Rylands Papyri

Rylands Papyri Overview

Rylands Papyri is a collection of thousands of Papyri Fragments and documents from Greece and Northern Africa regions currently located at the John Rylands University Library in Manchester UK. 

Notable Fragmentary Pieces

Papyri P52 - The oldest known fragment from Saint John's gospel, dated to be between early 100 A.D to 175 A.D.

Papyri 457 - From the gospel of John, dated to be between 125 - 175 A.D.

P 457 - Greek Text

The papyrus is written on both sides and are from the same codex. 

The Greek Transcript:

ΟΙ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΟΙ ΗΜΕΙΝ ΟΥΚ ΕΞΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΠΟΚΤΕΙΝΑΙ

ΟΥΔΕΝΑ ΙΝΑ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΠΛΗΡΩΘΗ ΟΝ ΕΙ-

ΠΕΝ ΣΗΜΑΙΝΩΝ ΠΟΙΩ ΘΑΝΑΤΩ ΗΜΕΛΛΕΝ ΑΠΟ-

ΘΝΗΣΚΕΙΝ ΙΣΗΛΘΕΝ ΟΥΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΠΡΑΙΤΩ-

ΡΙΟΝ Ο ΠΙΛΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΦΩΝΗΣΕΝ ΤΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ

ΚΑΙ ΕΙΠΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΣΥ ΕΙ O ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥ-

ΔΑΙΩN


Eleven lines of the text are lost, containing 18:34–36. 


The text translates as:

the Jews, "For us it is not permitted to kill

anyone," so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he sp-

oke signifying what kind of death he was going to

die. Entered therefore again into the Praeto-

rium Pilate and summoned Jesus

and said to him, "Thou art king of the

Jews?"


Rylands Greek P457 Recto

The Greek Transcript:

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΕΙΜΙ ΕΓΩ ΕΙΣ TOΥΤΟ ΓΕΓΕΝΝΗΜΑΙ

ΚΑΙ (ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΤΟ) ΕΛΗΛΥΘΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟΝ ΙΝΑ ΜΑΡΤΥ-

ΡΗΣΩ ΤΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΠΑΣ Ο ΩΝ ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕI-

ΑΣ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ΜΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΦΩΝΗΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΩ

Ο ΠΙΛΑΤΟΣ ΤΙ ΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΤΟ

ΕΙΠΩΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΞΗΛΘΕΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΙΟΥ-

ΔΑΙΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΟΙΣ ΕΓΩ ΟΥΔΕΜΙΑΝ

ΕΥΡΙΣΚΩ ΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΑΙΤΙΑΝ


These verses are from the Gospel of John, 18.37 - 38


The text translates as:

a King I am. For this I have been born

and (for this) I have come into the world so that I would test

ify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth

hears of me my voice." Said to him

Pilate, "What is truth?" and this

having said, again he went out unto the Jews

and said to them, "I find not one

fault in him."


Rylands Greek P 457 Verso