Oldest New Testament fragments reveal 2,000-year-old words of Jesus

The oldest surviving New Testament fragments are kept in the historic library of Oxford University, nearly 2000 years old papyrus texts that are among the most valuable writings of Christianity.

Having thoroughly examined the Magdalen Papyrus P64, Dr. According to Jeremiah Johnston, being one of the few people allowed to hold fragments of historical scriptures was ‘the single most awe-inspiring experience this side of heaven’.

The fragments themselves are small, fragile pieces that have browned over time, but among them are preserved four sayings of Jesus, important parts of the Last Supper, and some moments from the Gospel of Matthew, including the setting up of Judas’ betrayal.

During a visit to the Magdalene College library, Johnston was given the opportunity to hold the three pieces in a simple frame; it’s an experience he described to the Daily Mail as a life-changing experience.

‘It was literally pulled out of what looked like a shoebox, it wasn’t even on display, and I spent as much time as I wanted with one of the most priceless Christian artifacts in the world,’ he said, recalling the almost spiritual nature of this encounter.

‘I’m holding this piece in my hand and knowing that it’s 2000 years old, knowing that it’s true and the scales of truth tipping in favor of Christianity was transformational for me.’

The fragments preserve 24 lines of text from Matthew chapter 26, covering specifically verses 23 and 31, and date back to at least the 1st century AD, offering an extraordinary window into the earliest written record of Jesus’ sayings.

Along with other early New Testament scraps, P64 also represents the earliest known examples of the codex, a book of individual pages rather than a traditional scroll, underscoring the profound shift in the way early Christians recorded and preserved their sacred texts.

Dr Jeremiah Johnston managed to hold three pieces placed in a frame while visiting the former library of Magdalene College, Oxford.

The fragments fit right into today’s debates about how faithfully the Gospels were transmitted, and provide physical evidence that early Christians preserved these texts for much longer than critics often claim.

Its frayed edges and faded ink reveal that Jesus’ story was written earlier than skeptics sometimes acknowledge.

‘This reminds me that Jesus died for my sins so that I could be forgiven. “And I’m holding this piece in my hand,” said Johnston, who is preparing to publish his new book.Discoveries of Jesus.’

‘It takes my breath away,’ he added, describing the great significance of certain quotes as part of what Christians call institution sayings; in this case leading up to the Last Supper and the crucifixion of Jesus.

These pieces were given to Magdalen by Charles Bousfield Huleatt in 1901.

Fragile and browned over time, these small fragments preserve moments from Matthew 26, including four sayings of Jesus and key sections of the Last Supper setting up Judas’ betrayal.

Huleatt, a Magdalen graduate turned missionary, was working in Luxor, Egypt, when he received his documents. How he obtained them is unknown, as is his ultimate origins.

Johnston He explained that the P64 fragments were dated entirely through paleography; This means that scholars compared the author’s handwriting style to thousands of other dated secular documents found in Egypt that have survived from the same period.

Because everything was handwritten before the invention of the printing press, these handwriting comparisons, as well as the fact that the piece was written on papyrus rather than the later parchment and was formatted as a codex with writing on both sides, allow experts to date it to the late 2nd century AD, he explained.

This means that they may have been written ‘a full century’ after Jesus’ crucifixion; many scholars believe this occurred in 33 AD.

Matthew 26 marks the point at which Jesus moves from teaching and ministry to the final hours leading up to the crucifixion, making it one of the most important chapters in the Gospels.

But some experts, such as German archaeologist Carsten Peter Thiede, argue that the same evidence points to an earlier date of origin for the texts than the first century, around AD 70.

Matthew 26 marks the point at which Jesus moves from teaching and ministry to the final hours leading up to the crucifixion, making it one of the most important chapters in the Gospels.

On the back of Fragment 1, from Matthew 26:7-8, these words are written: ‘While he was at table, he poured it on his head. When the disciples saw this, they said angrily.’

The next passage describes Matthew 26:10: ‘Jesus noticed this and said: “Why do you grieve the woman? What has she done for me?”

This passage is part of the story of the woman who anointed Jesus with costly perfumes in Bethany shortly before Passover.

And the last quote from Matthew 26:15 is: ‘Then one of the Twelve, a man named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me?”

The first piece, which includes a text from Matthew 26:31, reads on the front: ‘Jesus said to them, “The scriptures say, ‘You will all depart from me this night.’

The pieces are kept in the former library of Magdalene College, Oxford.

This quote is Jesus predicting that all of his disciples would soon abandon him, as they later did.

The second contains the details of Matthew 26:32: ‘I will go before you into Galilee.’ Then Peter said to him.’

The last passage contains Matthew 26:22-3 and says: ‘They were greatly distressed and began to ask Him in turn, ‘Is it not I, O Lord?’ ‘Someone who puts his hand in the plate with me,’ he replied.

Speaking about the translations, Johnston told the Daily Mail: ‘There are four sayings of Jesus in these pieces. The name of Jesus is mentioned twice, the names of Peter and Judas Iscariot are mentioned, and these are the oldest copies in the world in which their names are found.’

During his PhD residency at Oxford, Johnston gained unprecedented access to rare Bible manuscripts through the Bodleian Library and was awarded an elite ‘A’ reader card granting full access to special collections.

He believes that the cumulative evidence shows that the early Christians were committed to preserving the Bible accurately, and that the Magdalen Papyrus confirms this effort.