Forgotten miracle of Jesus revealed: Priceless papyrus fragment discovered Unnoticed for years in a library, a simple piece of parchment turns out to be one of the oldest extracts from the Gospel. This piece of papyrus, bearing the inventory number P.Hamb.Graec.1011, describes Jesus’ second miracle, the “reviving of the sparrows”.
The Quickening of the Sparrows: A Miracle of Jesus at the Age of Five The papyrus contains the story of Jesus, then aged five, making sparrows out of clay near a stream and giving them life. This discovery, after careful study, was made by Lajos Berkes from the Institute for Christianity and Antiquity at the Humboldt University of Berlin and Professor Gabriel Nocchi Macedo from the University of Liège.
Papyrus Fragment Went Unnoticed For Decades Initially taken as a mundane document due to its clumsy handwriting, this fragment revealed its importance when studied more closely. Identified as the oldest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, this papyrus offers valuable lessons on the transmission of the text.
A Papyrus With Multiple Teachings Dated from the 2nd to the 5th century, this fragment proves that Greek was the original language of this part of the Gospel. Coming from late ancient Egypt, it measures approximately 11 x 5 centimeters and contains thirteen lines of Greek letters.
A Meticulous Study by Papyrologists Researchers first noticed the mention of “Jesus” before fully deciphering the papyrus. Compared to other copies of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, this fragment is the oldest known version, probably written in the 2nd century AD.
A Historical Discovery This discovery, made through meticulous study, demonstrates the importance of ancient fragments for understanding the history and transmission of religious texts. It also confirms that the story of the miracle of the “vivification of sparrows” was part of the first Christian writings.
The papyrus, now identified, represents a significant advance in research into ancient religious texts, shedding light on a miracle of Jesus that had been forgotten for centuries.
Unnoticed for years in a library, a simple piece of parchment turns out to be one of the oldest extracts from the Gospel (science-et-vie.com)
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