| New Testament manuscript | |
_recto_Hebrews_1%2c_1_and_Christian_letter_from_Rome.jpg) Papyrus 12 recto - Hebrews 1, 1 and Christian letter from Rome | |
| Name | P. Amherst 3b |
|---|---|
| Text | Epistle to the Hebrews 1 † |
| Date | 3rd century |
| Script | Greek |
| Found | Egypt 1897 |
| Now at | The Morgan Library & Museum |
| Cite | B. P. Grenfell &A. S. Hunt,The Amherst Papyri I, (London 1900), pp. 28-31 (P. Amherst 3 b) |
| Size | 20,8 cm x 23 cm |
| Type | Alexandrian text-type ? |
| Category | I |
Papyrus 12 is an earlypapyrusmanuscript copy of theNew TestamentEpistle to the Hebrews verse1:1 inGreek. It is designated by thesiglum𝔓12 in theGregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and α 1033 in thevon Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to ca. 285. It may have been a writing exercise or an amulet.[1]
The verse has been written at the top of the second column by another (likely later) writer in three lines.[1]: 82 It has been written in a smalluncial hand.[2] On the reverse side (known as theverso) of this manuscript another writer has pennedGenesis 1:1–5 according to theGreek Septuagint.[1]
_recto_crop_Hebrews_1%2c_1.jpg)
| Greek Text Transcription | Transliteration | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| πολυμερως κ(αι) πολυ[τρο]πως | polymenōs k(ai) poly[tro]pōs | In many parts and in many ways |
| παλε οΘΣ λαλήσ[α]ς το[ις π]ατρα | pale ho Theos lalēs[a]s to[is p]atra | long ago God spoke to the fathe- |
| σ[ιν] ημ[ω]ν εν τοις προ[φ]ητα[ις] | s[in] hēm[ō]n en tois pro[ph]ēta[is] | rs our by the prophets |
_verso_Genesis_1%2c_1%25E2%2580%25935_LXX_Greek.jpg)
It has an error ofitacism (παλε instead of παλαι,palai, meaning "long ago, formerly"), and includes thenomen sacrumΘΣ forTheos, "God".[1] The Greek text of this small portion of Hebrews is probably a representative of theAlexandrian text-type, but its text is too brief for certainty. Biblical scholarKurt Aland placed it inCategory I of his New Testament manuscript classification system.[3] It supports the textual variantημων (hēmōn, "our") as in codices𝔓46catvvgmsssyrp.[4]
The manuscript was discovered in 1897 by papyrologists Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt in the Fayum, Egypt.[1] It is currently housed at theMorgan Library & Museum (Pap. Gr. 3; P. Amherst 3b) inNew York City.[3][5]
