Earliest Gospels Acquired by Vatican

[markomalley]

Per discovery.com:

March 5, 2007 — The world's oldest known copy of the Gospel of Saint Luke, containing the earliest known Lord's Prayer, and one of the oldest copies of the Gospel of Saint John have been acquired by the Vatican, according to reports from Rome.

A nonsectarian New York nonprofit, Pave the Way, helped facilitate the acquisition.

Now stored in the Vatican's Library, the documents are for the first time available for scholarly review. In the future, excerpts may be put on display for the general public.

Collectively known as the Bodmer Papyrus XIV-XV, the documents date to 175-225 A.D. and consist of 51 leaves from a manuscript that originally consisted of 72 leaves folded in the middle to form a single quire, according to Father Richard Donahoe, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama, who also helped with the acquisition.

"The papyrus authenticates that which has been passed down over the millennia," Fr. Donahoe told Discovery News.

He believes it is even possible the texts may have been copied from the original gospels.

Many of the earliest Biblical texts are in the possession of private collectors. In this case, the materials were found, along with other papyri, in 1952 at Pabau, Egypt, near the ancient Dishna headquarters of the Pachomian order of monks.

The papyrus was mysteriously smuggled to Switzerland, where collector Martin Bodmer purchased it.

To fund the construction of a library, the Martin Bodmer Foundation contacted the auction house Christie's about a sale. Gary Krupp, founder of Pave the Way, Donahoe and others learned of the sale and, with the Vatican's help, sought a buyer who could purchase the papyrus for the Vatican.

(remainder snipped)

Image of the Bodmer Papyrus XV

Analysis of some of the text:

[TheInvisibleDan]

Cool. There's also an informative entry at Wikipedia on the subject of these manuscripts. I was wondering if any variants occurring in those texts are also cited in the Nestle-Aland Greek text (yes, 'P-75').

Danny

[T-Bone]

That's cool stuff - thanks for posting it, MarkO!

[coolchef]

wow again!

how interesting

thanks for sharing mark

[Lone Wolf McQuade]

Many of the earliest Biblical texts are in the possession of private collectors.

It would be interesting to see who owns these texts throughout the world and to know their motives for owning them.

Hmmm. 2nd century copy of Luke, what's that going for these days? It had to be Millions, dare tens of millions??!!!! $$$$$

Am I wrong???

[JumpinJive]

Forgive me, but is there a point to this? Sure, its old, but does it add anything to our knowledge? Isn't it just another copy of Luke's writings like so many others, or is there something more to it? Or maybe the concept of sacred texts being bought and sold at market is a statement in and of itself?

-JJ