BRITISH SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN EGYPT AND EGYPTIAN RESEARCH ACCOUNT TWENTY-NINTH YEAR, 923 I THE GOSPEL O F ST. J O H N ACCORDING TO THE EARLIEST COPTIC MANUSCRIPT EDITED WITH A TRANSLATION BY SIR HERBERT THOMPSON LONDON BRITISH SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN EGYPT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, GOWER STREET, W. C. I AND BERNARD QUARITCH 11 GRAFTON STREET, NEW BOND STREET, W. '924 PRINTED BY HOLZHAUSEN ADOLF VIENNA (AUSTRIA) BRITISH SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN EGYPT P.4TRON: F.-M.V ISCOUNT ALLENBY, G.C.B., G.C.M.G. GEiVERAL COMMITTEE (*Executive Members) Lord ABERCROMBY LORDB ISHOPO F GLOUCESTER ROBERTM OND HENRYB AL~OUR Rt. Hon. Sir GEonGe T. GOLDIE Prof. MONTAGUE Prof. R. C. BOSANQUET Mrs. J. R. GREEN *Miss M. A. MURRAY *Prof. J. B. BURY Rt. Hon. F.-M. LORDG RENFFILL P. E. NEWBERRY *SOMECRLSA RKE Mrs. F. LL. GRIBSITH F. W. PERC~VAL EDWARDC LODD Dr. A. C. HADDON Dr. PINCHES Mrs. J. W. CROWFOOT Dr. D. G. HOGARTH Sir G. W. PROTHERO Sir W. BOYDD AWRINS *BASILH OLMES Dr. G. A. RE~~NER *Miss ECKENSTEIN Baron A. TON H~~GEI. Prof. Sir F. W. RIDGEWAY Sir GREGORFYO STER Prof. A. S. HUNT *H. SEFTONJO NES Sir JAMES FRAZER Mrs. C. H. W. JOHNS Mrs. STRONG Prof. PERCYG ARDNER Sir HENRYM IERS Lady TIRARD *Prof. ERNESGT ARDNE(RC hairman) J. G. MILNE E. TOWRWYI IYTE Honorary Director-Prof. Sir FLINDEPRESTR IE Honorary Treasurer W. H. CORBETJT. P. Honorary Secretary-LADY PETRIE AMERICAN BRANCH THE EGYPTIAN RESEARCH ACCOUNT President JAMESH ENRYB REASTEDP,H .D Kce-Presidents l WII,LIAXJ . HOLLANDP,a .D., Sc.D., LL.D. CHARLEFS . THWINGD, .D., LL.D. EDMUNJD. JAMES,P H.D., LL.D. BENIAM~IND E WHEELERP, H.~.L, .H.D., LL.D. F. W. SHIPI.EYP, H.D. WILLIAMC OPLEYW ~NSLOWPH, .D., L.H.D., LL.D. Hon. Secretary Prof. MITCHELCLA RROLLP,H .D. P U B L I C A T I O N S OF THE EGYPTIAN RESEARCH ACCOUNT AND BRITISH SCHOOL O F ARCHAEOLOGY IN EGYPT I. BALLAS, 1895; by J. E. QUIBELL(.O ut of print; obtainable in joint volume NAQADA AND BALLAS, by W. M. F. PETRIE.6 8 plates. 20s. net.) 11. THE RAMESSEUM, 1896; by J. E. QUIBELI.. (Out of print.) 111. EL KAB, 1897; by J. E. QIJIBELL. IV. HIERAKONPOLIS I, 1898; text by W. M. F. P. 43 plates. 20s nd V. HIERAKONPOLIS 11, 1899; by F. W. GREENa nd J. E. QUIBELL.3 9 plates (4 coloured and zo photographic). VI. EL ARABAH, 1900; by J. GARSTANG4.0 plates. 16s. net. (Out of print.) VII. MAHASNA, 1901; by J. GARSTANaGnd KURTS ETHE. 43 plates. (Out of print.) VIII. TEMPLE OF THE KINGS, 1902; by A ST. GEORGCE AULFEIL2D4 . plates. 16s. net. (Out of print.) IX. THE OSIREION, 1903; by MARGAREAT. MURRAY. 37 plates. 25s. net. X. SAQQARA MASTABAS I, 1904; by M. A. MURRAYa;n d GUROB, by L. LOAT.6 4 plates. 30s. net. XI. SAQQARA MASTABAS 11, 1905; by HILDAP ETRIE.( In preparation.) XII. HYKSOS AND ISRAELITE CITIES, 1906; by W. M. FLINDEPREST RIEa nd J. Gaanow DUNCAN. 40 plates. 25s. net. In double volume with 94 plates. 45s. net. (This latter is out of print.) XIII. GIZEH AND RIFEH, 1907; by W. M. FLINDEPKBST RIR. 40 plates. 25s. net. 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JOHN, COPTIC MS.; by Sir HERBERTTH OMPSON80. plates. 25s. net. XXXVII. TOMBS OF THE COURTIERS AND OXYRHYNCHUS. (hP ress.) Su6scr@tions of One Guinea for the Annual Single Volumes, or Two GnLneas for the Two Annual Volumes, are recezved & the Hon. Secretary, at the Edwards Library, Universi& Collcge, Gower Street, London, W.C., where also copies of the adove works can be o6tained. I wish to render m y grateful thanks to Sir FLINDERS PETRIEf or entrusting to me the editing of this papyrus; to the Rev. R. KILGOUDR. D . and the British and Foreign Bible Society for giving me ready access to the original manuscr+t; and to the Rev. GEORGEH ORNERwh ose elaborate editions of the Coptic text of the New Testament have so greatly lightened my work. H. T. C O N T E N T S PAGE . . . . . . The Discovery of the Papyrus, by Sir FLINDEPERTSR IE ix Introduction : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I. The manuscript. xi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . z. Palaeography and date. xiii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. The text xiii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. The dialect. xviii , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. The version xxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. Conclusion xxviii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Collation with the Greek text xxxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Coptic text with interleaved plates. I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coptic glossary 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English translation 53 THE DISCOVERY OF THE PAPYRUS ABOUTtm etity-seven miles south ofAsyut, half- tlie prospect looked discouraging. It could not be way bcrween Cairo and Aswan the cliffs on the opened in the least without cracking. Damping to east side of the Nile rise in precipices from the render it flexible was a risk, as too much moisture plain, with parallel spurs projecting into the culti- mould have made the two layers separate, or have vation. Near the village of Hamamieh, close to a reduced it to pulp. Damp cotton wool was there- large wady or ravine, one of these spurs, covered fore used, from which all spare moisture had been with limestone detritus, has been used as a ceme- squeezed; this was tousled as loose as possible, tery in Predynastic, early Dynastic and Roman packed on the edges of the leaves, and the whole times. When Mr. Guy Brunton was clearing this wrapped in a cloth. After a few days, the papyrus in March 1923 for the British School of Archaeo- had absorbed enough moisture to enable it to he logy, a broken crock was found, buried 18 inches slightly unbent. Similar damp wool was then placed under the surface, in the neighbourhood of the in the middle, where the folds were sharpest. After Roman or early Coptic graves. The pot is of red several days more, the whole mass could be flattened pottery painted pale buff, with a decoration in black out, without producing any fresh breaks. On se- of bands and spots, which cannot unfortunately be parating the MS. into sheavcs, where tlie leaves closely dated. Mr. Brunton's assistant, Mr. Starkey, would part, the portions were interleaved in an in emptying the dust from the pot found that it old volume of soft paper, to dry flat. It was then contained a little package of papyrus wrapped in seen that the subject was the Coptic version of rag, and tied with thread. It was very fragile; the the Gospel according to St. John. After some days outer parts were dark brown, and partly decayed. of drying, the leaves could then be safely separated. It was therefore brought to England in the original Meanwhile, the largest*leaf was measured, and wrapping as it was found, to minimise risks in glass plates were prepared, large enough to allow transport. The clearance of the ground was com- of laying a border of card around each leaf, twice pleted by Mr. Brunton in December 1923, and as thick as the leaf, so that pressure of the glass brought to light traces of crude brick walls in the would not crush the papyrus. After temporarily immediate neighbourhood, with one carved lime- fastening the pairs of glasses together, tlie whole stone capital of Byzantine style. Apparently an was studied by Sir Herhert Tbompson, who re- early church had stood here; and in the rubbish arranged any misplaced fragments, and made his was found a small bronze censer with chains. The working copy. On return to me, the fragments of pot, the capital, and the censer will all be published each leaf were strapped together so that the leaf in the forthcoming volumes on the excavations at could be shifted as a whole, numbers were placed Qau el Kebir. on each page according to the original pagination, At University College, on my removing the strips and all the paper was browned to avoid contrast. of crumbling linen rag in which the papyrus lay, Mr. Emery Walker undertook the photographing it was seen to be a tall narrow book of leaves at University College, and I shifted each leaf into stitched together, which had been sharply doubled position, almost flat, and reversed it to expose each twice over, across the height of it. Being stitched side. The glasses were then finally bound over at at the back, the leaves had skewed in folding and the edges. The total loss, even from the most rotten L X THE DISCOVEliY OF THE I'APPRUS. and fragile parts, was not a thousandth of tlic Comrnittce of the British and Foreign Bible Society whole amount that was found. suggested that the collection of MSS, in the library The condition of the papyrus showed that it had of that Society would be a fitting place for such been greatly worn. The first three leaves were a document. The importance of it as the oldest missing when it was folded up, and probably as Coptic MS. of a gospel, was also felt by other many were lost from the end. The back leaf was members of the Committee, and especially by the half broken away; a leaf near the end had come librarian, Dr. Rilgour. Among the Committee per- loose, and was laid in at about two-thirds through sonally a contribution was made to the British the volume, The rubbed surface of these latter School to enable the present publication to be leaves showed how much worn they had become carried out as completely as possible. The MS. is by sliding on a reading desk. The height of the now immediately accessible to any scholar, in the MS. indicates that it was for Church use, rather well-lighted library of the Society in Queen Vic- than a private copy. It appears that, when too de- toria St., London, where it is stored with other fective for regular reading, it had been set aside, important MSS. in a fire-proof safe. The conditions and buried reverently in the cemetery. and surroundings thus secured seem to be especially On hearing of the discovery, a member of the suitable for such a manuscript. INTRODUCTION I. THE MANUSCRIPT') 10 inches each way and laying them one above the other, each with its horizontal fibres upwards, THEP apyrus is referred to in this Introduction and then folding the whole mass in half so as to as Q. It is a book in Codex form of which 43 leaves, form a volume of a single gathering or quire. It or fragments thereof, are extant out of a volume must have been a clun~sys ort of boolc; but the which originally contained IOO numbered pages, method seems to have prevailed for a time when or 50 leaves, besides in all probability one or two the codex form of book was first introduced, though unnumbered leaves at beginning and end. our evidence does not allow us to say that it pre- The text begins at cli.II.~zo n a page numbcred 7 ceded the method of multiple quires laid side and ends at ch. XX. 20 on p. 96. Therefore it is by side. clear that six numbered pages, i. e. 3 leaves of text The transition from the ancient roll form of are missing at the beginning. manuscript (still used for reading tlie law and the We can tell the structure of the book by the prophets in Jewish synagogues) to the codex form fibres of the papyrus. As all papyrus consists of is still somewhat obscure. It would almost seem to two layers of fibres at right angles to each other, have been in some way hound up with the spread one face of a papyrus leaf presents fibres running of Christianity. At any rate very few Christian in a horizontal direction and the other face in a literary fragments written on rolls have survived, vertical direction. These are denoted by H and V and this is the more remarlcable when me consider respectively. In the present MS. every leaf is what tlie Jewish tradition was. The remains of the numbered and all the leaves bearing numbers up Pastor of Hermas in Greek at Berlin arc parts of to 50 are VH, that is, they have vertical fibres on an original roll: and the second set of "Sayings the recto, or first side of the leaf and horizontal of Jesus" (P. Ox. No. 654) is written on the back fibres on the verso; all leaves after 50 are HV; of a papyrus roll. In Coptic there is in Paris a therefore pages 50 and 51 are both H, and formed papyrus with four columns of extracts from the part of one sheet originally, folded so as to make second book of Maccabees in the Achmimic dialect; a double leaf. And so we learn that the book was what remains is only about 20 inches long and made by taking 25 square sheets of papyrus about probably it never was a complete r o l l and the same remark applies to the papyrus fragment with Abbreviations: cxtracts from a Coptic version of the Didache re- Q, tlie papyrul here edited. W, the X'ashington MS. of the Gospels. The remiining symbols cently acquired by the British Mu~eumT.~h e roll- of the Greek and Latin New Testament manuscripts are the form continued to be uscd for legal and other usual ones. documents to a much later date; but we are deal- A, the Koridethi Gospels, Grez. 038, Sod. S ojo. ing only with Christian literary texts. The codex- Sa. Sahidic. Bu, Bohairic. hf. E., Middle Egyptian. ' L.&cnu, B. I. R A. VIII. The other fmgments in Paris published onginally by Bouriant and re-edited by Lacau, are written on tile Gr, Greek. backs of old rolls which have been pnsted back to back and formed homoeot., homaeoteleuton Inc., lacuna. into the leaves of a eoden. superl., snperlinention. JOIOT-h!eIa.l. St. XXV. 2?5. l>* XI1 INTRODUCTION form of book is generally supposed to have been the most part too imperfect to allow of demon- suggested by the waxed tablets, which were used stration. ' either in pairs (diptychs) or in larger numbers Each leaf of Q measured originally about 10 fastened together by cords passed through holes inches (250 mm.) in height by about 5 inches bored in tlie hinder wooden edges.' Such a group (125 mm.) in width. The text was written in a single of tablets seems to have been known as a codex, column covering about 8'1, inches (210 mm.) by and tlie name was passed on to the papyrus or 3'1, inches (85 mm.). There were from 33 to 37 lines vellum leaves arranged in the same fdsllion. But on a page. Each page was numbered, as is also for the more convenient holding together of a the case with the Acta Pauli and the Epistola number of leaves, the system above described of Apostolorum. folding sheets of papyrus into double leaves and There was no division of the text either by placing them one inside the other was adopted in chapter-numbers or by enlargement of initial letters, some parts of Egypt.* or by extrusion of them into the margin. The only > Very few of these single-quire books are known. mark is a inserted at the ends of lines in 18 in- There exist in Coptic:- stances: their purpose is obscure, for they are not used, as in other MSS., merely to fill up short i. Berlin. Epistle I Clement (Achmimic), papyrus, lines; the number of letters in a line varies from end of cent. IV, edited by Car1 Schmidt (Texte U. Unters. XXXII). 11 to 25, and they are not used in specially short lines. They have no relation to the tituli of the ii. Berlin. The booli of Proverbs (Achm.), papyrus, Gospel, to the N B divisions nor the Eusebian still unpublished. sections, nor to any lections that we know later. iii. Berlin. A gnostic papyrus of cent. V, also un- Once what is apparently the same sign is placed published (C. Schmidt, u. S., p. 7). iv. Cairo. Inst. Miss. Arch. Fran~.E pistola Aposto- at the beginning of a line corresponding to ourVI. I. The only punctuation is a high point; a colon lorum, pap. of cent.IV-V, ed. C. Schmidt, T. U. XLIII. seems to be used once on p. q,1. I, perhaps a mis- take. The apostrophe so often found both in Greeli v. Heidelberg. Acta Pauli, ed. C. Schmidt, 1914. and Coptic early MSS. is also found here a'bove Greek examples of single-quired books are:- I<, h, M, I, n, p, T, $, seemingly to guide the + i. Brit. Mus. = P. OX. Nos. 208 1781, pap. frag- reader, when reading aloud, since there is no word- ments of the Gospel of St. John of cent. 111. division, but the principles of its use have never ii. J.P.Morgan coll., an Iliad papyrus, cent. 111-IV. yet been adequately explained. A circumflex ac- iii. Stockholm. A work on chemistry. cent is found occasioually over I3 when it stands for the verb "come," as elsewhere (BM. Or.7594, The last two instances arc quoted from Schubart, Uas Buch bei den Griechen t~ndR orizer~zZ , 192I .' On Jonah; Rahlfs, Psalmenfr. p. 16), and over 0 the qualitative of l€pe, doubtless to mark them as such. p. 129 he states that the si~eo f the sheets was graduated, being largest in the outer ones and The only contractions used are I-tlCM, XC-, nNA. The superlineation for N at the end of the line is progressively smaller towards the middle of the never employed. book so as to give space for an equal amount of The MS. is written in one halid throughout and text on each leaf, and this seems to have been the all the corrections are by the hand of the writer. case with Q, but the condition of the edges is for The scribe was not exemplary; his list of errors ' BmT, Das nntike Bz~clrwesce, 1882, p. 95. KENYONPa, laeo- ' There are slight fragments of the fine cord with which the graphy of Gmek Papyri, ,899, p. 24. E. UAUNDTEH ODCPSONm, aunscript was sewn still in sit" on leslres 21-22, 23-24, 77-78 I,>trod. to Greek aird Latin Palncogmpily, 1912, p. 51. and 83-84; and there are numerous holes on the inner edges 2 One cannot say that the single-quire preceded the multiple-quire which show that the sheets were held together, not as one would codex as the latter appears quite as early as the former, e. g. the expect by threads carried vertically throu,ah the centre of the sheet, Odyssey of John Rylands Llbr. cent. 111-IV is mulliple quire but the inner asargbzs were pierced by a number of holes and the (Greek Papryi of the J. Ryl. Litr. ed. A. S. Hunt No. 53). threads carried across, $0 that when opened the pages showed H. I. BELLi n an excellent rPsumP of the subject in Tile Library threads parsing horizontally across the backs of the leaves. The N. S., X. (lyog), p. 303 seq. mentions that there is an example as same arrangement of threads is seen depicted in several mosaics re- late as the VIIIth cent. in the Brit. blus. among tlie Aphrodito presenting open volumes nearly contemporary with Q. Cf. WILPERT, papyri (Cat. Greek Pap. IV. No. 1419). Die r6,nischea Mosaiken u,zd icfalereie,~, 1916, pl. 47, 85, 89 &c.