Papyrus no. 42.

∙ Clarysse, Willy and Pasquale Orsini. 2012. "Early new testament manuscripts and their dates: A critique of theological palaeography". Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 88. 443-474.

∙ Comfort, Philip W. 2005. Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography & Textual Criticism, Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 76.

∙ Comfort, Philip W. and David P. Barrett. 2001. The Text of the earliest New Testament manuscripts. Wheaton, Illinois. 115-116.

∙ Elliott, J.  K. 2000. "Seven Recently Published New Testament Fragments From Oxyrhynchus." Novum Testamentum 42 (3): 209-213.

∙ Head, Peter M. 2000. "Some Recently Published NT Papyri From Oxyrhynchus: An Overview and Preliminary Assessment." Tyndale Bulletin 51 (1): 10-11.

∙ Jaroš, Karl. 2006. Das Neue Testament nach den ältesten griechischen Handschriften (CD-Rom). 3741-3749, no. 2.6.

∙ Min, Kyoung Shik. 2005. Die früheste Überlieferung des Matthäusevangeliums (bis zum 3./4. Jh.): Edition und Untersuchung. ANTF 34. Berlin / New York: Walter de Gruyter. 240-252.

∙ Wasserman, Tommy. 2012. "The Early Text of Matthew". The Early Text of the New Testament.  Hill, Charled E. and Michael J. Kruger. 101-102.

Authors
Sofia Heim, 2021
Suggested citation
Sofia Heim, 2021, "Artefact ID 356", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/356
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