Christian Archaeology - The Oxyrhynchus Papyri

The Oxyrhynchus Papyri

The Oxyrhynchus Papyri date from between the 2nd and 6th century. The fragments were discovered in the late 19th century at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt. Surviving fragments of the Gospel of Thomas and other New Testament canon and Apocrypha discovered among the fragments date from the 2nd and 3rd century's, and may represent a portion of an earlier collection of sayings attributed to Jesus.

Papyrologists believe these sayings of Jesus were recorded earlier rather than later (some fragments from Oxy. 1224 may be from 40 AD.). Others have linked these papyri to the Gospel of the Hebrews. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri are of significance to biblical scholars as they offer some of the earliest autographs of New Testament canon and Apocrypha.