Papyrus𝔓¹

New Testament manuscript
An image of Papyrus 1 (recto), showing Matthew 1:1–9, 12
Name	P. Oxy. 2
Text	Matthew 1:1–9,12,14-20
Date	~250 AD
Found	Oxyrhynchus,Egypt
Now at	University of Pennsylvania
Cite	B. P. Grenfell &A. S. Hunt,Oxyrhynchus Papyri I, pp. 4–7, 1898.
Size	1 leaf; 12 × 25 cm; 37–38 lines/page
Type	Alexandrian
Category	I
Note	Close toCodex Vaticanus.

Papyrus 1 is an earlypapyrusmanuscript of one chapter of theGospel of Matthew inGreek. It is designated by thesiglum𝔓¹ in theGregory-Aland numbering ofNew Testament manuscripts, and as ε 01 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it is dated to the early 3rd century. It was discovered inOxyrhynchus,Egypt. It is currently housed at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum (E 2746).^[1]

The manuscript was likely acodex (precursor to the modernbook format), of which a fragment of one leaf has survived.^[2] The text is written in one column per page, 27–29 lines per page, roughly sized 14.7 cm (6 in) by 15 cm (6 in).^[2] The original codex was arranged in two leaves inquire form.^[3]

The surviving text of Matthew are verses 1:1–9,12 and 13,14–20. The words are written continuously without separation. Accents and breathings are absent, except two breathings which are a smooth breathing on fifth letter (ωβηδ ἐκ) in line 14 of the verso and a rough breathing on the fourth letter to last letter (ἡ συν) in line 14 of the recto.The manuscript includes thenomina sacra (early abbreviations of names/titles considered sacred inChristianity), of which the following are witnessed::ΙϹ (ιησους /Jesus),XC (χριστος /Christ),YC (υιος /son),ΠΝΑ (πνευμα /Spirit),KΣ (κριστος /Lord).^[3]

The Greek text of this codex is considered to be a representative of theAlexandrian. Biblical scholarKurt Aland placed it inCategory I of his New Testament manuscript classification system.^[4]

According to scholars,𝔓¹ has close agreement withCodex Vaticanus.^[5] It supports Vaticanus in 1:3 in readingζαρε (againstζαρα). Ten of the variants are in the spelling of names in thegenealogy of Jesus Christ. Biblical scholarHerman C. Hoskier, who found 17–20 word variations (see below), denied close agreement with Vaticanus.

Text according to Comfort

Recto

α

[1:1] βιβλος γενεσεωςΙΥΧΥΥΥ δαυιδ [ΥΥ]

αβρααμ [1:2] αβρααμ ε̣γ̣εννησεν τον̣ [ισαακ]

ισαακ δ̣[ε] ε̣γενν̣η̣σεν τ[ον] ιακω̣β̣ [ιακωβ]

δε εγ[ε]ν̣ν̣ησεν̣ τ̣ον̣ ιου̣δαν κ̣[α]ι̣ τ̣[ους]

α̣[δ]ελφο̣υ̣ς αυτου [1:3] ιουδα̣ς̣ δ̣ε εγεν̣ν̣η̣

σ̣ε̣ν̣ τον φαρες και τον ζαρε εκ της θα̣

μ̣αρ̣ φαρες δε εγεννησεν τον ε̣σρ̣ωμ

εσ[ρω]μ̣ δε εγ̣ε̣ννη̣σ̣ε̣ν τ̣[ο]ν̣ α̣ρ̣α̣μ̣ [1:4] α̣[ραμ]

δε̣ [ε]γ̣ε̣ννησεν το̣ν̣ α̣μ̣μ̣ι̣ν̣α̣δ̣α̣β̣ α̣μ̣

μ̣[ι]ν̣α̣δ̣[α]β δε εγεννησεν̣ τον ναασ̣σων

ν̣αα[σ]σων δε εγενν[ησ]ε̣ν τον σαλ̣[μω]ν

[1:5] σαλμων δε εγενν[η]σ̣εν τον βοες̣ [εκ]

της ραχαβ βοες δε ε̣γ̣ε̣ννησεν τον ι

ωβηδ’εκ της ρ[ο]υθ ιω̣[βηδ δ]ε εγεννη̣

σεν τον ιεσ̣σ̣α̣ι [1:6] ιεσ̣σ̣[αι] δ̣ε ε̣γ̣ε̣ν̣νησεν

τον δα̣υ̣ι̣δ̣ τ̣ον βα̣σιλ̣ε̣[α δαυ]ι̣δ̣ δ̣ε̣ εγ̣εν

νησ̣εν τον σο̣λο̣μωνα̣ ε̣κ̣ τ̣η̣ς ουρειου. [1:7] σο̣

λομ̣ων δε εγενν̣ησ̣εν̣ τ̣ο̣ν̣ [ρ]οβοαμ ροβο

α̣μ δε εγ̣ενν̣η̣σ̣εν̣ τ̣[ο]ν̣ [αβει]α αβ̣ει̣α̣ δε

εγεν̣ν̣ησεν [το]ν ασα̣[φ] [1:8] [α]σ[α]φ̣ δε̣ ε̣γ̣ε̣ν

νη̣σ̣ε̣ν̣ τον ιωσαφατ̣ ι̣[ω]σ̣α̣φατ δ[ε] ε̣γε̣ν

ν[η]σ̣ε̣[ν] το̣ν̣ ιωραμ ιωρ̣α̣μ̣ δε εγεν̣[νησεν

τον] ο̣ζε̣[ι]α̣ν [1:9] οζει̣ας̣ δ̣ε εγ̣εν̣[νησεν]

lacuna [1:12] lacuna [με

τοικεσιαν βαβυλωνος ιεχονι]ας εγ[εν

νησεν] lacuna

Verso

[1:14] [lacuna] β

[τον σ]α̣δω[κ σ]αδωκ̣ δε̣ ε̣γεννησεν το[ν

αχειμ] αχ̣ειμ δε εγε[ν]νησεν τον ελιου[δ]

[1:15] [ελιου]δ̣ δ̣ε̣ εγ[εν]νη̣[σ]ε̣[ν] τον ελε̣α̣ζαρ ελε

[αζ]α̣ρ [δε εγ]ενν̣ησεν [το]ν μ̣α̣θ̣θα̣ν̣ μαθθα̣[ν]

δ̣ε ε̣γε̣ν̣νη̣[σ]ε̣ν τον̣ [ι]ακωβ [1:16] ια̣κωβ δε

[εγ]εννησ̣εν̣ τ̣ον ιωσ̣η̣φ τον α̣νδρα μ̣[α]

ρ̣ι̣ας̣ [ε]ξ ης εγενν[ηθ]η̣ΙΣ ο λεγομενο[ςΧΣ]

[1:17] π̣ασ̣α̣ι̣ ο̣υ̣ν̣ γ̣ε̣[νε]α̣ι̣ α̣πο αβρααμ εω̣ς̣

δαυιδ γενεαιΙΔ και̣ απο̣ [δ]α̣[υ]ι̣δ̣ [ε]ω̣ς̣ τ̣η̣[ς]

μετοικεσ̣ια̣ς βαβυλωνο̣[ς] γ̣ε[νεαι]ΙΔ κ̣α̣[ι]

α̣π̣ο της μετ̣[οι]κεσι̣ας βα̣β[υ]λων̣[ο]ς εως

τουΧΥ γ̣ενε̣α̣ι̣ [Ι]Δ [1:18] του δεΙΥΧΥ η γενε

σις ουτως ην μ̣ν̣ηστ̣ε̣[υ]θεισης της μη

τρος αυτου μ̣[αρι]α̣[ς] τω̣ [ιω]σηφ πριν η̆ συν

[ε]λ̣θε̣[ι]ν αυ[το]υ̣[ς] ε̣υ̣ρε̣[θη] ε̣ν γ̣αστρι εχου

σα̣ ε̣[κΠΝΣ αγιου] [1:19] [ιωσηφ δε ο] ανη̣ρ̣ α̣υ̣

τ̣η̣ς̣ [δι]κ̣α̣ι[ος ων και μη θελων αυτην]

δ̣ειγμα̣[τ]ε̣[ισαι εβουλη]θ̣η̣ [λαθρα

α]π̣ο̣λυ[σαι] α̣[υ]τ̣[η]ν̣ [1:20] [τ]αυ̣τ̣α̣ [δε αυτου εν

θ]υ̣μ̣η[θεντος ι]δ̣ο̣υ̣ α̣γ̣[γελο]ς̣ΚΥ [κ]α̣[τ

ο]ν̣αρ [εφανη αυ]τω̣ [λεγων] ι̣ω̣σ̣[η]φ

υιος] δ̣[αυιδ] μ̣[η] φο̣[βηθη]ς̣ π̣α̣ρ̣[αλαβ]ει̅

[μ]α̣ρι̣α̣ν̣ [την] γ̣υ̣ναι[κα σου] τ̣ο̣ [γαρ εν αυ

τη γεν]νηθ̣ε̣ν̣ ε̣[κ]ΠΝΣ [εστιν] α̣[γιου]

[1:21–23] lacuna

με̣[θερμηνευομενον μεθ ημων οΘΣ]

Disagreement with Vaticanus (according to Hoskier)

Grenfell and Hunt

Bernard Grenfell		Arthur Hunt

PapyrologistsBernard Pyne Grenfell andArthur Surridge Hunt discovered this papyrus atOxyrhynchus in Egypt, on the third or fourth day of excavation, January 13 or 14, 1897.^[7][3]: 4 Their findings were published in the first volume ofThe Oxyrhynchus Papyri in 1898. The manuscript was examined byFrancis Crawford Burkitt,Herman C. Hoskier, Comfort, and many other scholars.

Grenfell and Hunt collated its text against theTextus Receptus and against the text ofWestcott-Hort. They found that the manuscript belongs to the same class as theSinaiticus andVaticanus codices, and has no Western or Byzantine proclivities. Usually it agrees with these two codices, where they are in agreement. Where they differ, the manuscript is near to Vaticanus, except in one important case (του δε Ιησου Χριστου /Now, the [birth] of Jesus Christ), where it agrees with Sinaiticus.^[3]: 7 It was the earliest known manuscript of the New Testament until the discovery ofPapyrus 45 (𝔓⁴⁵).^[8]

• List of New Testament papyri
• Matthew 1
• Oxyrhynchus Papyri
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 1
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 3
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 16

• Gregory, Caspar René (1908).Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament [The Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament]. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs. p. 45.
• Karl Wessely,Les plus anciens monuments du Christianisme [The Oldest Monuments of Christianity],Patrologia Orientalis IV, 2, 1907, pp. 142–144.
• Ellwood M. Schofield,The Papyrus Fragments of the Greek New Testament, Diss. Louisville 1936, pp. 86–91.
• Head, Peter M. (1990). "Observations on Early Papyri of the Synoptic Gospels, especially on the 'Scribal Habits'".Biblica.71 (2):240–247.JSTOR 42611105.

Facsimiles (large files, high resolution images):

• 𝔓¹ verso
• 𝔓¹ recto
• New Testament Transcripts
• Digital image of P1 atCSNTM

• 3rd-century biblical manuscripts
• Papyri from ancient Egypt
• New Testament papyri
• Oxyrhynchus papyri vol. I
• University of Pennsylvania
• Early Greek manuscripts of the New Testament
• Gospel of Matthew papyri

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text